Microbe Investigations

What Microbe Investigations does

Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS), operating under the legal entity Microbe Investigations AG, is a privately held boutique Contract Research Organization (CRO) founded in 2012 and headquartered at Enzenried 12, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland. The company delivers microbiological and virology efficacy testing services to manufacturers across seven industry-aligned service lines: entomology (pest control), textiles and apparel, disinfectants and sanitizers, plastics and polymers, cosmetics and personal care, paints and coatings, and custom R&D. Its single Zürich laboratory employs state-of-the-art instrumentation executing standardized methods aligned to ISO, ASTM, EN, USP, AOAC, PCPC, WHO, and JIS frameworks, supported by an in-house Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for sample tracking and a comprehensive strain library spanning insects, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and algae that enables customization beyond standard mandated panels.

The company generates revenue through fee-for-service testing contracts billed per project on a quote-based, pay-as-you-go cadence, with a "Fast Track" priority service as an upsell for accelerated turnaround. A secondary revenue stream comes from custom R&D and consulting engagements for novel product developers requiring bespoke test design, additional microbial strains, and efficacy substantiation work to support regulatory submissions. Go-to-market is direct and inside-sales-driven: prospects submit requests via "Get a quote," "Consult an Expert," or "Get In Touch" web forms, and MIS handles end-to-end sample logistics (collection and return delivery) for a global client base spanning 75+ countries. Testing capacity is extended through a partnership network of 16+ GLP and non-GLP laboratories, positioning MIS as a customer-facing aggregator for outsourced microbiology and virology testing.

The firm serves mid-market and enterprise customers — including named clients Susta Sustainable Merchandise (Austria), Cornelia James (UK), RPDC (Saudi Arabia), and NanoLayr (New Zealand) — who cite short industry-leading turnaround times, standards expertise, and consultative guidance as core differentiators. Marketing is anchored on a content-led SEO engine (Learning Center blog, standards-comparison landing pages, YouTube, Instagram, opt-in newsletter) that drives inbound quote requests, and the company is ISO certified. Ownership, investor, and revenue details are not disclosed in the available data.

Name

Microbe Investigations

Legal name

Microbe Investigations AG

Website

https://microbe-investigations.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS) is a privately held boutique Zürich-based CRO delivering microbiological and virology efficacy testing services to manufacturers of textiles, disinfectants, plastics, cosmetics, coatings, and pest-control products across 75+ countries, with end-to-end logistics and 16+ partner labs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiology Testing Services (Contract Research Organization)

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety Training & Competency Programs (HACCP, Preventive Controls) (AFALAAAN), Regulatory Compliance & HACCP Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA) (AFALAAAD), Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC)

Keywords

• Microbiological testing services
• Antimicrobial efficacy testing
• Contract research organization
• Disinfectant efficacy testing
• Entomology testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Schlieren

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-service testing contracts: Revenue is generated on a per-test/per-project basis through individually quoted engagements. Customers request quotes for specific standards-based tests (e.g., ISO 20743, EN 1276, USP 51, AOAC 961.02) and the lab invoices per study. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. 'Fast Track' priority testing offers an upsell for faster turnaround.
2. Custom R&D and consulting engagements: Bespoke R&D solutions for novel product development and validation, including customized test design, additional microbial strains, and efficacy substantiation work to support regulatory submissions and marketing claims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS) is a boutique Swiss Contract Research Organization (CRO) that delivers microbiological efficacy testing services for manufacturers of antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, disinfectant, cosmetic, and pest-control products. The lab runs standards-based efficacy tests (ISO, ASTM, EN, USP, AOAC, PCPC, JIS) and offers customized R&D solutions, supported by a LIMS workflow, a vast in-house strain library, and end-to-end global sample logistics.

