What Microparticles does

microParticles GmbH is a Berlin-based specialty manufacturer founded in 1997 by Dr. Karl-Heinz Lerche that produces monodisperse (uniform-size) nano- and microparticles from polymer (polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, melamine formaldehyde) and silica (SiO2) chemistries. Its catalog covers particle size calibration standards, fluorescent and dyed particles, superparamagnetic and paramagnetic particles, surface-functionalized particles, metal-coated particles (for SERS and catalysis), and the LucyPlex multiplex bead assay platform, sold individually or in engineered size/color combinations. The company also offers custom contract R&D and custom manufacturing services for clients requiring non-standard chemistries, sizes, or surface modifications.

The business operates a dual-channel commercial model: direct e-commerce sales of catalog SKUs at typical price points in the EUR 200–450 range, paired with bespoke contract R&D and OEM supply projects. Its customer base spans pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, in-vitro diagnostics manufacturers, academic and government research laboratories, cosmetics companies, and other industrial buyers across Europe, North America, and Asia. Production is conducted in-house in Berlin under an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system held since 2003, with particle size standards traceable to NIST reference materials and supplied as certified reference materials (CRMs).

The company is privately held as a German GmbH, founder-led, and has operated continuously for 27 years without institutional venture or growth equity capital — implying organic, self-funded growth. Reported headcount sits in the 11–50 employee band, consistent with a focused specialty manufacturing niche rather than a scaled industrial commodity producer. Strategic activity over the past decade has centered on extending the product portfolio (e.g., superparamagnetic fluorescent particles, organosilica platforms, large silica particles up to 100 µm, and a 2026 launch of certified silica particle size standards targeting semiconductor and pharmaceutical QC use cases) rather than on M&A, fundraising, or geographic buildouts.

Name

Microparticles

Legal name

microParticles GmbH

Website

https://microparticles.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

microParticles GmbH, founded in 1997 in Berlin, manufactures monodisperse polymer and silica nano- and microparticles for pharmaceutical, diagnostics, life sciences, academic, and cosmetics customers worldwide via catalog sales and custom R&D.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Particle Product Sales: One-time sale of monodisperse particles including calibration standards, fluorescent particles, paramagnetic particles, functionalized particles, dyed particles, metal-coated particles, and silica particles. Products sold as aqueous suspensions, dry powders, or custom formulations.
2. Contract R&D Services: Custom research and development partnerships including custom particle preparation, design and manufacture of novel particle types, encapsulation of active agents, and technical support across particle-related topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

microParticles GmbH develops and manufactures monodisperse (highly uniform) nano- and microparticles in polymer and silica matrices, including certified calibration standards, fluorescent, paramagnetic, functionalized, dyed, and metal-coated microspheres. The company also offers custom particle design and contract R&D services for pharmaceutical, diagnostic, life science, cosmetics, and academic research customers worldwide.

Product overview

Microparticles GmbH is a research-driven manufacturer specializing in monodisperse nano- and microparticles, offering a comprehensive portfolio of precision microspheres. The product portfolio centers on monodisperse spherical particles (polystyrene, PMMA, melamine resin, silica) as the core platform, supplemented by certified calibration standards for instrument validation, fluorescent microspheres for bioimaging/diagnostics, paramagnetic spheres for biomedical applications, functionalized particles for bioconjugation, dyed particles for diagnostics/tracing, metal-coated particles for SERS/catalysis, LucyPlex multiplex bead assays for flow cytometry, and contract R&D services for custom particle development. The company operates from Berlin-Adlershof and serves pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, life sciences, and research industries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LucyPlex: Multiplex assay platform for flow cytometry enabling non-invasive detection of up to 10 analytes in a single sample.

