What Biotium does

Biotium is a privately held biotechnology company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fremont, California, that manufactures and supplies fluorescent reagents, antibodies, labeling kits, DNA stains, and related consumables for life science research. Its core technology platform is built around proprietary CF® Dyes, spanning more than 40 colors across the visible to near-infrared spectrum, engineered for brightness and photostability in flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, super-resolution imaging, and PCR/qPCR. The company has developed a portfolio of differentiated reagent brands including GelRed®/GelGreen® (non-mutagenic DNA gel stains), EvaGreen® (environmentally safe qPCR dye), MiniMab™ (alpaca VHH nanobodies for 3D imaging), TyraMax™ (tyramide signal amplification for spatial biology), ViaPlex™ (cell barcoding for multiplex flow cytometry), TrueBlack® (autofluorescence quenchers), and ExoBrite™ (extracellular vesicle detection), alongside 2,000+ monoclonal antibodies. Products are cited in more than 32,000 peer-reviewed studies, and the company holds 30+ patented technologies, including ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturing at a facility that is 80% solar-powered.

Biotium sells primarily through direct e-commerce at biotium.com, with phone, email, and quick-order channels, complemented by a global network of authorized distributors. Pricing is unit-based, with individual reagent SKUs typically priced between roughly $61 and $610 (e.g., ExoBrite CD29 Flow Antibody from $178, ViaPlex 2-Color Kits from $215, ViaTag Haloalkane Ligands at $610), with a 20% newsletter discount, free samples for evaluation, and a New Lab Startup Program. Revenue is generated on a one-time-purchase consumables model rather than subscriptions or licensing. The primary customer segments are academic research laboratories and pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery and cell therapy research, with clinical/diagnostic labs as a secondary segment. The company operates as an independent, self-sustaining entity with no disclosed parent, venture funding, or acquisitions.

Name

Biotium

Legal name

Biotium Inc.

Website

https://biotium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Biotium manufactures and supplies proprietary fluorescent dyes, antibodies, labeling kits, and DNA stains for life science researchers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fremont, California, the company serves academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology laboratories globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Reagents

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomarker Assay & Reagent Development (LDT/IVD assay design, antibodies/standards/controls) (HLAAAMAL), Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency) (HLAGAGAF), Protein Interaction & Structural Biology Platforms (cryo-EM, X-ray, NMR, biophysics) (HLAAAIAH), Raw Materials & Critical Reagents Supply (Media/Resins/Cytokines) (HLAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Fluorescent reagents
• Antibody labeling kits
• DNA gel stains
• Flow cytometry reagents
• Fluorescent dyes

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Reagent Sales: Sale of fluorescent reagents, antibodies, conjugates, assays, and kits to academic research labs, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical researchers. Products sold as consumables with per-unit pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Biotium manufactures and sells proprietary fluorescent dyes, antibodies, antibody and protein labeling kits, nucleic acid gel stains, cell barcoding kits, tyramide signal amplification reagents, and extracellular vesicle detection reagents for life science research. Products are consumables sold per-unit through the company's e-commerce site, phone/email ordering, and global authorized distributors to academic, pharmaceutical, biotech, and clinical diagnostics researchers. The portfolio is anchored by patented CF® Dyes, GelRed®/GelGreen®, EvaGreen®, MiniMab™ nanobodies, ViaPlex™ cell barcoding, and TyraMax™ amplification platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CF® Dyes: Proprietary fluorescent dye technology spanning the visible to near-IR spectrum, with over 40 dye colors for bioconjugation and labeling applications.
• GelRed® & GelGreen®
• EvaGreen®
• ViaPlex™
• TyraMax™
• MiniMab™
• ExoBrite™
• Mix-n-Stain™
• TrueBlack®
• NucSpot®
• MitoView™
• Live-or-Dye™
• VivoBrite™
• ViaTag™
• Astral-Leap™
• Biotium Choice Antibodies

