What Hesse Instruments GmbH does

Hesse Instruments GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision laboratory instruments for thermo-optical analysis of materials, headquartered in Osterode am Harz, Lower Saxony. Founded in 1992 by Dr. Axel Hesse as a two-person engineering firm, the company acquired the heating microscope product line and associated rights from Leitz (then Leica) in 2000 and has since developed successive generations — the EM201 (2001) and the current EM301 (2015) — as the only direct successors to the renowned Leitz heating microscope. The company's core technology combines precision optics, molybdenum disilicide-based furnace systems achieving temperatures up to 1700°C, and proprietary EMI III software that automates measurement, image capture, and data analysis. Products are norm-compliant with DIN 51730, ISO 540, CEN/TS 15370-1, and CEN/TR 15404 standards, addressing use cases in sintering, softening, melting, thermal expansion, and wetting characterization for ceramics, glass, steel, foundry, and powder metallurgy industries.

The company's revenue model is built on capital equipment sales (EM301 systems), proprietary software licensing (EMI III and upgrades from legacy EMI 2), recurring consumables and replacement parts, and professional services including installation, maintenance, training, customer-specific adaptations, and measurement concept development. Pricing is quote-based for hardware and bundled for software; a previously disclosed EMI III upgrade promotional price was €4,995 against a base price of €7,650. Hesse Instruments operates a channel-led go-to-market, manufacturing in Germany and selling globally through a network of 18+ distribution partners across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, supplemented by direct sales engagement for installations, training, and custom adaptations. End customers include university and corporate R&D laboratories, industrial quality control functions, and process industries requiring standardized thermal characterization.

The company is privately held by the Hesse family. In January 2024, the legal form was changed from e.K. to Hesse Instruments GmbH, with founder's sons Louis and Simon Hesse assuming managing director roles. Current headcount is approximately 6 employees, and the company has no external institutional investors or parent company. Trade show presence (Indian Ceramics Asia 2025, Ceramitec Munich 2026) and a December 2023 software module launch indicate continued investment in both geographic channel development and product-surface expansion.

Name

Hesse Instruments GmbH

Legal name

Hesse Instruments GmbH

Website

https://hesse-instruments.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hesse Instruments GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision heating microscopes (EM301) and proprietary EMI III software for thermo-optical materials analysis at temperatures up to 1700°C. The family-owned company sells globally through 18+ distribution partners to R&D labs, industrial quality control, and process industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osterode am Harz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heating Microscope Hardware: Sale of EM301 heating microscope systems including optical bench, furnace system, and accessories. New instruments installed by Hesse Instruments or trained partners.
2. Software Licenses and Upgrades: EMI III heating microscope software, including upgrades from EMI 2 to EMI III. Previously offered at special promotional price of €4,995 (base price €7,650).
3. Accessories, Replacement Parts, and Consumables: Original replacement and wear parts, consumables, and accessories for heating microscopes.
4. Service and Support: Installation services, maintenance services, training, development of measurement concepts, customer-specific adaptations, and technical documentation/consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hesse Instruments GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells the EM301 heating microscope, a modular laboratory instrument for thermo-optical analysis of materials at temperatures up to 1600°C, controlled by the proprietary EMI III software for automated image capture and data analysis. The product portfolio includes the EM301 heating microscope system, EMI III software and upgrades from EMI 2, furnace systems (M16/M17 tube furnaces), accessories, original replacement and wear parts, and consumables. Supporting service offerings comprise installation, maintenance, training, custom adaptations, and development of measurement concepts for materials characterization in ceramics, glass, steel, foundry, and powder metallurgy.