Products and services

• Certified Calibration Standards Certified particle size, count, and flow cytometry calibration standards traceable to international standards (SI, ISO, IRMM, NIST) for instrument validation and quality control in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and research applications.
• Certified Silica Particle Size Standards Newly launched certified silica particle size standards (100 nm to 3 µm) with ultra-narrow size distribution (CV < 3%) and superior thermal, chemical, and UV stability compared to polystyrene, designed for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and semiconductor industry use.
• Monodisperse Spherical Particles High-precision monodisperse microspheres in polystyrene, PMMA, melamine resin, silica, and hydrogel materials, with sizes ranging from 100 nm to 1000 µm; available in non-functionalized, functionalized, fluorescent, and paramagnetic variants for biomedical imaging, analytical, and research applications.
• Fluorescent Microspheres Bright, photostable fluorescent nano- and microspheres in blue, green, orange, and red spectral ranges, compatible with aqueous and organic media; used for bioimaging, diagnostics, and research applications.
• Paramagnetic Spheres Magnetic microspheres with polystyrene or silica matrices infused with iron oxide nanoparticles; iron oxide content adjustable up to 50 wt.-% with coatings that prevent iron leaching for biomedical research applications.
• Functionalized Particles Monodisperse particles with customizable surface chemistries (carboxyl, amino, streptavidin, maleimide, sulfonic acid, hydroxyl, PEG, epoxy) for antibody coupling and bioconjugation applications.
• LucyPlex Multiplex Bead Assay Particle-based multiplex bead assay platform for flow cytometry enabling detection of up to 10 analytes in a single sample (up to 50 with combined fluorescent dyes), compatible with all standard flow cytometers; available with carboxyl, streptavidin, amino, biotinyl, and peptide-A surface functional groups.
• Dyed Particles Intensely colored monodisperse polystyrene microspheres in dark blue and dark red with complete dye retention and CV < 3%, used for filter testing, flow tracing, medical diagnostics, and biotechnology applications.
• Metal-coated Particles Monodisperse polymer cores with precision gold, silver, or copper coatings produced via self-organization, in-situ synthesis (2-3 nm uniform nanoparticles), or electroless deposition for SERS, catalysis, particle image velocimetry (PIV), and bioassay applications.
• Contract R&D Services Custom research and development partnership service offering customized particle preparation, design and manufacture of novel particle types, encapsulation of active agents, and technical support across particle-related topics for industrial and academic customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Particles with coefficient of variation (CV) < 5%, with many products achieving CV < 3%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Dynabeads / Invitrogen microspheres): Large life-sciences incumbent offering Dynabeads magnetic microspheres, flow cytometry calibration beads, and a broad portfolio of particles and consumables; overlaps with microParticles across magnetic, fluorescent, and calibration products as part of a much wider catalog.
• Merck KGaA / Sigma-Aldrich (Microparticle products): Global chemicals and life-sciences supplier offering monodisperse polymer and silica microparticles as part of an extensive catalog; competes on breadth of distribution and brand reach rather than specialized synthesis expertise.

Emerging players

• CD Bioparticles: Custom manufacturer of nano- and microparticles for drug delivery, diagnostics, and biomedical research; overlaps with microParticles in polymer and magnetic microspheres but is more focused on emerging drug-delivery applications.
• Phosphorex: Specialty manufacturer of uniform polymer and silica microspheres for diagnostics, life sciences, and biomedical applications; comparable monodisperse particle expertise with a smaller catalog and US-based operations.
• AnaSpec (Kaneka / Eurogentec group): Provider of custom peptides, fluorescent dyes, and microsphere-based assay reagents for life-sciences research and diagnostics; partial overlap with microParticles' functionalized and fluorescent particle lines.

Direct peers

• Polysciences (now part of Cytiva / Avantor): Long-established US-based manufacturer of monodisperse polymer microparticles (polystyrene, PMMA, melamine resin) and fluorescent/functionalized microspheres for diagnostics, life sciences, and research — a closely overlapping catalog and customer base with microParticles.
• Bangs Laboratories: Specialist in polymer microparticles and microsphere-based assay reagents for diagnostics, flow cytometry, and life sciences research — directly comparable monodisperse particle portfolio with similar surface-functionalization offerings.
• Kisker Biotech: German specialist distributor/manufacturer of beads and particles for molecular biology, diagnostics, and life-sciences research; competes head-to-head with microParticles in the DACH research and diagnostics market.
• Spherotech: US manufacturer of monodisperse polymer particles, fluorescent and magnetic microspheres for flow cytometry, imaging, and diagnostic applications — closely comparable in product mix and target customer to microParticles.

Others

• TÜV Rheinland (calibration / reference materials services): Not a direct competitor, but as microParticles' ISO 9001 certification body and as an enabler of traceable calibration ecosystems, TÜV Rheinland represents the standards infrastructure that supports demand for microParticles' NIST/JRC-traceable reference materials.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/monodisperse-nano--and-microparticles

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Microparticles