Hichrom
Hichrom is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of HPLC and UHPLC liquid chromatography columns and accessories, founded in 1978. It serves pharmaceutical, academic, and analytical laboratories globally through the Avantor/VWR scientific distribution network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersTheale, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hichrom does
Hichrom is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of liquid chromatography columns and accessories, founded in 1978 and headquartered in Theale. The company operates in the analytical and preparative chromatography segment of the scientific consumables market, producing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) columns used for chemical separation, purification, and analysis in laboratory settings. Its customer base spans pharmaceutical quality control laboratories, contract research organizations, academic and government research institutions, and environmental testing facilities, though no specific customer logos or segment weights are disclosed in the available data.
Technically, Hichrom operates in the bonded silica and column-packing domain of liquid chromatography. The source data confirms association with the Avantor® ACE® HPLC/UHPLC column line — a high-performance column platform with both analytical and preparative formats — distributed through Avantor's VWR branded portal. The company's competitive position rests on established column chemistries and method-validated consumables rather than disclosed proprietary hardware or software platforms; no patents, trademarks, or certifications are documented in the available source material.
Hichrom's go-to-market is a distributor-led model, leveraging Avantor/VWR's global laboratory supply network that maintains country-specific portals across more than 30 markets in Europe, North America, and Asia. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company employs 101–250 people and remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, parent company, or subsidiaries in the source data. The absence of management team, investor, and financial disclosures limits visibility into ownership structure, capital base, and revenue mechanics.
Hichrom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hichrom
- Website
- https://hichrom.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hichrom is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of HPLC and UHPLC liquid chromatography columns and accessories, founded in 1978. It serves pharmaceutical, academic, and analytical laboratories globally through the Avantor/VWR scientific distribution network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hichrom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Chromatography Products
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)
Keywords
Where Hichrom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Theale
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Hichrom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Hichrom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hichrom manufactures and supplies liquid chromatography columns and related accessories used for analytical and preparative separations in laboratory settings. Its offering centers on HPLC and UHPLC column products for chemical separation, purification, and analysis in research and industrial laboratories. The company distributes these products through its own channels and via major laboratory supply networks such as Avantor/VWR.
Product overview
The source data provided does not contain specific information about Hichrom's product portfolio. The content consists of a regional country-selector page for Avantor® ACE® HPLC/UHPLC columns, which appears to be hosted on VWR's media portal. No Hichrom-branded products, modules, or named offerings are described in the provided source material.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HPLC Columns
- UHPLC Columns
- Chromatography Accessories
Companies that use Hichrom
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Hichrom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hichrom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves1 record
Expansion highlights1 record
Hichrom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Phenomenex: Phenomenex (a Danaher operating company) is a specialist chromatography consumables manufacturer, directly comparable to Hichrom in HPLC columns, sample preparation, and GC products for analytical laboratories worldwide.
- Restek Corporation: Restek is a privately held specialty manufacturer of chromatography columns and consumables. It is closely comparable to Hichrom as a mid-sized, science-focused consumables specialist serving the same analytical lab customers.
- YMC Co., Ltd. YMC is a Japanese specialist in HPLC and process chromatography columns. It is a direct niche competitor to Hichrom in specialty separation media for pharma and biopharma customers.
- Tosoh Bioscience: Tosoh Bioscience supplies chromatography media and columns, including for bioseparations. It is a comparable specialty consumables manufacturer serving overlapping pharmaceutical and biotechnology end markets.
- Macherey-Nagel: Macherey-Nagel is a German manufacturer of chromatography consumables and lab products. It competes with Hichrom in HPLC columns and sample preparation across European and global analytical markets.
Broad incumbents
- Avantor: Avantor is both a global distributor of Hichrom-related ACE HPLC columns (via VWR) and a broader life-science products supplier. It is a critical channel partner and adjacent competitor with overlapping chromatography offerings.
- Waters Corporation: Waters is a leading chromatography and mass spectrometry company with its own column brands. It overlaps directly with Hichrom in HPLC/UHPLC consumables for pharma and research labs, while also offering instruments and informatics.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher provides chromatography columns, instruments, and lab services globally through brands such as Thermo Scientific. It is a key competitor for specialty HPLC column share and serves overlapping pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic customers.
- Agilent Technologies: Agilent is a global analytical instruments leader with a substantial HPLC column portfolio alongside instruments and software. It competes with Hichrom in the same chromatography customer base but operates at much greater scale across a broader product suite.
- Shimadzu: Shimadzu manufactures HPLC instruments and a range of columns under the Shim-pack and other brands. It competes with Hichrom for chromatography consumables revenue, especially in Asia-Pacific.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hichrom social profiles
Digital presenceHichrom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hichrom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hichrom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hichrom M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hichrom
What does Hichrom do?
Hichrom manufactures and supplies liquid chromatography columns and related accessories used for analytical and preparative separations in laboratory settings. Its offering centers on HPLC and UHPLC column products for chemical separation, purification, and analysis in research and industrial laboratories. The company distributes these products through its own channels and via major laboratory supply networks such as Avantor/VWR.
When was Hichrom founded?
Hichrom was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hichrom based?
Hichrom is headquartered in Theale, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Hichrom's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Phenomenex, Restek Corporation, YMC Co., Ltd., Tosoh Bioscience and Macherey-Nagel. Broad incumbents are Avantor, Waters Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies and Shimadzu.
Does Hichrom have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hichrom.
What industry is Hichrom in?
Hichrom's product category is Laboratory Chromatography Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAA, Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems. Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.