JPK Instruments
JPK Instruments, a Berlin-based manufacturer founded in 1999 and acquired by Bruker in 2018, develops BioAFM instruments for life sciences research. Its NanoWizard, NanoRacer, and CellHesion platforms serve universities, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies requiring nanoscale imaging of biological samples.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What JPK Instruments does
JPK Instruments AG is a Berlin-based manufacturer of nano-analytical instruments specializing in BioAFM (Biological Atomic Force Microscopy) systems for life sciences and soft matter research. Founded in 1999, the company developed a portfolio of AFM platforms that enable high-resolution imaging and nanomechanical characterization of biological samples — including single molecules, cells, and tissues — under near-physiological conditions. Its core platform is the NanoWizard family (PURE, V BioScience, 4 XP BioScience, ULTRA Speed 3), complemented by specialized systems such as the NanoRacer high-speed AFM, CellHesion 300 for cell mechanics, ForceRobot 300/400 for single-molecule force spectroscopy, the AI-guided CellWizard Stage, Dimension FastScan Bio, and Optical Tweezers. The product offering is anchored by an extensive accessories ecosystem of more than 100 add-ons and 30 measurement modes that extend the utility of the base instruments.
The company serves life science research institutions, nanomedicine and pharmaceutical developers, and researchers in microbiology and neuroscience. Its customer base is global, with product reach delivered through the direct sales organization, field application scientists, and service infrastructure inherited from its 2018 acquisition by Bruker Corporation, where JPK now operates within the Nano Surfaces and Metrology division. Revenue is generated through capital sales of high-end AFM instruments, recurring accessories and consumables, and multi-year service and application support contracts. Pricing is enterprise, quote-based, consistent with the high capital cost of research-grade instrumentation.
Since integration into Bruker, JPK's strategic activity has centered on platform extension — broadening the NanoWizard family into new performance tiers, expanding into AI-assisted cell-mechanics workflows via the CellWizard Stage, and leveraging Bruker's worldwide channel to reach adjacent application verticals in pharma and nanomedicine.
JPK Instruments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JPK Instruments
- Legal name
- JPK Instruments AG
- Website
- http://www.jpk.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- JPK Instruments, a Berlin-based manufacturer founded in 1999 and acquired by Bruker in 2018, develops BioAFM instruments for life sciences research. Its NanoWizard, NanoRacer, and CellHesion platforms serve universities, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies requiring nanoscale imaging of biological samples.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JPK Instruments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Instruments
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS) (HLAGADAK)
Keywords
Where JPK Instruments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
JPK Instruments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- BioAFM Instrument Sales: Sale of high-end atomic force microscopy instruments and systems for life science research. JPK Instruments produces specialized BioAFM systems including NanoWizard platform, NanoRacer, CellHesion, and ForceRobot instruments. Revenue is generated through direct sales of instruments along with accessories, modes, and add-ons.
- Accessories and Add-ons: Extensive range of BioAFM system add-ons and accessories including optical systems, electrochemistry solutions, electrical sample characterization, environmental control options, software modules, temperature control, and acoustic/vibration isolation solutions. Over 100 accessories and 30 modes available.
- Service and Support: Technical support, application support, training, and extended service programs. Highly trained support engineers and application scientists provide ongoing customer engagement after initial instrument sale.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
JPK Instruments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JPK Instruments manufactures BioAFM (atomic force microscopy) systems specifically designed for life sciences and soft-matter research. Its instruments enable high-resolution imaging and quantitative nanomechanical characterization of biological samples — from single molecules and nucleic acids to living cells and tissues — under near-physiological conditions, and are sold alongside an extensive ecosystem of accessories and measurement modes.
Product overview
JPK Instruments, acquired by Bruker in 2018, offers a comprehensive portfolio of Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) specifically adapted for life sciences and soft matter research. The product lineup centers on the NanoWizard family (PURE, V BioScience, 4 XP BioScience, ULTRA Speed 3) for general-purpose and high-speed imaging applications, complemented by specialized systems including NanoRacer for ultra-high-speed molecular dynamics, Dimension FastScan Bio for fast scanning, CellHesion 300 for single-cell mechanics, ForceRobot 400 for automated single-molecule force spectroscopy, and CellWizard Stage featuring AI-guided automation. The portfolio also includes Optical Tweezers technology and an extensive accessories ecosystem with 100+ add-ons and 30 measurement modes. All systems are designed for label-free, non-invasive investigation of biological samples including single molecules, cells, and tissues under near-physiological conditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NanoWizard: BioAFM platform for life sciences research - includes NanoWizard PURE, NanoWizard V BioScience, NanoWizard 4 XP BioScience, and NanoWizard ULTRA Speed 3
- NanoRacer
- CellHesion 300
- ForceRobot 400
- CellWizard Stage
- DirectOverlay
Products and services
- NanoWizard PURE General-purpose BioAFM with streamlined design, best-in-class performance and flexibility for life sciences research.
- NanoWizard V BioScience Automated quantitative nano-mechanical imaging system for long-term, self-regulating experiment series in life science research.
- NanoWizard 4 XP BioScience High-performance BioAFM offering extreme performance and ease of use for applications in Life Science and Soft Matter research ranging from single molecules to living cells and tissues.
- NanoWizard ULTRA Speed 3 High-speed BioAFM delivering fast automated imaging at 1,400 lines per second with seamless integration into advanced optical microscopy and super-resolution techniques.
