Matís

What Matís does

Matís ohf is an Icelandic food research, measurement, and biotechnology company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Reykjavík. It operates as Iceland's primary center for measurements, research and development in food production, serving domestic food producers across meat, dairy, seafood, aquaculture, and new food ventures. The company runs five regional offices across Iceland (Reykjavík, Akureyri, Neskaupstaður, Ísafjörður, Borgarnes) and holds SWEDAC accreditation for accredited laboratory analyses.

Matís generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) fee-for-service testing and measurement services including chemical, microbiological, genetic, and sensory analysis; (2) funded research and development projects in collaboration with Icelandic and international universities, including EU Horizon 2020 programs; and (3) advisory and consulting services for food producers, supplemented by training courses and reference laboratory services. Its core technology platform spans analytical chemistry, microbiological testing, DNA sequencing and genomic analysis, sensory evaluation panels, and environmental/air quality monitoring. The company maintains proprietary knowledge assets including the ÍSGEM Icelandic Food Composition Database, the Kæligátt fish cooling portal, the Kjötbókin meat information resource, and the Fiskbókin fish information resource. Specialized research infrastructure includes the MARS experimental aquaculture station and the Biomass Center (Lífmassaver).

The business model is predominantly B2B professional services with direct sales to Icelandic food producers and institutional clients. The company's legal form (ohf) under Icelandic law and registration number (Kt. 670906-0190) suggest a quasi-governmental or state-linked research organization, which is consistent with its nationwide public-good mandate of promoting increased value creation, sustainable production, and food safety for Icelandic society. The company has no identified parent company, no external investment backing, and no M&A or funding activity disclosed.

Name

Matís

Legal name

Matís ohf

Website

https://matis.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Matís is an Icelandic government-linked food research and measurement company providing chemical, microbiological, genetic, sensory, and environmental testing services, plus R&D and advisory support, to domestic food producers across meat, dairy, seafood, and aquaculture sectors through five regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Science Laboratory Services

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agricultural Water Testing Services (Irrigation, Groundwater, Surface Water) (AFACAKAC), Farm Management & Decision Support Software (FMIS, ERP, Recordkeeping) (AFAGALAA), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Food safety testing
• Microbiological analysis services
• Food composition database
• Aquaculture research laboratory
• Seafood quality assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing and Measurement Services: Fee-for-service chemical, microbiological, genetic and sensory testing services for food producers, companies and institutions.
2. Research and Development Projects: Funded research projects in collaboration with universities, industry partners and international programs like Horizon 2020.
3. Advisory and Consulting Services: Consulting services for food producers including guidance for new producers, process improvements, and courses in food production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Matís is Iceland's national center for measurements, research and development in food production, providing fee-for-service laboratory analyses (chemical, microbiological, genetic and sensory), accredited reference laboratory testing, environmental and air quality monitoring, and advisory services for food producers. The organization also conducts funded R&D projects with universities and the EU Horizon 2020 program and operates research infrastructure including a biomass center and an experimental aquaculture station.

Product overview

Matís is a unified service offering centered around measurements, research, and development for Icelandic food production. The core offerings consist of four main analytical services: Chemical Measurements (Efnamælingar), Microbiological Measurements (Örverumælingar), Genetic Analysis (Erfðagreiningar), and Sensory Evaluation (Skynmat), supplemented by Environmental and Air Quality Measurements. Advisory services for food producers, training courses, and reference laboratory services support these core analytical offerings. The organization also maintains specialized knowledge resources including the Icelandic Food Composition Database (ÍSGEM), the Cooling Portal (Kæligátt), the Meat Book (Kjötbókin), and the Fish Book (Fiskbókin). Research infrastructure includes the Biomass Center and MARS Experimental Aquaculture Station.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kæligátt: Information portal about cooling and handling of fish throughout the value chain
• ÍSGEM (Íslenski gagnagrunnurinn um efnainnihald matvæla)
• Kjötbókin
• Fiskbókin

