Optical Sciences
OptiCal Sciences distributes and services cleanroom monitoring instruments (particle counters, microbial samplers, safety cabinets, filter and airflow testers) for pharmaceutical, hospital, offshore, and hydraulic customers across the UK and Ireland, now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Techniques International.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNorthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Optical Sciences does
OptiCal Sciences Ltd is a UK-based distributor and service provider of cleanroom and environmental monitoring instrumentation, founded in 1996 in Northampton and operating from offices in Northampton (UK) and Carlow (Ireland). The company represents six specialist manufacturers, including Climet (air particle counters and microbial air samplers), PAMAS (liquid particle counters and pharmaceutical compliance software), Berner (biological safety cabinets), Kanomax (airflow instruments), Concept Smoke Systems (aerosol generators), and EnviroVal (environmental monitoring software), aggregating their products into a single micro-contamination control offering for pharmaceutical, healthcare, offshore oil, and precision hydraulic customers. Its proprietary contribution is the EnviroVal Environmental Monitoring System for real-time cleanroom data capture and reporting, complemented by Climet User Authenticator integration with Active Directory.
The business operates five distinct revenue streams: hardware sales of particle counters, microbial samplers, safety cabinets, filter testing, and airflow instruments; professional calibration services; certified operator and maintenance training (including ATI Training Institute courses); managed service contracts and validation support; and short- and long-term instrument hire. GTM is sales-led, executed by technical sales engineers who provide consultative support across regulatory frameworks (FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ISO 14644, GMP, EU GMP Annex 1, PIC/S). Distribution runs through direct sales in the UK and Ireland offices and via the partner manufacturer network.
The company was family-owned from founding until 12 March 2026, when Air Techniques International (ATI), a division of Hamilton Associates, acquired it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. ATI retained the UK and Ireland operations under General Manager Rory McLellan, added its 2J Aerosol Photometer and ATI Training Institute course catalogue to the portfolio, and continued OptiCal's existing distribution partnerships and customer relationships.
Optical Sciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optical Sciences
- Legal name
- OptiCal Sciences Ltd
- Website
- https://optical-sciences.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OptiCal Sciences distributes and services cleanroom monitoring instruments (particle counters, microbial samplers, safety cabinets, filter and airflow testers) for pharmaceutical, hospital, offshore, and hydraulic customers across the UK and Ireland, now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Techniques International.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optical Sciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cleanroom Monitoring Equipment
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air) (HLAGAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC), Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where Optical Sciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Optical Sciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Particle Counting and Monitoring Equipment Sales: Sale of particle counters (air and liquid), microbial air samplers, environmental monitoring systems, safety cabinets, filter testing equipment, and airflow testing instruments from partner brands including Climet, PAMAS, Berner, Kanomax, Concept, and EnviroVal.
- Calibration Services: Professional calibration services for particle counters and monitoring equipment to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance.
- Training Services: Certified operator training for portable and laboratory instruments, particle monitoring systems, and maintenance training, as well as ATI Training Institute courses.
- Service Contracts and Validation: Ongoing service contracts and validation services for installed equipment.
- Instrument Hire: Short-term and long-term rental of particle counting and monitoring instruments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Optical Sciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optical Sciences (OptiCal Sciences Ltd) supplies monitoring systems, particle counters and filter testing devices sourced from leading manufacturers, and provides complementary recalibration, repair and installation services. The company distributes air and liquid particle counters, microbial air samplers, environmental monitoring systems, biological safety cabinets, filter testing equipment and airflow testing instruments to pharmaceutical, healthcare and industrial customers in the UK and Ireland.
Product overview
Optical Sciences is a distributor and service provider for cleanroom and environmental monitoring instrumentation, representing multiple international manufacturers including PAMAS (Germany), Climet, Berner, Kanomax, and Concept Smoke Systems. The company offers a portfolio of particle counting solutions (air and liquid), microbial air samplers, safety cabinets, filter testing equipment, and proprietary EnviroVal environmental monitoring systems. The product ecosystem includes specialized software for pharmaceutical compliance (PAMAS USP with 21 CFR Part 11), fluid monitoring, and component testing. Services include calibration, equipment hire, operator and maintenance training, validation support, and service contracts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Particle Counters (Climet CI-x7x series and CI-97) Industrial and pharmaceutical grade air particle counters for cleanroom classification and environmental monitoring, compliant with ISO 21501-4 and supporting 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail and electronic records; sold to pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospital pharmacies and cleanroom operators in the UK and Ireland.
