Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy

What Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy does

The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) is a national electron microscopy facility operated as a core research facility at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Established in 2004 and supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation's Major Science Initiatives program and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, CCEM provides shared access to advanced characterization instrumentation including Transmission Electron Microscopy (Spectra Ultra, Nion HERMES, TITAN LB, Talos family, JEOL 1230), Scanning Electron Microscopy (Tescan Vega, JEOL 6610, Apreo 2 S, Magellan, Quattro ESEM, JEOL Auger), Focused Ion Beam and Helium Ion Microscopy (Helios 5, Helios 5 PFIB, Orion HIM, Crossbeam 350), Atom Probe Tomography (Cameca LEAP 5000 XS), X-ray Computed Tomography (Zeiss Xradia 630 Versa, Nikon M2), and Auger Electron Spectroscopy, complemented by sample preparation services across mechanical polishing, ion polishing, electropolishing, and a range of sputter coatings.

CCEM serves three primary customer segments: Canadian academic researchers accessing instruments at subsidized academic hourly rates under a MacLIMS scheduling system, industry and government clients at higher non-academic rates, and K-12 students and educators through the NextGen Microscopist Program. A secondary audience of graduate students and postdocs uses the Equipment Training Module (ETM) certification program. The facility operates from two Hamilton locations (Arthur Bourns Building B161 as the main site and CCEM@FHS at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre), employs approximately 18 staff including 13–14 named technical specialists, and is led by Facilities Manager Brian Langelier and Manager of Education, Governance, and Outreach Samantha Stambula.

Revenue is generated through usage-based hourly/session fees for instrument time (e.g., $130–$210/hr attended TEM, $520/session APT, $385/session XCT on Zeiss Xradia, with discounted academic and unattended rates) and unit-priced training modules (e.g., $230 TEM Basics to $1,025 XCT 1 Zeiss Xradia ETM). These fee streams are supplemented by public infrastructure grants from CFI and the Ontario government, in-kind technology partnerships with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hitachi High-Tech, and Systems for Research, and institutional support from McMaster University. CCEM is governed as a McMaster-hosted facility rather than as an independent corporate entity, with no external investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy

Legal name

Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy

Website

https://ccem.mcmaster.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) is a national electron microscopy facility at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, providing fee-based access to TEM, SEM, FIB, HIM, APT, XCT, and Auger instrumentation for Canadian university researchers, industry clients, and K-12 outreach programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Instrument Time Fees: Hourly fees for microscope operation with separate rates for attended (with CCEM staff operation) and unattended (user-operated) sessions. Academic rates apply to Canadian University funded projects; non-academic rates apply to all other projects. Additional after-hours rates available.
2. Training Program Fees: Equipment Training Modules (ETMs) with set pricing per module. Training covers TEM, SEM, and XCT with various levels from basics to advanced. Fees include session time, module costs, re-test fees, and missed session charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) is a national, fee-for-service electron and ion microscopy facility at McMaster University providing shared access to advanced instrumentation including TEM, SEM, FIB, Helium Ion Microscopy, Atom Probe Tomography, X-ray CT, and Auger Electron Spectroscopy. It supports academic and industry users with expert staff operation, unattended self-use sessions, sample preparation, and structured training through Equipment Training Modules (ETMs) and the NextGen Microscopist K-12 outreach program.

