Affinity Labs

What Affinity Labs does

Affinity Labs is a NATA-accredited (ISO17025 and GLP) analytical laboratory headquartered in Urrbrae, South Australia, operating as the commercial services subsidiary of the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). Founded in 1984 as the AWRI Technical Service Laboratory and rebranded to Affinity Labs in 2022, the company provides chemical, microbiological, and sensory testing services primarily to the Australian wine industry, with expansion into beer, spirits, other beverages, food, and raw materials testing. The laboratory performs more than 100,000 analyses annually, processing 20,670 samples and producing 296,635 results in 2024, supported by a team of 30+ scientists, engineers, and analysts.

The company's technology stack is built around conventional analytical instrumentation rather than digital platforms: FOSS WineScan FTIR spectroscopy for wine profiling, flow cytometry for yeast vitality in brewing, VIDAS automated ELISA for pathogen detection (Listeria, Salmonella), and proprietary smoke taint analysis including a background levels database covering nearly 1,500 samples across 21 grape varieties and six vintages. Other proprietary tools include the Australian Wine Carbon Calculator for sustainability reporting and specialized sensory panels (quantitative descriptive analysis, consumer studies, smoke evaluation). The service portfolio spans routine laboratory analysis, export certification (VI1/EU, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil), packaging and shelf-life testing, plus consulting and project management.

Affinity Labs operates a fee-for-service, pay-as-you-go revenue model with published per-test pricing and online sample-submission forms. The go-to-market is sales-led direct laboratory engagement, with marketing through industry publications, technical content, and sector events. The company is privately held and wholly owned by AWRI, a not-for-profit industry research body, with no external venture or private equity funding. International service is limited to wine samples for smoke analysis due to Australian biosecurity restrictions on grape and juice imports. Strategic direction is set by AWRI's industry-good mandate rather than commercial-investor return objectives.

Name

Affinity Labs

Legal name

Affinity Labs

Website

https://affinitylabs.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Affinity Labs is a NATA-accredited Australian analytical laboratory providing chemical, microbiological, and sensory testing for wine, beer, spirits, food, and beverage producers, operating as the commercial subsidiary of the Australian Wine Research Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Beverage Laboratory Testing

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance & HACCP Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA) (AFALAAAD), Laboratory Quality & GLP/GCLP Compliance (HLAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Food and beverage testing
• Wine laboratory analysis
• Microbiological testing services
• Sensory evaluation services
• Export certification testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Urrbrae, Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Analysis Services: Fee-for-service laboratory testing including chemical analysis, microbiological testing, and sensory services for food and beverage products. Pricing based on individual test types with published price lists available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Affinity Labs operates NATA-accredited (ISO17025 and GLP) analytical laboratories providing chemical, microbiological, and sensory testing services for the Australian food and beverage industry. Services span wine, beer, spirits, other beverages, food, and raw materials, including routine analysis, export certification for global markets, smoke taint assessment, and technical consulting powered by the Australian Wine Research Institute's expertise.

Product overview

Affinity Labs offers a comprehensive suite of analytical and consulting services to the food and beverage industry. Their core offerings include NATA-accredited laboratory analysis services (covering chemical and microbiological testing for wine, beer, spirits, other beverages, food, and raw materials), sensory services (quantitative descriptive analysis, consumer studies, difference testing, quality panel assessment, and smoke evaluation), products and packaging services (new product development, shelf-life studies, packaging testing), consulting and project management, sustainability services (carbon accounting, energy audits), and export certification. The company is powered by 65+ years of expertise from the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) and performs more than 100,000 analyses per year across their NATA-accredited (ISO17025 and GLP) laboratories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 100,000 analyses performed annually
• +2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinity Labs is part of the Australian Wine Research Institute. The company's commercial services and products are powered by the proven expertise of the AWRI. AWRI provides research backing, technical expertise, and industry knowledge that underpins Affinity Labs' service offerings.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ALS Global: Australian-headquartered testing services provider with significant food and beverage, environmental, and life sciences testing operations. Most directly comparable to Affinity Labs given shared Australian base and broad food/beverage testing portfolio.
• Enartis (by Enologica Vason): Wine-specific laboratory and enological products supplier providing analytical services, sensory evaluation, and consulting to wineries globally. Comparable to Affinity Labs on the wine-vertical specialization and analytical/sensory offering.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Dedicated food testing and sensory services provider with global laboratory network. Highly comparable to Affinity Labs on food safety microbiological testing and sensory evaluation services.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with dedicated food and beverage laboratory services. Comparable to Affinity Labs on accreditation-driven food testing and export certification workflows.
• Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing provider with food and agricultural products services. Overlaps with Affinity Labs on food/beverage analytical testing and quality certification for export markets.
• Bureau Veritas: International testing, inspection, and certification group with food and beverage commodity testing including wine. Comparable on the testing-services business model and export-related analytical certification work.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, beverage, and environmental testing services with extensive wine and beverage analytical offerings. Directly comparable to Affinity Labs in service mix but operates at vastly greater scale across multiple geographies.

Regional players

• Hill Laboratories: New Zealand-based testing laboratory with food, beverage, and environmental testing services. Comparable regional food and beverage analytical competitor operating across the Australasian market Affinity Labs serves.
• ARC Infoscan (Groupe ICV): French wine-specific laboratory services provider offering oenological analysis, sensory evaluation, and consulting. Comparable wine-vertical specialty lab with similar export certification and quality assurance focus.
• AsureQuality: New Zealand state-owned food and biosecurity testing provider offering food safety and quality testing. Comparable on the food/beverage testing model and public-good orientation similar to Affinity's AWRI-backed structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/affinity-labs-au

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Affinity Labs