- Microbial Air Samplers (Climet CI-97) High efficiency microbial air samplers designed for biopharmaceutical cleanrooms and aseptic environments with 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, username/password login, 50,000 onboard sample memory buffer and audit trail functionality for pharmaceutical QC users.
- Liquid Particle Counters (PAMAS) German-engineered liquid particle counters including SVSS, SBSS, S50 Series, OLS50P, OLS4031 and 4132 models used for pharmaceutical, hydraulic fluid and component cleanliness testing, with 21 CFR Part 11 compliance on selected models.
- Biological Safety Cabinets (Berner claire series) Class II biological safety cabinets (claire neo, claire xl, claire lh) plus the Berner SealSafe Pro waste sealing unit, distributed to laboratory and pharmaceutical customers for containment of biohazardous materials in the UK and Ireland.
- Airflow Testing Instruments (Kanomax) Anemometers and airflow measurement instruments including the 6820 vane anemometer, 6501 Climomaster and 3888/3889 handheld particle counters used for cleanroom airflow visualisation, laminar flow cabinet validation and HEPA filter integrity verification.
- Filter Testing Equipment (Concept aerosol generators and 2J Aerosol Photometer) Aerosol generators and photometers including Concept VC Aero and Air Trace S thermal aerosol generators, and the ATI 2J aerosol photometer with 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, used for HEPA filter integrity testing, air flow visualisation and particle recovery tests in cleanrooms.
- EnviroVal Environmental Monitoring System All-inclusive environmental monitoring software platform for centralised data capture, storage and retrieval of particulate count, pressure, temperature and other environmental parameters, with customisable monitoring, user-settable security levels and 21 CFR Part 11 compliance for pharmaceutical and cleanroom operators.
- Calibration Services Professional calibration services for particle counters and environmental monitoring instruments to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance, delivered to pharmaceutical, healthcare and industrial customers from the Northampton and Carlow service operations.
- Instrument Hire Services Short-term and long-term rental of particle counting and monitoring instruments for customers that need temporary cleanroom monitoring capacity without capital purchase.
- Training Services Certified operator and maintenance training for portable and laboratory particle counters and monitoring systems, supplemented by ATI Training Institute courses covering photometers, industry standards, HEPA filter leak testing, biosafety cabinet testing, airflow measurement and cleanroom classification.
- Validation Services and Contracts Installation, validation, IQ/OQ and ongoing service contract support for installed cleanroom monitoring equipment, including bespoke system design and consulting services for regulated pharmaceutical and healthcare customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.6% interval calibration pass rate for Climet particle counters equal to or less than 7 years old
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Optical Sciences
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Optical Sciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Optical Sciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Air Techniques International (ATI)coreAir Techniques International acquired OptiCal Sciences in March 2026. ATI is a global leader in design and manufacture of specialized testing equipment for HEPA filters, media, filter cartridges, respirators, and protective masks since 1961. ATI retains the OptiCal Sciences offices and organisations under leadership of Rory McLellan (ATI Director and General Manager).
- Berner InternationalcoreBerner is a manufacturer of Class II biological safety cabinets and waste sealing units. OptiCal Sciences distributes Berner products including the claire neo, claire xl, and claire lh safety cabinets, and SealSafe Pro waste sealing unit in the UK and Ireland.
- CLiMET InstrumentscoreCLiMET manufactures air particle counters and microbial air samplers. OptiCal distributes CLiMET products including CI-x7x NextGen Series and CI-97 in the UK and Ireland market.
- PAMAS GmbHcorePAMAS, based near Stuttgart Germany, is a worldwide company focused on high-quality particle measuring systems for liquid particle counting. Founded in 1992, PAMAS provides liquid particle counters including SVSS, SBSS, S50 Series, OLS50P, OLS4031, and 4132 models.
- KanomaxcoreKanomax Group originated from Kano Laboratory established in 1951. They manufacture anemometers, particle measuring instruments, and cleanroom contamination control instrumentation. OptiCal distributes Kanomax products including 6820 vane anemometer, 6501 Climomaster, 3888 and 3889 handheld particle counters.
- Concept Smoke SystemscoreConcept Smoke Systems has been manufacturing high quality aerosol generators for over 50 years. Their Clean Room Solutions range includes thermal aerosol generators for HEPA filter testing, air flow visualisation, and particle recovery tests. Products include VC Aero and Air Trace S.