Products and services

• CF® Dyes Proprietary fluorescent dye technology platform with 40+ reactive dyes, bioconjugates, and tandem dyes spanning visible, far-red, and near-IR spectra, engineered for superior brightness and photostability across immunofluorescence, super-resolution microscopy, and flow cytometry applications.
• GelRed® and GelRed® DNA Gel Stains Non-mutagenic nucleic acid gel stains designed as safer alternatives to ethidium bromide, confirmed non-toxic to aquatic life through Ames tests and environmental safety testing.
• EvaGreen® Dye Cell membrane-impermeant PCR dye featuring a release-on-demand DNA-binding mechanism that is non-mutagenic, non-cytotoxic, and safe for aquatic life for qPCR applications.
• MiniMab™ Single-Domain Antibodies Recombinant alpaca VHH nanobody antibodies smaller than IgG, enabling deeper tissue penetration, faster staining times, and improved access to tightly packed or masked epitopes for 3D imaging.
• ViaPlex™ Cell Barcoding Kits Fluorescent cell barcoding kits for flow cytometry that enable multiplex analysis of up to 15 cell populations in a single tube, reducing reagent consumption and sample processing time.
• TyraMax™ Amplification Dyes and Kits Next-generation tyramide signal amplification dyes for spatial biology and fluorescence imaging offering the widest color selection, superior brightness and photostability, and working-solution stability for automated workflows.
• TrueBlack® Background Reducers Lipofuscin autofluorescence quencher and background reducing reagents that eliminate tissue autofluorescence while preserving immunostaining signal-to-noise ratio in fluorescence imaging.
• ExoBrite™ EV Detection Reagents Stains and antibodies for detection of extracellular vesicles by flow cytometry, NTA, or western blot, including True EV Membrane Stains for bright, versatile pan-EV staining.
• Mix-n-Stain™ Antibody and Protein Labeling Kits Rapid covalent antibody and protein labeling kits that enable fast labeling with fluorescent dyes, including small molecule labeling kit variants.
• VivoBrite™ Antibody Labeling Kits Rapid antibody labeling kits designed for small animal in vivo imaging applications.
• Biotium Choice Antibodies Carefully curated and extensively validated monoclonal antibodies optimized for flow cytometry and other applications, with prices ranging from $61 to $450.
• DNAzure® 2.0 Visible Blue DNA Gel Stain Kit Visible blue DNA gel stain kit for visualizing double-stranded DNA in agarose or polyacrylamide gels by the unaided eye, developed with innovative chemistry.

Quantifiable outcome

• ViaPlex enables multiplex analysis of up to 15 cell populations in a single tube, reducing reagent use and sample processing time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BioLegend (Revvity): Now part of Revvity/PerkinElmer, BioLegend specializes in flow cytometry antibodies and reagents, competing directly with Biotium's ViaPlex cell-barcoding kits and CF® Dye-labeled antibody conjugates in immunology research.
• Abcam: Acquired by Danaher, Abcam is a leading research antibody supplier whose catalog of primary and secondary antibodies directly competes with Biotium's monoclonal antibody and antibody-conjugate offerings for academic and pharma researchers.
• Cell Signaling Technology: CST produces validated primary antibodies and supporting reagents for cell biology and cancer research, competing most directly with Biotium's curated Biotium Choice antibody line in flow cytometry and Western blot applications.
• Vector Laboratories: Vector Laboratories provides immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence reagents including tyramide signal amplification kits, directly competing with Biotium's TyraMax amplification dye launch in spatial biology applications.
• Bio-Techne (Novus Biologicals): Through Novus Biologicals and R&D Systems, Bio-Techne offers a broad research antibody and reagent catalog that overlaps with Biotium's antibody portfolio and specialized reagents for cell biology and neuroscience research.
• Santa Cruz Biotechnology: Santa Cruz Biotechnology supplies research antibodies and supporting reagents including fluorescent conjugates and gel stains, competing with Biotium in primary antibodies and molecular biology consumables.
• Jackson ImmunoResearch: A specialist manufacturer of secondary antibodies and fluorescent conjugates, Jackson ImmunoResearch competes most directly with Biotium's CF® Dye-labeled secondary antibodies used in immunofluorescence and flow cytometry.

Broad incumbents

• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad offers a broad portfolio of flow cytometry antibodies, fluorescent dyes, and life science research reagents that compete head-to-head with Biotium's CF® Dyes and antibody catalog, particularly in immunology and cell biology.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Through its Invitrogen and Molecular Probes brands, Thermo Fisher is the dominant supplier of fluorescent dyes, antibodies, and research reagents, directly overlapping Biotium's catalog at much greater scale and with bundled pricing power.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA): Sigma-Aldrich/Merck offers one of the broadest life science reagent catalogs including fluorescent dyes, DNA stains, and qPCR reagents, overlapping with Biotium's GelRed/GelGreen, EvaGreen, and CF® Dye product lines at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biotium
• Facebookfacebook.com/biotium

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 Biotium