- NanoRacer High-Speed AFM True high-speed AFM imaging at 50 frames and 5,000 lines per second with exceptional usability for following molecular dynamics in real-time.
- Dimension FastScan Bio BioAFM combining FastScan speeds with superior AFM ease of use for life science applications.
- CellWizard Stage Automated, AI-guided multi-chamber in vitro imaging platform and nanomechanical analysis system for cells and tissues.
- CellHesion 300 Automated platform for measuring cell-cell, cell-tissue, and cell-substrate interactions with single-molecule sensitivity using large piezos for extended measurement range.
- ForceRobot 400 Automated force spectroscope for single molecule applications with optional temperature control and fluidics system, for single-molecule property characterization and conformational change investigation.
- Optical Tweezers Force-sensing optical tweezers and optical trapping technology for life science research applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- High-speed imaging up to 5,000 lines per second enabling real-time molecular dynamics visualization
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use JPK Instruments
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
JPK Instruments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature7 records
JPK Instruments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology DivisioncoreJPK Instruments AG was acquired by and integrated into Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology division in 2018. This integration combined JPK's BioAFM development expertise with Bruker's broader microscopy and metrology portfolio. Bruker's BioAFM expertise has its roots in the extensive development capabilities of JPK Instruments AG.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
JPK Instruments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oxford Instruments (Asylum Research): Asylum Research is Oxford Instruments' AFM division and the most direct BioAFM competitor, offering high-end AFMs (e.g., Cypher ES, MFP-3D) widely used in life sciences and biophysics — directly overlapping JPK's target customers and applications.
- Park Systems: Park Systems is a leading AFM manufacturer with growing presence in life sciences and bio-research applications. Its NX-Series and SmartScan platforms target biological and soft-matter researchers, making it a close functional competitor to JPK's NanoWizard family.
- NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments: NT-MDT manufactures a broad range of AFMs, including the NTMDT Spectrum line used in life sciences and biomaterials research. Comparable product architecture and shared target customer base make it a relevant BioAFM peer to JPK.
- Nanosurf: Nanosurf is a Swiss-based AFM manufacturer serving academic and industrial customers, including life science applications. Its Flex-FPM and CoreAFM platforms compete in adjacent BioAFM use cases with similar pricing and customer profile to JPK's systems.
Broad incumbents
- Bruker Nano Surfaces: Bruker is JPK Instruments' parent and operates a broader Nano Surfaces portfolio including Dimension Icon/ FastScan AFMs and other microscopy platforms. Although the JPK brand is preserved, Bruker's wider AFM and metrology line creates internal overlap with JPK products.
- Leica Microsystems (Danaher): Leica is a leading light- and confocal-microscopy provider frequently paired with AFM in correlative workflows. Its STED and super-resolution platforms are complementary to and competitive with JPK's BioAFM-plus-optical positioning.
- HORIBA Scientific: HORIBA Scientific supplies a broad portfolio of analytical and life-science instruments (Raman, fluorescence, AFM-adjacent tools). It competes for the same life science instrument budgets and increasingly for correlated optical-nano workflows involving AFM.
BROAD_INCURRENCE_CORRECTED_BROAD_INCUMBENTs
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Zeiss is a major light- and electron-microscopy incumbent widely used in life sciences research. While not a direct AFM competitor, its super-resolution and correlative microscopy platforms target the same multi-modal imaging workflows that JPK's DirectOverlay integration serves.
Emerging players
- NenoVision: NenoVision specializes in correlative AFM and SEM/optical microscopy software (LiteScope, correlative software). It targets the same correlative-microscopy use case JPK addresses with DirectOverlay, making it an emerging niche competitor.
Others
- NanoAndMore: NanoAndMore supplies AFM probes, accessories, and consumables used widely with BioAFM systems including JPK's NanoWizard line. As a key third-party supplier in the BioAFM ecosystem, it is an adjacent comparable rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JPK Instruments social profiles
Digital presenceJPK Instruments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JPK Instruments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
JPK Instruments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JPK Instruments 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 JPK Instruments
What does JPK Instruments do?
JPK Instruments manufactures BioAFM (atomic force microscopy) systems specifically designed for life sciences and soft-matter research. Its instruments enable high-resolution imaging and quantitative nanomechanical characterization of biological samples — from single molecules and nucleic acids to living cells and tissues — under near-physiological conditions, and are sold alongside an extensive ecosystem of accessories and measurement modes.
Is JPK Instruments a public or private company?
JPK Instruments is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was JPK Instruments founded?
JPK Instruments was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is JPK Instruments based?
JPK Instruments is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does JPK Instruments make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. BioAFM Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Add-ons and service and Support.
Who are JPK Instruments's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oxford Instruments (Asylum Research), Park Systems, NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments and Nanosurf. Broad incumbents are Bruker Nano Surfaces, Leica Microsystems (Danaher) and HORIBA Scientific. Carl Zeiss Microscopy is listed as a BROAD_INCURRENCE_CORRECTED_BROAD_INCUMBENT. NenoVision is listed as an emerging player. NanoAndMore is listed as an others.
Does JPK Instruments have an API?
No public API is recorded for JPK Instruments.
What industry is JPK Instruments in?
JPK Instruments's product category is Scientific Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAE, Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments, with a secondary code of HLAGADAK, Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.