- EnviroValsupportingEnviroVal provides environmental monitoring software systems for data capture, storage, and retrieval, allowing seamless environmental monitoring solutions integrated with particle counting, pressure, temperature and other environmental factors.
- ATI Training InstitutesupportingATI Training Institute offers training options including virtual, on-demand, and on-site training for photometers, industry standards, compliance, and specific courses such as HEPA Filter Leak Testing, Biosafety Cabinet Testing, Airflow Measurement and Testing, and Cleanroom Classification.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Optical Sciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Steris Life Sciences: Steris is a large global provider of contamination control, sterilization, and cleanroom solutions to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. It competes broadly with OptiCal's biosafety cabinet and environmental monitoring offering through its Life Sciences segment.
- Air Techniques International (ATI): ATI is the strategic acquirer of OptiCal Sciences and a global manufacturer of HEPA filter, respirator, and mask integrity testing equipment. Post-acquisition, ATI is the parent operating company and now combines its filter testing instruments with OptiCal's cleanroom contamination portfolio.
- Bioquell (Ecolab Life Sciences): Bioquell, now part of Ecolab, provides bio-decontamination and contamination control solutions for pharmaceutical and healthcare cleanrooms. It overlaps with OptiCal's safety cabinet and environmental monitoring offering within the same UK and European contamination control market.
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences supplies a broad portfolio of particle characterization and cell counting instruments used in pharmaceutical and biotech labs. It is much larger than OptiCal but addresses overlapping use cases around liquid particle counting and bioprocess monitoring.
- Telstar (Azbil Group): Telstar supplies integrated cleanroom infrastructure, containment, and lyophilization systems to pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide. It is a broader-scope cleanroom equipment vendor but overlaps with OptiCal's contamination control instrument range sold into the same European pharma customer base.
Direct peers
- TSI Incorporated: TSI manufactures particle counters, anemometers, and cleanroom contamination instruments, including direct competitors to the Kanomax airflow devices and Climet particle counters distributed by OptiCal. It targets pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and HVAC cleanroom customers with the same end-use cases.
- Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions: Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions is a dedicated manufacturer of particle counters, microbial samplers, and environmental monitoring systems serving pharmaceutical and semiconductor cleanrooms. It competes head-on with the Climet and EnviroVal product lines OptiCal distributes.
- Cherwell Laboratories: Cherwell Laboratories is a UK-based supplier of cleanroom environmental monitoring consumables and instruments, including microbial air samplers and particle counting equipment. It targets the same NHS and pharmaceutical cleanroom customers in the UK market, making it a close channel competitor.
- Particle Measuring Systems: Particle Measuring Systems is a leading global manufacturer of particle counters and microbial monitoring instruments for cleanroom and pharmaceutical environments. It directly overlaps with OptiCal's Climet and PAMAS air/liquid particle counter offerings and serves the same pharmaceutical and life science customers.
Regional players
- Particle Counters UK (Calibration Services): Particle Counters UK is a smaller UK-based specialist in particle counter sales, calibration, and validation services. It competes most directly with OptiCal's calibration, hire, and validation services streams inside the UK pharmaceutical and NHS market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Optical Sciences social profiles
Digital presenceOptical Sciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optical Sciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Optical Sciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optical Sciences 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 Optical Sciences
What does Optical Sciences do?
Optical Sciences (OptiCal Sciences Ltd) supplies monitoring systems, particle counters and filter testing devices sourced from leading manufacturers, and provides complementary recalibration, repair and installation services. The company distributes air and liquid particle counters, microbial air samplers, environmental monitoring systems, biological safety cabinets, filter testing equipment and airflow testing instruments to pharmaceutical, healthcare and industrial customers in the UK and Ireland.
Is Optical Sciences a public or private company?
Optical Sciences is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Optical Sciences founded?
Optical Sciences was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Optical Sciences based?
Optical Sciences is headquartered in Northampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Optical Sciences make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Particle Counting and Monitoring Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are calibration Services, training Services, service Contracts and Validation and instrument Hire.
Who are Optical Sciences's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Steris Life Sciences, Air Techniques International (ATI), Bioquell (Ecolab Life Sciences), Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Telstar (Azbil Group). Direct peers are TSI Incorporated, Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions, Cherwell Laboratories and Particle Measuring Systems. Particle Counters UK (Calibration Services) is listed as a regional player.
Does Optical Sciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optical Sciences.
What industry is Optical Sciences in?
Optical Sciences's product category is Cleanroom Monitoring Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAK, Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air), with a secondary code of IMAGAFAC, Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.