Acepo

What Acepo does

Acepo is a privately-held Dutch analytical services and consulting firm founded in 2017 by Iris Heidmann and headquartered in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. The company provides pollen quality analysis, plant cell analysis, and supporting R&D and education services to plant breeders, commercial seed and fruit producers, and academic and industrial research institutions. Its core differentiator is the application of Amphasys impedance flow cytometry (IFC), a stain-free, species-independent microchip-based technology that discriminates between dead, viable, and germinating pollen grains in a single measurement, replacing traditional laborious and species-specific staining and germination assays.

Acepo's service portfolio is organized into three professional-services lines: pollen and cell analysis (viability, germination, and combination analysis), R&D projects (protocol development, plant regeneration systems, doubled haploid techniques, and CRISPR/cas-based mutagenesis), and Implementation & Education (on-site theoretical and practical workshops). Engagements are bespoke and contact-initiated: customers specify questions, submit samples with a submission form, and receive results in a standardized result form with optional advisory discussion. R&D and education projects are governed by mutual NDAs and consultancy agreements and are typically executed on the customer's premises. No public pricing, no published revenue, and no funding history are disclosed; the firm operates as a single-founder/small-team consulting practice supported by Iris Heidmann's 30+ years of plant breeding research experience, a Wageningen University PhD, and prior senior research roles at a major vegetable seed company and institutions including Max-Planck Institute and University of Konstanz.

Acepo's commercial reach is regional (Netherlands with conference-driven visibility across Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland), and it leverages a direct, relationship-driven go-to-market with thought-leadership marketing via the founder's LinkedIn and ResearchGate profiles, industry conferences (NVPW, IABP, IPM Essen, Flowertrials), and the Amphasys Amphacademy training program. The company's strategic position rests on a niche scientific specialization, a core technology partnership with Amphasys, and the personal reputation and publication record of its founder.

Name

Acepo

Legal name

Acepo

Website

https://acepo.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Acepo is a Dutch analytical services firm founded in 2017 that provides stain-free pollen quality analysis using Amphasys impedance flow cytometry, plus R&D and education services, primarily serving plant breeders, seed/fruit producers, and plant science research institutions in Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biotechnology Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisory (AFACABAE)

Keywords

• Pollen quality analysis
• Plant cell biology services
• Flow cytometry consulting
• Plant breeding research
• Doubled haploid techniques

Headquarters

HQ city

Enkhuizen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Analytical Services: Pollen and cell analysis services including viability analysis, pollen germination testing, and combination analysis. Customers submit samples with completed submission forms and receive measurement results summarized in result forms, with optional discussion and advice.
2. Research & Development Projects: Executed or supervised R&D projects including protocol development, optimization, plant regeneration systems, doubled haploid techniques, mutagenesis approaches, and new breeding techniques (CRISPR/cas). Projects follow formal NDA and consultancy agreement process.
3. Implementation & Education Services: Customer-specific theoretical and practical workshops on-site covering medium preparation, plant disinfection, plant growth regulators, pollen quality analysis, single cell isolation, plant transformation and regeneration. Also includes assistance during implementation of literature-based protocols.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Acepo provides analytical services and consultancy around plant cells and pollen, with a core offering of pollen quality analysis using Amphasys impedance flow cytometry (IFC) technology. The service is complemented by R&D project execution (protocol development, doubled haploid techniques, mutagenesis/CRISPR), on-site Implementation & Education workshops, and advisory services that translate plant science into practical breeding applications.

Product overview

Acepo offers a unified portfolio of analytical and advisory services centered on plant cell biology and pollen quality analysis. The core offering is the Pollen Quality Analysis Service, which uses Amphasys impedance flow cytometry (IFC) technology. This is complemented by Research and Development services covering protocol development, doubled haploid techniques, and mutagenesis/NBT services, as well as Implementation and Education services providing customer-specific training and workshops. Advisory services translate scientific expertise into practical breeding applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pollen Quality Analysis Service Analytical service that determines pollen quality in a reliable and standardized manner using impedance flow cytometry, including viability analysis, pollen germination testing, combination analyses, and analysis of other cells. Targeted at plant breeders, seed and fruit producers, and research institutions seeking to replace laborious, species-specific classical staining and germination assays.
• Research and Development Services R&D projects covering protocol development and optimization for pollen analysis and storage, plant regeneration systems, doubled haploid (DH) techniques, mutagenesis approaches including CRISPR/cas, and other new breeding techniques (NBT). Targeted at research institutions and breeding companies needing expert-led R&D execution.
• Implementation and Education Services Customer-specific theoretical and practical on-site workshops covering medium preparation, plant disinfection, plant growth regulators, pollen quality analysis, single cell isolation, plant transformation, and plant regeneration. Includes assistance implementing literature-based protocols. Targeted at research and breeding teams needing practical training and protocol implementation support.
• Advisory Services Consultancy providing expert advice around cells and pollen, translating plant science to practical applications for breeders and research projects. Offered alongside analytical results with optional discussion and advice, and standalone for breeding and research engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Integration of IFC technology in pollinations and bio assays increased productivity by 30%
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmphasyscoreTechnology or IntegrationAmphasys is a Swiss company that developed the impedance flow cytometer (IFC) microchip technology and instrument used by Acepo for pollen quality analysis. Acepo uses Amphasys' state-of-the-art IFC technology for its analytical services. The partnership provides Acepo with exclusive analytical capabilities for stain-free, species-independent pollen analysis. Iris Heidmann participates in Amphacademy events hosted by Amphasys and has presented IFC concepts for DH protocol development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KeyGene: Dutch plant breeding innovation company offering molecular breeding, genomics, and trait discovery services to global seed companies. Highly comparable to Acepo as a Netherlands-based specialist services provider serving the same plant breeding and seed industry customer base.
• Genetwister Technologies: Netherlands-based plant breeding and biotechnology services company offering molecular breeding, genomics, and tissue culture support. Comparable to Acepo as a Dutch specialist in plant cell biology and breeding services for seed companies and research institutions.
• TraitGenetics: German provider of genotyping and molecular marker services to plant breeders and seed companies. Comparable to Acepo as a specialized European analytical services firm supporting breeding program decisions with laboratory-derived data.

Others

• Amphasys: Swiss developer and manufacturer of the impedance flow cytometry (IFC) technology that Acepo deploys. Comparable as the underlying technology enabler for Acepo's pollen analysis offering, and a potential channel partner or competitive threat if Amphasys expands into services.

Emerging players

• PhytoTechnology Laboratories: US-based supplier of plant tissue culture media and reagents, with growing custom services and protocol support for plant breeding and biotech customers. Comparable as a specialist in plant cell biology inputs and services for breeding and research programs.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with an agricultural services portfolio including seed testing and crop analysis. Comparable as a broad incumbent that could absorb specialized analytical services for the seed industry, though at significantly lower specialization.
• Bayer Crop Science: Global seed and crop protection giant with internal breeding analytics, doubled haploid programs, and pollen quality assessment infrastructure. Comparable as both a potential customer and as a vertically integrated incumbent that could internalize services like Acepo's.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in bioanalytical testing with significant agricultural and seed testing services. Comparable as a broad incumbent with the scale to bundle plant and seed analytical services, but lacking Acepo's narrow specialization in pollen quality for breeding programs.
• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with agricultural and food testing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent in agricultural analytical services that could address some of the same customer needs as Acepo at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Fasteris: Swiss genomics and DNA sequencing service provider serving academic and industrial clients including plant and agricultural research. Comparable as a small, specialist European life sciences services firm operating in an adjacent analytical niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInnl.linkedin.com/in/iris-heidmann-08132335

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Acepo