Product overview

The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) is a research microscopy facility at McMaster University offering access to advanced electron, ion, and X-ray microscopy instruments and related services. The facility provides fee-based access to a suite of microscopy instruments including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Atom Probe Tomography (APT), X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT), and Auger Electron Spectroscopy. Supporting services include sample preparation, instrument training through the Microscope Training Program with Equipment Training Modules (ETMs), and the NextGen Microscopist Program for K-12 outreach. The CCEM Academy provides educational content through webinars and workshops. Services are available to academic users (Canadian universities), industry, and government researchers on a fee-for-service basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Services High-resolution transmission electron microscopy services covering HRTEM and STEM imaging, delivered to academic researchers from Canadian universities and industry clients on a fee-for-service basis. The TEM service line provides access to multiple instruments including Spectra Ultra, Nion HERMES, TITAN LB, Talos 200X, Talos L120C, and JEOL 1230.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Services Scanning electron microscopy services with EDS, EBSD, and environmental capabilities, available to academic and industry users. Includes Tescan Vega, JEOL 6610, Apreo 2 S, Magellan, Quattro ESEM, and JEOL Auger instruments offered on hourly rates.
• Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Services Focused ion beam services for site-specific sample preparation, nano-patterning, and high-resolution imaging, offered to academic and industry users. Includes Helios 5, Helios 5 PFIB, Orion HIM, and Crossbeam 350 instruments with hourly and overnight automated pricing.
• Atom Probe Tomography (APT) Services Atom-by-atom, near-ppm-sensitive 3D compositional analysis using the Cameca LEAP 5000 XS, with weekday, after-hours, and weekend session pricing for academic and industry users. Specializes in nanoscale elemental mapping and 3D composition measurement.
• X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Services Non-destructive 3D X-ray imaging using the Zeiss Xradia 630 Versa and Nikon M2 instruments, available to academic and industry users on daytime and after-hours session pricing.
• Auger Electron Spectroscopy Services Surface-sensitive chemical characterization using the JEOL Auger electron spectrometer, offered to academic and industry users as a fee-for-service option.
• Sample Preparation Services Sample preparation services supporting electron and ion microscopy workflows, including polishing, ion milling, electropolishing, cross-section preparation, and conductive coatings. Available to academic and industry users preparing samples for CCEM instruments or external characterization.
• Microscope Training Program (Equipment Training Modules) Structured, fee-based training program using Equipment Training Modules (ETMs) covering TEM, SEM, and XCT workflows, including instrument-specific training, assessments, re-test fees, and missed-session charges. Successful completion grants credentialed access to operate the corresponding CCEM instruments independently.
• NextGen Microscopist Program (K-12 Outreach) Free K-12 outreach program providing tabletop SEM access to schools and youth organizations through the Hitachi Inspire Program, with ready-made or customized lesson plans designed to introduce students as young as 6 years old to microscopy and STEM subjects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 visitors attended CCEM's first public open house, demonstrating community engagement and educational impact.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 June 2025Thermo Fisher Scientific partnered with CCEM for the Spectra Ultra grand opening, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Andrea Horwath. Thermo Fisher provides CCEM's flagship HRTEM/STEM instrument. This is a key technology partnership providing CCEM with leading-edge microscopy capabilities.
• Systems for Research (SFR)majorTechnology or Integration · 27 June 2025Systems for Research (SFR) partnered with CCEM for the Spectra Ultra grand opening and installation. SFR likely serves as the vendor/integrator for the Thermo Fisher Scientific instrumentation.
• McMaster UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025CCEM is a core research facility at McMaster University. The university provides institutional support, infrastructure (space in Arthur Bourns Building), and administrative overhead. CCEM activities are supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation MSI Program and Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.
• Hitachi Inspire ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hitachi Inspire Program provides CCEM with free use of Hitachi TM4000Plus table-top SEM for the NextGen Microscopist Program targeting K-12 students. Hitachi provides equipment while CCEM provides the educational curriculum and outreach. This partnership enables free STEM education outreach for youth as young as 6 years old.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• JEOL: Manufacturer of TEM, SEM, and Auger electron spectroscopy instruments used in CCEM's facility (JEOL 6610, JEOL 1230, JEOL Auger). Comparable as an instrument vendor and technology partner rather than a service competitor.
• Hitachi High-Tech: Manufacturer of electron microscopes (including the TM4000Plus tabletop SEM used in CCEM's NextGen program) and analytical instruments. Comparable as a strategic partner and instrument supplier to CCEM rather than a direct competitor.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Manufacturer of the Spectra Ultra HRTEM/STEM and other analytical instruments installed at CCEM; strategic technology partner for the flagship facility. Not a direct service competitor, but a key vendor shaping CCEM's capability roadmap.

Direct peers

• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification company offering materials characterization including electron microscopy across multiple sites. Comparable in commercial testing/analytical services model, though at much larger global scale and broader service scope.
• Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: US DOE-funded nanoscience user facility offering open access to advanced electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atom probe tomography. Closest international analog to CCEM as a federally-supported user facility with multi-modal nanoscale characterization capability.
• Exponent: Engineering and scientific consulting firm with materials characterization, failure analysis, and electron microscopy capabilities serving industry clients. Comparable in advanced EM service offering and industry-focused revenue model, though larger scale and broader service scope.
• Canadian Light Source: Canada's national synchrotron radiation facility, operating under similar CFI MSI funding model and serving a similar Canadian academic and industry user base. Highly comparable in national-facility positioning, Canadian funding structure, and fee-for-service user access model.
• Center for Functional Nanomaterials (Brookhaven National Laboratory): US DOE user facility providing electron microscopy, nanofabrication, and materials characterization to external researchers. Comparable in mission (open user facility model), funding structure (DOE national lab), and instrumentation breadth to CCEM.
• Stanford Nano Shared Facilities: University core facility at Stanford offering electron microscopy, nanofabrication, and characterization tools to academic and external users. Directly comparable as a university-based multi-instrument EM core facility with user-fee access model.
• Eurofins EAG Materials Science: Commercial materials characterization laboratory offering electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and surface analysis services to industry clients on a fee-for-service basis. Directly comparable to CCEM in service model and instrumentation, with stronger industry focus and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCEMCanada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXzjLNQvaiEQLq8im7aa8Lw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ccemcanada
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccem_canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy