Eppendorf
Eppendorf SE is a privately held Hamburg-based life-science company that develops, manufactures, and sells laboratory equipment, consumables, and services — spanning liquid handling, centrifugation, PCR, bioprocessing, cell incubation, cold storage, and digital lab management — to pharmaceutical, academic research, clinical, and food-and-beverage laboratories across roughly 30 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1941
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Eppendorf does
Eppendorf SE is a Hamburg-headquartered, privately held European life-science company founded around 1941, operating in approximately 30 countries with about 4,100 employees. It develops, manufactures, and distributes laboratory equipment, consumables, and services used in liquid handling, centrifugation, PCR, bioprocessing, cell incubation, cold storage, and digital lab management. Its product architecture spans mechanical and electronic pipettes, multichannel and positive-displacement systems, automated liquid-handling platforms, a full centrifuge range from microcentrifuges to ultracentrifuges, thermal cyclers, single-use and glass bioreactors with bioprocess controllers and software, CO2 incubators and incubator shakers, ultra-low temperature freezers, and temperature-control and mixing instruments, supported by regulated IVD offerings and ISO 9001/ISO 13485 certifications.
The company's revenue model combines one-time equipment sales with recurring consumables (pipette tips, plates, vessels, PCR consumables) and subscription-like service contracts covering preventive maintenance, calibration, and IQ/OQ/PQ qualification. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct enterprise field sales, regional e-commerce sites, eProcurement integrations, recurring-order subscriptions, and a global distributor network. Customers span pharmaceuticals, academic and industrial life-science research, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, and food and beverage quality testing, with primary verticals in pharma/biotech and life-science research. Strategic emphasis is on integrated workflow coverage, regulated consumables traceability (SafeCode), software-attached bioprocess and lab-management solutions, and sustainability positioning (BioBased consumables).
Eppendorf firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eppendorf
- Legal name
- Eppendorf SE
- Website
- https://corporate.eppendorf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1941
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Eppendorf SE is a privately held Hamburg-based life-science company that develops, manufactures, and sells laboratory equipment, consumables, and services — spanning liquid handling, centrifugation, PCR, bioprocessing, cell incubation, cold storage, and digital lab management — to pharmaceutical, academic research, clinical, and food-and-beverage laboratories across roughly 30 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eppendorf industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Equipment and Consumables
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)
Keywords
Where Eppendorf is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Eppendorf business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Laboratory Equipment Sales: Sale of laboratory equipment including centrifuges, pipettes, PCR thermocyclers, bioreactors, incubators, and freezers. Products are sold directly and through distributors globally.
- Laboratory Consumables: Sale of consumable products including pipette tips, laboratory vessels, plates, cell culture consumables, cuvettes, and PCR consumables
- Service and Support: Comprehensive service offerings including repair services, preventive maintenance, calibration services, qualification services, installation services, and product registration support
- Service Contracts: Service agreements for equipment maintenance and support with extended warranty options
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Equipment pricing - varies by product category |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumables pricing - varies by product type |
| Subscription | Annual | Service contracts and agreements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Eppendorf product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eppendorf develops, manufactures, and globally distributes laboratory instruments (pipettes, centrifuges, PCR thermocyclers, bioreactors, CO2 incubators, ultra-low temperature freezers, shakers, and temperature/mixing devices), proprietary laboratory consumables (pipette tips, plates, vessels, PCR consumables), digital lab management software (device management and sample/information management), and accompanying services (installation, calibration, preventive maintenance, qualification, and repair) for life science research, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical/diagnostic, and food and beverage laboratories.
Product overview
Eppendorf is an international life science company that develops, manufactures, and distributes laboratory equipment, consumables, and services for research and industrial laboratories worldwide. The product portfolio follows a platform-plus-modules architecture organized into distinct product categories: Bioprocessing (bioreactors, controllers, software for cell culture and fermentation), Centrifugation (from microcentrifuges to ultracentrifuges for sample separation), Liquid Handling (manual and electronic pipettes, automated liquid handling systems for precise fluid transfer), Cold Storage (ultra-low temperature freezers and sample management systems), PCR (thermal cyclers and consumables for nucleic acid amplification), Cell Incubation (CO2 incubators for cell culture), Digital Lab Management (device management software and LIMS for sample tracking), Lab Shakers (incubator shakers for hybridization and cell culture), Temperature Control and Mixing (thermomixers and heating/cooling instruments), and Lab Consumables (pipette tips, plates, vessels for various applications). The company also provides comprehensive service offerings including service contracts, qualification services, calibration, and installation services. With approximately 4,100 employees in 30 countries, Eppendorf serves customers across life sciences research, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and clinical diagnostics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bioprocess Controllers
Companies that use Eppendorf
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Eppendorf technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Eppendorf partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Science MagazinecoreCo-sponsorship of the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology, a prestigious annual award recognizing outstanding research in neurobiology
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Eppendorf competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sartorius AG: German life science company with a directly overlapping portfolio in bioprocessing (single-use bioreactors, controllers), laboratory equipment, and lab consumables. Direct head-to-head competitor to Eppendorf in upstream bioprocessing and a key European lab tools peer.
- Gilson: US-based manufacturer of manual and electronic pipettes, pipette tips, and liquid handling instrumentation. Closely comparable to Eppendorf in liquid handling — one of the most direct substitutes in the mechanical and electronic pipette category.
- Corning Life Sciences: Division of Corning Inc. producing cell culture consumables, plates, pipette tips, and laboratory plasticware. Direct competitor to Eppendorf's consumables business (pipette tips, plates, vessels) in research and bioprocessing labs.
- Mettler-Toledo International: Swiss-headquartered precision instruments company offering laboratory balances, pipettes, and liquid handling consumables. Direct overlap with Eppendorf in precision liquid handling and lab weighing, serving overlapping pharma and research customers.
- Hamilton Company: Privately held US maker of automated liquid handling workstations, pipetting robots, and laboratory automation solutions. Direct competitor to Eppendorf's automated pipetting and liquid handling product line, especially in high-throughput lab automation.
Broad incumbents
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences tools giant with an extremely broad portfolio including centrifuges, incubators, ULT freezers, pipettes, and bioprocessing consumables. Largest incumbent competing with Eppendorf across nearly every product category, especially through its Thermo Scientific brand.
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Life science research and clinical diagnostics company whose portfolio includes PCR thermal cyclers, digital PCR, and laboratory instruments. Overlaps directly with Eppendorf in PCR thermocyclers and life science research instrumentation.
- Agilent Technologies: Major analytical instruments and lab tools provider serving pharma, biotech, and academic customers. While its core strength is in analytical instrumentation, it competes with Eppendorf for share-of-wallet in cell analysis and life science research workflows.
- Danaher Corporation (Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Leica): Diversified life science and diagnostics conglomerate. Through Beckman Coulter it competes in centrifuges and lab automation; through Cytiva it directly competes in bioprocessing single-use systems — overlapping with key Eppendorf product lines.
Emerging players
- Integra Biosciences: Swiss-based mid-sized manufacturer of pipettes, pipette tips, liquid handling automation, and laboratory instruments. Smaller than Eppendorf but a direct niche competitor in liquid handling and lab automation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eppendorf social profiles
Digital presenceEppendorf compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Eppendorf financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eppendorf leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Eppendorf funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eppendorf 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 Eppendorf
What does Eppendorf do?
Eppendorf develops, manufactures, and globally distributes laboratory instruments (pipettes, centrifuges, PCR thermocyclers, bioreactors, CO2 incubators, ultra-low temperature freezers, shakers, and temperature/mixing devices), proprietary laboratory consumables (pipette tips, plates, vessels, PCR consumables), digital lab management software (device management and sample/information management), and accompanying services (installation, calibration, preventive maintenance, qualification, and repair) for life science research, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical/diagnostic, and food and beverage laboratories.
Is Eppendorf a public or private company?
Eppendorf is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Eppendorf founded?
Eppendorf was founded in 1941. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Eppendorf based?
Eppendorf is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Eppendorf make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Laboratory Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are laboratory Consumables, service and Support and service Contracts.
Who are Eppendorf's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sartorius AG, Gilson, Corning Life Sciences, Mettler-Toledo International and Hamilton Company. Broad incumbents are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Agilent Technologies and Danaher Corporation (Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Leica). Integra Biosciences is listed as an emerging player.
Does Eppendorf have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eppendorf.
What industry is Eppendorf in?
Eppendorf's product category is Laboratory Equipment and Consumables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAD, Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAC, General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3821.