What VHLGenetics does

VHLGenetics (legal entity Dr. van Haeringen Laboratorium B.V.) is a Netherlands-based non-human genotyping service laboratory headquartered in Wageningen and founded in 1986. It is operated under GD Group (Royal GD), with director Bert de Lange. The company provides DNA testing for parentage verification, genetic disorders, and hereditary traits across livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats), companion animals (dogs, cats, horses, alpacas, pigeons), plants, and food/feed, and is positioned by management as a "market leader" in non-human genotyping services.

The technical platform spans capillary electrophoresis, rtPCR, KASP assays, Illumina BeadChip genotyping, Genotyping-by-Sequencing via ApliSeq Technology, and—since October 2025—short-read sequencing on the Aviti platform from Element Biosciences. The lab routinely processes diverse, non-standard sample types (blood, blood-cards, hair roots, tissue, biopsies, semen, seeds, plants, food, feed). The company operates a consumer-facing brand, CombiBreed, with its own webshop, and distributes through wholly-owned local entities in Germany, Norway, Belgium, Spain and Austria.

Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced DNA tests (typically €30–€55 per test, with karyotyping at €175+) on a pay-as-you-go basis via the webshop and direct B2B contracts, supplemented by customized plant and animal genomics projects. In May 2025, VHLGenetics acquired ZooEasy, a pedigree and breeding administration software provider serving hundreds of breed associations and studbooks worldwide, extending the offering from testing into integrated breeding data management.

Name

VHLGenetics

Legal name

Dr. van Haeringen Laboratorium B.V.

Website

https://vhlgenetics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VHLGenetics is a Netherlands-based non-human genotyping laboratory, founded in 1986 and operating under GD Group, providing DNA tests for parentage, genetic disorders and traits across livestock, companion animals, plants and food, distributed through European subsidiaries and its CombiBreed webshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Genetics Testing Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Genomic Testing & Genetic Evaluation Services (AFAEAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molecular & Genetic Testing (Breed, Hereditary Disease, Oncology) (HLAMADAE), Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)

Keywords

• Animal DNA testing
• Non-human genotyping
• Parentage verification
• Plant genomics services
• Livestock genetic testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wageningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DNA Testing Services: Core revenue from providing DNA tests for genetic disorders, parentage verification, and trait analysis for livestock and companion animals. Services include individual tests and combination packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VHLGenetics is a non-human genotyping and DNA testing laboratory that provides DNA profiling, parentage verification, genetic disease testing, genetic trait testing, and karyotyping for a broad range of species (cattle, pig, sheep, goat, horses, dogs, cats, and other animals). It also offers plant DNA testing services (DNA extraction, genotyping arrays, KASP, sequencing, marker development, resistance gene analysis, variety checks) and food DNA testing for species authentication, with tailor-made customized genomics projects for B2B clients and direct ordering via its CombiBreed webshop.

Product overview

VHLGenetics is a market leader in non-human genotyping services offering a comprehensive portfolio of DNA testing products under the CombiBreed brand. Their core offerings include DNA profile and parentage verification tests for livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats) and companion animals (dogs, cats, horses), genetic disease screening panels, and trait testing (coat color, growth, meat quality). Supporting services include karyotyping, plant DNA testing (extraction, genotyping arrays, sequencing), food DNA testing, and customized genomics projects. The company operates company-owned laboratories and maintains a global distribution network. In May 2025, VHLGenetics acquired ZooEasy software to offer integrated pedigree management alongside genetic testing through their CombiBreed platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CombiBreed: DNA testing services for pets, livestock and companion animals under the VHLGenetics umbrella, includes breed-specific testing packages and genetic health screening.

Products and services

• DNA Profile Tests DNA profiling service that delivers breed-verified genetic profiles accepted by breed registries and studbooks, using capillary electrophoresis with >99.5% reliability on 60,000+ SNPs. Targeted at livestock producers, companion-animal breeders, and breed associations needing accredited parentage and identity verification.
• Parentage Verification Services Parentage testing and verification service for animals, using DNA profile data from capillary electrophoresis and high-density SNP panels to confirm pedigree and parent-offspring relationships with >99.5% reliability.
• Genetic Disease Testing (Cattle) rtPCR-based DNA tests that screen cattle for heritable genetic disorders, supporting breeding decisions in dairy and beef herds by identifying carriers and affected animals.
• Genetic Disease and Trait Testing (Pig, Sheep, Goat)
• Genetic Disease and Trait Testing (Horse)
• CombiBreed Companion-Animal DNA Test Packages
• Plant DNA Testing Services
• Food DNA Testing and Species Authentication
• Customized Genomics Projects (Animals)
• ZooEasy Pedigree and Breeding Administration Software
• Breeding Healthy Pets (BHP) Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Parentage verification reliability exceeding 99.5%

