Ehrfeld

What Ehrfeld does

Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik GmbH is a private German supplier of modular micro-reaction and flow chemistry equipment, founded in September 2000 by Prof. Ehrfeld — recognized as a pioneer of microreaction technology. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes hardware and integrated systems for continuous chemical processing, selling primarily to pharmaceutical manufacturers (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, GSK, Grünenthal, Biogen) and chemical companies (BASF, Covestro, Evonik, DSM, Clariant, Lonza, 3M, Aarti, Carbogen Amcis, Elantas), with additional exposure to food (CHR Hansen), fragrance (Firmenich), and academic research customers.

Ehrfeld's product platform is organized around four lines: the MMRS (Modulares MikroReaktionsSystem) modular laboratory platform comprising over 60 individual modules for process development; FlowPlate® compact plate reactors licensed exclusively from Lonza (signed February 2010); ART® millistructured plate reactors licensed from Alfa Laval (signed September 2013); and Miprowa® high-performance millireactors and heat exchangers capable of up to 20,000 tonnes per year of annual production. The architecture is built around an "integrated scale-up concept" that maintains comparable channel geometries from laboratory through pilot to production scale, allowing customers to transfer lab results directly to production reactors through parallel channel switching. Hardware operates across temperatures of -10°C to 200°C (special configurations to -60°C to 600°C), pressures up to 100 bar, and volume flows of 0.01-30 L/h on the lab side, with stainless steel A4 or Hastelloy C276/22, FFKM, and PTFE materials.

The business model combines capital-equipment sales with professional services. Revenue streams include micro-reactor systems and component sales (mixers, retention reactors, heat exchangers), consulting services for equipment selection and process optimization, batch-to-continuous feasibility studies, and after-sales support. Pricing is quote-based via direct consultation through the Wendelsheim headquarters and a wholly-owned Shanghai subsidiary (Ehrfeld Process Technology, opened February 2019), supported by an international distribution partner network covering Japan (DKSH), USA and India (BüchiGlas), Korea (ChemiSky), and China (Shanghai Proxs Chemical). The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, leveraging active participation in industry conferences (ACHEMA, Flow Chemistry India, LABOREXPO, CFRT) and >200 scientific publications to build thought leadership. The company has been ISO 9001-certified since August 2007 and is wholly owned by Shaoxing Eastlake High-Tec (a Chinese strategic industrial company that acquired the firm in August 2017).

Name

Ehrfeld

Legal name

Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik GmbH

Website

https://ehrfeld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik GmbH supplies modular microreactor and flow chemistry equipment — MMRS lab systems plus FlowPlate, ART, and Miprowa production reactors — to pharmaceutical, chemical, food, fragrance, and academic customers, with manufacturing in Germany and a sales subsidiary in China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Micro-reaction / Flow Chemistry Process Equipment

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Flow Chemistry & Process Intensification Services (HLAGAHAK)

Keywords

• Flow chemistry equipment
• Micro-reaction technology
• Modular reactor systems
• Process intensification solutions
• Continuous flow reactors

Headquarters

HQ city

Wendelsheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Micro-reactor Systems and Equipment Sales: Sale of modular micro-reactor systems (MMRS), FlowPlate reactors, ART plate reactors, and Miprowa reactors with associated components including mixers, retention reactors, and heat exchangers. Direct sales model with technical sales support.
2. Consulting Services: Technical consulting for equipment selection, process optimization, and implementation support for micro and millireactor technology. Expert team of engineers and scientists provide guidance from laboratory to production scale.
3. Feasibility Studies: Batch to Conti (batch to continuous) conversion studies including process evaluation, operating condition investigation, process intensification potential assessment, and optimal reactor technology identification for scale-up.
4. After-Sales Support: Technical support services for existing customers including spare parts, troubleshooting, and expert consultation for operating Ehrfeld reactors.
5. System Solutions: Standardized complete system solutions combining optimized reactor technology with associated components (pumps, thermostats, automation, accessories) for specific reaction types including ozonolysis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik engineers, manufactures, and supplies modular micro-reaction and flow chemistry equipment — including the Modular MicroReaction System (MMRS), FlowPlate® microreactors, ART® plate reactors, and Miprowa® compact reactors — for industrial customers in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and fragrance sectors. The company supports customers from feasibility studies and lab-scale testing through scale-up to commercial continuous-flow production plants, complemented by consulting, system integration, and after-sales services.

Product overview

Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik offers a modular technology platform for flow chemistry, comprising four main product lines: MMRS (Modulares MikroReaktionsSystem) for laboratory R&D, FlowPlate® plate reactors for pharmaceutical and fine chemical applications (licensed from Lonza), ART® plate reactors for millistructured production, and Miprowa® high-performance millireactors for annual production capacities up to 20,000 tonnes. The platform features an integrated scale-up concept enabling seamless transfer from laboratory to production scale with comparable channel geometries. Supporting services include consulting, batch-to-conti process transfer, and after-sales support. The company serves pharmaceutical, fine/specialty chemicals, food, and consumer care industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MMRS: Modulares MikroReaktionsSystem - A modular micro reaction system for research and development, consisting of over 60 individual modules including mixers, reactors, and heat exchangers.
• FlowPlate®
• ART®
• Miprowa®

Products and services

• MMRS (Modular MicroReaction System) Modular micro-reaction system built from standardized building blocks (reactors, mixers, heat exchangers, separators) that enables customers to assemble customized continuous-flow process skids for laboratory, pilot and production scales; targets process engineers and plant operators in pharmaceutical, chemical, food and fragrance manufacturing.
• FlowPlate® Microreactor Laser-micromachined microreactor plate with characteristic heat-transfer microstructures for continuous-flow chemical synthesis; designed as a building block within the MMRS platform and sold to industrial customers performing fast, exothermic or hazardous reactions.
• ART® Plate Reactor (Plattenreaktor) Plate reactor (Plattenreaktor) used inside continuous-flow processes for heat-transfer-intensive chemical reactions; delivered as part of MMRS-based process solutions for chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Miprowa® Compact Reactor Miprowa® compact reactor offered for small-to-medium-scale continuous-flow applications, expanding the MMRS family with a more compact unit footprint for customers needing mid-scale flow chemistry capacity.
• Integrated Process Scale-Up Solutions End-to-end project offering that takes a customer process from laboratory feasibility through pilot to commercial continuous production (up to 20,000 t/a), combining MMRS hardware, engineering and testing into a single delivered plant solution.
• Process Consulting and Engineering Services Consulting and engineering services covering feasibility analysis, process design and continuous-flow optimisation for customers evaluating or implementing flow chemistry in pharmaceutical, chemical, food and fragrance production.
• Batch-to-Continuous Migration Services Targeted services that help industrial customers convert existing batch processes into continuous-flow micro-reaction processes using Ehrfeld's MMRS, ART® and FlowPlate® technology.
• After-Sales Service and Maintenance After-sales service contracts covering maintenance, spare parts and technical support for installed Ehrfeld micro-reaction systems and process plants.
• Custom System Solutions (Systemlösungen) Custom-engineered system solutions that assemble MMRS modules and supporting equipment into customer-specific continuous-flow plants, delivered as individual projects for industrial process operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scale-up to production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ENCOS and DMT PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Partnership formed in October 2020 between Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik, ENCOS, and DMT to share know-how and competencies worldwide to support customers transferring batch processes to optimized continuous production.
• Alfa LavalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2013License agreement signed in September 2013 to manufacture and sell ART Plate Reactors. Alfa Laval licensed the technology for production and sales.
• LonzacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2010License agreement signed in February 2010 for development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of FlowPlate MicroReactors. Ehrfeld holds exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the FlowPlate technology.
• Taros ChemicalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Taros Chemicals, an internationally active contract research and manufacturing company for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Combines FlowPlate hardware with Taros' chemical synthesis research expertise (over 200 person-years of expertise). Enables customers to validate flow chemistry early in R&D processes and prepare for large-scale synthesis.
• Ruhr-Universität BochumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner - university collaboration in fluid process engineering.
• Technische Universität HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner - university collaboration in flow chemistry research.
• DKSH JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Japan market, handling sales and support of Ehrfeld products in Japan.
• BüchiGlascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for USA and India markets. BüchiGlas handles local sales and support.
• ChemiSkyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Korea market.
• Shanghai Proxs Chemical TechnologycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for China market - Shanghai Proxs Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.
• SENAI CETIQTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Brazil - SENAI CETIQT institute for technology and innovation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Lonza: Swiss CDMO and FlowPlate® technology originator that licensed distribution rights to Ehrfeld; both partner and adjacent supplier in flow chemistry, with overlapping capability in continuous manufacturing for APIs.
• Alfa Laval: Swedish process equipment major that licensed ART® plate reactor manufacturing rights to Ehrfeld; a partner and broader incumbent in heat transfer, separation, and continuous-processing equipment adjacent to Ehrfeld's portfolio.

Direct peers

• Uniqsis: UK supplier of modular flow chemistry systems (FlowSyn, FlowMaster) and accessories; competes with Ehrfeld in the laboratory continuous-flow segment serving pharma and academic customers.
• Syrris: UK-based manufacturer of flow chemistry reactors and systems (e.g., Asia, Atlas) for laboratory and process-scale applications; directly competes with Ehrfeld's MMRS and FlowPlate lines in pharmaceutical and fine-chemical R&D.
• ThalesNano: Hungarian flow chemistry company offering H-Cube, Phoenix, and Cube series continuous-flow reactors; comparable to Ehrfeld in both laboratory flow chemistry and catalyst/hydrogenation process offerings.
• Vapourtec: UK manufacturer of flow chemistry reactors (R-Series, E-Series) and the SF10 reactor; provides similar modular continuous-flow platforms targeting pharmaceutical and academic users comparable to Ehrfeld's MMRS.
• Chemtrix: Netherlands-based supplier of scalable flow chemistry microreactor solutions (Protrix, KiloFlow, Plantrix); competes head-to-head with Ehrfeld in laboratory-to-production flow chemistry for pharma and specialty chemicals.
• Corning Advanced-Flow Reactors: Business unit of Corning Inc. supplying industrial flow reactors (G1, G3, G4, GP1) for chemical and pharmaceutical production; a major competitor to Ehrfeld's Miprowa and ART production-scale platforms.

Emerging players

• AM Technology: UK-based developer of Coflore flow reactors (Acuflow, GMT) for laboratory and production-scale flow chemistry; an emerging niche player with partial overlap to Ehrfeld's MMRS and Miprowa offerings.
• Future Chemistry: Netherlands-based flow chemistry technology provider offering Syrris-style continuous-flow tools and services; an emerging player intersecting with Ehrfeld's laboratory process-development market in pharma and fine chemicals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ehrfeld