Products and services

• Efnamælingar (Chemical Measurements) Chemical analysis services including general chemical measurements, quality measurements, mineral and trace element measurements, and pesticide residue testing for food producers in Iceland.
• Örverumælingar (Microbiological Measurements) Microbiological research services conducted on food, drinking water, pharmaceuticals, feed, and environmental samples, together with specialized advisory and consulting services.
• Erfðagreiningar (Genetic Analysis) Genetic analysis services for commercial species, livestock and food products, including data processing and DNA sequencing of genetic material from living organisms.
• Skynmat (Sensory Evaluation) Systematic sensory assessment of food using human senses including sight, smell, taste, texture, and hearing to evaluate food quality for producers and developers.
• Umhverfis- og loftgæðamælingar (Environmental and Air Quality Measurements) Environmental and air quality measurement services including environmental monitoring and industrial facility (starfsleyfi) compliance measurements for industry across Iceland.
• Ráðgjöf fyrir matvælaframleiðendur (Advisory Services for Food Producers) Consulting services providing guidance for starting food production, distribution and sales, as well as advisory on process improvements in food production.
• Námskeið Matís (Matís Training Courses) Educational courses for food production professionals, including food safety and industry-specific training such as Legionella bacteria monitoring and prevention.
• Tilvísunarrannsóknastofa (Reference Research Laboratory) Reference laboratory services providing SWEDAC-accredited testing and analysis for food safety verification, including recent accreditations for fluorine measurements in water and Legionella bacteria analysis.
• Lífmassaver Matís (Matís Biomass Center) Research facility for biomass processing and analysis, available for regional research projects (Neskaupstaður-based biomass laboratory).
• MARS - Tilraunaeldisstöð (MARS Experimental Aquaculture Station) Experimental aquaculture station providing infrastructure for fish farming research, trials, and development.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnerships with Icelandic and international universities for research collaboration and knowledge development in food science and technology.
• Horizon 2020coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union research and innovation program. Matís participates in Horizon 2020 projects for food safety, sustainability and seafood quality research.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, environmental, and pharmaceutical testing with hundreds of accredited laboratories. Directly comparable to Matís across chemical, microbiological, and genetic testing services for food producers, but operates at vastly larger international scale.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing company with food and agricultural testing services. Comparable to Matís in offering accredited chemical, microbiological, and sensory testing to food producers across multiple geographies.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with extensive food and agricultural testing services. Comparable to Matís in offering chemical, microbiological, and sensory testing to food producers, though at international scale.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: International food testing and sensory evaluation services provider with laboratories worldwide. Directly overlaps with Matís's chemical, microbiological, and sensory evaluation offerings for food industry clients.
• Bureau Veritas: International testing, inspection, and certification firm with food and agricultural commodity testing services. Comparable to Matís in providing accredited chemical and microbiological analysis for food producers and exporters.
• ALS Limited: Global testing services provider with strong food, environmental, and water testing capabilities. Comparable to Matís in offering accredited laboratory testing for food safety and environmental monitoring.

Direct peers

• DTU National Food Institute: Danish food research institution conducting food safety, nutrition, and food quality research with associated laboratory services. Comparable to Matís in mission and scope as a government-affiliated Nordic food research provider.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish state-owned research institute with food and biotechnology testing, certification, and applied R&D services. Closely comparable to Matís as a Nordic public-interest research organization offering accredited food testing and innovation services.
• Nofima: Norwegian food research institute providing applied research, testing, and innovation services to the seafood, aquaculture, and food industries. Closest geographic and functional peer to Matís, serving a parallel Nordic fishing/aquaculture cluster.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish applied research organization with food and biotechnology R&D and measurement services. Comparable to Matís in providing industry-facing testing, sensory evaluation, and applied research for Nordic food producers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/matisiceland
• Facebookfacebook.com/matisiceland

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 Matís