Product overview

Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS) is a boutique Swiss CRO that delivers a portfolio of microbiology efficacy testing services organized as a platform-plus-service-lines architecture, anchored on a custom LIMS-style workflow with end-to-end logistics support. The platform spans seven industry-aligned testing service lines — Entomology (Arm In Cage, Room Test, Tunnel Test, Bed Bug Repellency, Olfactometer, Tick Repellent, Peet-Grady Chamber, plus Field & Semi-Field Trials), Textiles (ISO 20743, ISO 18184, AATCC 100/30/147/174, JIS L 1902/L 1922, ISO 17299-3, ASTM E2149), Disinfectants & Sanitizers (EN 1276, EN 14476, EN 1650, EN 13697, EN 13624, EN 1040, EN 14348, EN 14563, EN 13727, EN 16615, EN 14561, PAS 2424, AOAC use-dilution, AOAC 961.02), Plastics (ISO 22196, ISO 846, ISO 21702, JIS Z 2801, ASTM E2180, ASTM G22, ASTM G29, ASTM D3273), Cosmetics (USP 51, USP 60, USP 61, USP 62, USP 71, USP 85, ISO 11930, ISO 16212, ISO 21149, ISO 18415, ISO 18416, ISO 21150, ISO 21322, ISO 22718, Aerobic Plate Count, PCPC M-1 to M-7), Paints & Coatings (ASTM D4783, ASTM D2574, ASTM D5590, ASTM C1338, ASTM D5589, ISO 21702), plus R&D services (MIC, MBC, ZOI, OECD 301B) and an in-house Strain Library of insects, bacteria, viruses, and fungi — all backed by partnerships with 16+ GLP and non-GLP labs for extended capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entomology Testing Services Laboratory and field efficacy testing for pest-control products targeting insects such as mosquitoes, bed bugs, ticks, and agricultural pests. Includes Arm In Cage Test, Room Test, Tunnel Test, Bed Bug Repellency Test, Olfactometer Test, Tick Repellent Testing, and Peet-Grady Chamber Test, along with Field and Semi-Field Trials. Target customers are agrochemical and homecare pest-control product manufacturers.
• Textile Testing Services Antimicrobial and odor efficacy testing for fabrics and textile products. Covers antibacterial methods (ISO 20743, AATCC-100, JIS L 1902, ASTM E2149), antiviral methods (ISO 18184, JIS L 1922), fungicidal/yeasticidal methods (AATCC 30), and odor testing (ISO 17299-3). Target customers are manufacturers of treated textiles, garments, and fabric-based hygiene products.
• Disinfectant and Sanitizer Testing Services Bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and yeasticidal efficacy testing for chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Includes EN 1276, EN 14476, EN 1650, EN 13697, EN 13624, EN 1040, EN 14348, EN 14563, EN 13727, EN 16615, EN 14561, PAS 2424, AOAC use-dilution methods (955.14/955.15/955.17/964.02), and AOAC 961.02 germicidal spray test. Target customers are manufacturers of chemical disinfectants, antiseptics, and sanitizers used in food, industrial, domestic, institutional, and medical areas.
• Plastic Testing Services Antimicrobial efficacy and resistance testing for plastics and polymeric materials. Includes antibacterial tests (ISO 22196, ISO 846, JIS Z 2801, ASTM E2180, ASTM G22, ASTM G29), antiviral tests (ISO 21702), and fungicidal/yeasticidal tests (ASTM D3273, ISO 846). Target customers are manufacturers of plastic and polymer-based articles, films, coatings, housings, packaging, and treated antimicrobial plastics.
• Cosmetic Testing Services Microbiological enumeration, detection, and preservative efficacy testing for cosmetic and personal care products. Covers USP 51, USP 60, USP 61, USP 62, USP 71, USP 85, ISO 11930, ISO 21322, ISO 16212, ISO 21149, ISO 18415, ISO 18416, ISO 21150, ISO 22718, Aerobic Plate Count, and PCPC M-1 through M-7 methods. Target customers are cosmetics, skincare, and personal care product manufacturers.
• Paint and Coating Testing Services Antimicrobial and biodeterioration testing for paints and surface coatings. Includes antibacterial (ASTM D4783, ASTM D2574), antiviral (ISO 21702), fungicidal/yeasticidal (ASTM D4783, ASTM D5590, ASTM C1338), and antialgal (ASTM D5589) test methods. Target customers are manufacturers of architectural and industrial paints, coatings, and antimicrobial surface treatments.
• R&D Testing Services Customized research and development microbiology testing services including Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Assay, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) Test, Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) Test, and OECD 301B ready biodegradability testing, supporting novel product development and formulation work. Target customers are companies developing novel antimicrobial, antiviral, or preservative products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves clients in 75+ countries with round-the-clock service
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Network of 16+ partner laboratories (GLP and non-GLP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMIS partners with over 16 laboratories — both GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and non-GLP — to provide extended support and additional testing capacity beyond what the in-house Zürich facility can deliver. The partner labs are unnamed in the source. The relationship is bidirectional: partner labs extend MIS's reach, while MIS acts as the customer-facing CRO coordinating outsourced testing as needed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global quality-assurance provider with extensive microbiology and antimicrobial testing capabilities for textiles, plastics, cosmetics, and disinfectants. Closely comparable on service scope and target customers; significantly larger scale and global lab footprint.
• Bureau Veritas: Major international TIC group providing laboratory testing including microbiological and product-efficacy services. Comparable to MIS in antimicrobial/efficacy testing for consumer goods and industrial products, with broader geographic footprint and adjacent regulatory-compliance offerings.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Subsidiary of Institut Mérieux focused on microbiological testing for food, cosmetics, and consumer products. Directly comparable to MIS on cosmetics microbiology (USP, ISO 11930, PCPC), preservative efficacy, and antimicrobial claim substantiation.
• SGS: Global TIC giant offering microbiology, antimicrobial, and product-efficacy testing alongside inspection and certification. Direct overlap with MIS in disinfectant (EN standard), cosmetics, and plastics testing; competes for the same multinational clients but offers bundled multi-discipline services.
• Eurofins Scientific: World's largest testing/inspection CRO group with a comprehensive microbiology and antimicrobial-testing portfolio across food, pharma, cosmetics, textiles, and disinfectants. Overlaps with MIS across nearly every service line but at vastly greater scale and breadth; the dominant strategic competitor and most likely acquirer of a boutique antimicrobial CRO.

Direct peers

• Pacific Biolabs: Microbiology and analytical testing CRO offering antimicrobial, preservative, and product-efficacy testing for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. Closely aligned with MIS on cosmetic USP/ISO methods and antimicrobial claim substantiation.
• BioScience Laboratories: US-based CRO specializing in antimicrobial and virology efficacy testing for personal care, healthcare, and industrial products. Directly comparable service portfolio to MIS's disinfectant, textile, and cosmetic testing lines, with similar standards-based positioning.
• Nelson Labs (Stericycle): Specialized microbiology and analytical testing laboratory with strong antimicrobial, antiviral, and preservative-efficacy testing for medical devices, pharma, and consumer products. Closest direct peer to MIS on antimicrobial/antiviral methodology and regulatory-claim work.
• ATS Labs (Analytical Technology Services / Evotec): Laboratory services provider offering antimicrobial, virology, and product-efficacy testing for disinfectants, textiles, and medical devices. Directly comparable to MIS on EN/ASTM/OECD-standard testing for antimicrobial product registration.
• Wickham Micro: UK-based microbiology testing laboratory focused on cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceutical products including preservative efficacy and microbial enumeration testing. Closely matches MIS's cosmetics vertical with comparable USP, ISO, and PCPC methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@microbeinvestigations
• Instagraminstagram.com/microbeinvestigations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microbe-investigations

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Microbe Investigations