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wageningen University & ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Co-organizer of seminar 'Aviti Sequencing for Life Sciences: From Microbiomes to Plants & Animals' at Wageningen Campus on January 22, 2026. Partnership for knowledge sharing and research collaboration in sequencing technologies.
• Element BiosciencescoreTechnology or Integration · 22 January 2026Technology provider for Aviti short-read sequencing platform. VHLGenetics completed validation and launched sequencing services on Aviti platform, expanding their genomic capabilities.
• ZooEasycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Software company ZooEasy became part of VHLGenetics on May 1, 2025. ZooEasy provides pedigree and breeding administration software to hundreds of breed associations and studbooks worldwide. This acquisition strengthens VHLGenetics' ability to translate genetic data into practical breeding applications and DNA-based mating advice.
• Raad van Beheer (Dutch Kennel Club)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2024Multi-year partnership renewal for DNA testing services supporting responsible dog breeding. VHLGenetics provides affordable DNA tests through the Kennel Club to improve genetic health of pedigree dogs.
• Breeding Healthy PetscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Launched custom platform bhp.combibreed.com for Flemish dog breeders to order genetic tests. Project aims to improve genetic diversity of purebred dogs and cats and reduce genetic disorders.
• Royal GDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop new DNA test for Maedi-Visna susceptibility in sheep. Royal GD colleagues contributed to bringing this genetic test to market.
• KU LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Breeding Healthy Pets project. Receives genetic test results from platform to support breed health research.
• Ghent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Breeding Healthy Pets project. Collaborates on research to improve genetic diversity of purebred animals.
• Vereniging Het Nederlandse Kooikerhondje (Dutch Kooikerhondje Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration offering CombiBreed package for Kooikerhondje including DNA tests for Von Willebrand's Disease, ENM, and PM, with F2B SNPs shared with Fit2Breed.
• Utrecht UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Kooikerhondje breeding program collaboration for genetic health improvement.
• GD GroupcoreOthersVHLGenetics belongs to GD Group (Royal GD), a major animal health organization. CEO Ynte Schukken leads GD Group. This parent organization provides strategic oversight.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Embark Veterinary: US-based consumer and breeder dog/cat DNA testing company with extensive breed-health database. Comparable as an emerging player targeting the companion animal genetic testing segment that VHLGenetics also serves via CombiBreed, but with stronger DTC brand and US market access.

Broad incumbents

• Wisdom Panel: Pet DNA testing brand owned by Mars Petcare offering breed, health, and trait testing for dogs and cats. Comparable incumbent in companion animal DNA testing with strong consumer brand and large database, but focused on D2C rather than breed-association channels.
• Neogen Corporation: Global animal safety and genomics company offering GeneSeek/Igenity livestock genotyping services and food safety testing. Directly comparable as a large incumbent in non-human DNA testing and animal genomics, but operates at much larger scale across multiple food and animal safety verticals.
• Eurofins Genomics: European commercial genomics services provider offering genotyping arrays, sequencing, and custom genomics projects for agricultural and animal applications. Comparable as a broad commercial lab services incumbent with overlapping plant and animal genomics capabilities, though it also serves human and microbial markets.
• Zoetis (genetics services): Global animal health company offering genetic testing and genomic evaluation services for livestock through its Vetscan and related products. Comparable as a broad incumbent with scale advantages in cattle and companion animal genomics.

Direct peers

• Generatio GmbH: German animal genetics laboratory offering DNA profiling, parentage verification, and genetic testing for dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. Closely comparable as a regional direct peer with overlapping species coverage, breed-association relationships, and European customer base.
• Animal Genetics Inc. US-based commercial laboratory providing DNA testing, parentage verification, and disease screening for livestock, companion animals, and birds. Closely comparable as a direct peer in non-human genotyping services with similar product categories (parentage, disease, traits) and species coverage.
• UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory: University-affiliated veterinary genetics laboratory providing genetic testing services for animals including parentage verification and disease testing. Comparable as a peer in animal genetic testing, with academic credibility similar to VHLGenetics' Wageningen ties but operating in North America.

Others

• Royal GD (GD Group): Animal health organization and parent company of VHLGenetics, providing veterinary diagnostics and animal disease monitoring. Adjacent comparable as the parent ecosystem and co-developer of new tests (e.g., Maedi-Visna susceptibility), but not a competing service provider.
• Illumina (BeadChip/sequencing ecosystem): Technology provider of BeadChip genotyping arrays and sequencing platforms used by VHLGenetics. Adjacent as a critical upstream supplier enabling the company's services, rather than a competing lab; relevant because platform terms and reagent pricing shape VHLGenetics' economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dr--van-haeringen-laboratorium-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 VHLGenetics