Product overview

Hesse Instruments GmbH develops, manufactures, and modernizes software-based thermal analysis instruments for materials testing, with a primary focus on heating microscopes. The product portfolio centers on the EM301 heating microscope—a modular laboratory instrument for thermo-optical analysis at temperatures up to 1600°C—controlled by the proprietary EMI III software. The EM301 consists of modular components including an optical bench, furnace system (available in M16 and M17 variants with different temperature ratings), and integrated digital camera. EMI III software is available as the standard control platform, with an upgrade path from the legacy EMI 2 software, and supports optional extended heating rate modules for specialized applications. Supporting products include accessories, original replacement parts, and consumables. The company also offers modernization services for legacy Leitz/Leica heating microscopes, integrating them with EMI III software. Service offerings encompass customer-specific adaptations, installation, maintenance, training, and development of measurement concepts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EM301 Heating Microscope Laboratory measuring instrument for thermo-optical analysis of materials at temperatures up to 1600°C. Modular and open construction with optical bench, furnace system, and integrated camera enabling non-contact measurements of sintering, softening, melting, thermal expansion, and wetting characteristics for research and industrial QA customers.
• EMI III Heating Microscope Software Proprietary software that automates operation of the EM301 heating microscope and provides access to all essential measurement-related functions, including image capture, data analysis, and heating program control. Successor to EMI 2 with expanded features, higher resolution, and extended applications.
• EMI III Upgrade (from EMI 2) Software upgrade package that enables import of existing EMI 2 measurements into EMI III and delivers expanded features, higher resolution, and new applications compared to the predecessor EMI 2 software, with a preconfigured measuring-station computer and state-of-the-art camera. Special promotional pricing was €4,995.00 against a base price of €7,650.00.
• Heating Microscope Accessories Range of accessories to optimize work with the heating microscope, including substrates, specimen holders, and specialized components supporting the EM301 platform.
• Original Replacement and Wear Parts Original replacement and wear parts for maintaining heating microscope functionality and measurement accuracy, supplied for the EM301 and related heating microscope platforms.
• Consumables High-quality, tried-and-tested consumables required for heating microscope operation, including working tubes, quartz glass discs, and halogen bulbs.
• Installation Service Installation of new heating microscope instruments and modernization solutions, delivered by Hesse Instruments or a trained cooperation partner to ensure precise and reliable measurement results.
• Maintenance Service Regular maintenance of heating microscope instruments to ensure reliable measurement results and minimize unplanned downtime, provided by Hesse Instruments.
• Heating Microscope Training Training services to qualify customers in the use of Hesse Instruments' heating microscopes, supporting effective, safe, and simple instrument operation.
• Customer-Specific Adaptation Customer-specific adaptations of heating microscopes enabled by the modular and open construction of the EM301 platform, allowing expansion and tailoring to customer specifications.
• Measurement Concept Development Development of measurement concepts and customer-specific application methodology for thermal analysis using heating microscopy, supporting customers adapting the instrument to real industrial or research processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurement resolution: Length < 0.1% of relative specimen width or height; Area < 0.1% of relative projected area; Angle < 1°
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered regional partner and core.

• Labindia Instruments Pvt. Ltdregional partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for India, exhibiting together at Indian Ceramics Asia 2025 via German Pavilion at Hall 1, Booth C241g.
• International Distribution Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 18+ international distribution partners covering Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, India, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Spain, Ukraine, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Latvia, Brazil, Greece, South Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Portugal. Partners provide local customer support and technical assistance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TA Instruments (Waters): TA Instruments is a large incumbent in thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA) and serves many of the same materials science, R&D, and QC customers. While it does not specialize in heating microscopy, it competes in adjacent thermal characterization categories used by overlapping end customers.
• Rigaku: Rigaku is a Japanese analytical instrument manufacturer with thermal analysis and X-ray products targeting materials science and process industries. While not a direct heating microscope competitor, it competes for the same analytical instrument budgets in ceramics, metals, and R&D labs.
• Mettler Toledo: Mettler Toledo is a major analytical and precision instrument manufacturer whose thermal analysis products (formerly Mettler Toledo Thermal Analysis) compete in the same labs and customers as Hesse Instruments. It offers broader analytical instrument portfolios and significantly more resources.
• Shimadzu: Shimadzu offers a broad portfolio of analytical instruments including thermal analysis systems. Its solutions target overlapping customer segments in materials science, R&D, and industrial quality control.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thermal Analysis): Thermo Fisher Scientific sells thermal analysis instruments (DSC, TGA) that compete in the same materials science and industrial QC markets as Hesse Instruments. While larger and broader, it competes for the same thermal characterization budgets.
• Hitachi High-Tech (Thermal Analysis): Hitachi High-Tech (formerly Hitachi's former NEXERA thermal analysis business) offers thermal analysis solutions that overlap with Hesse Instruments' customer applications in materials characterization and quality control.

Direct peers

• Linseis Messgeräte: Linseis is a German manufacturer of thermal analysis instruments (TMA, DTA, dilatometry) and serves overlapping industrial and R&D customers. It is a like-sized German competitor addressing similar materials testing needs.
• NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing: NETZSCH is a German-based global leader in thermal analysis, including dilatometry, DSC, and high-temperature microscopy. It directly competes with Hesse Instruments in the heating microscopy / thermal analysis segment and serves overlapping ceramics, glass, and metals industries.

Emerging players

• Setaram / KEP Technologies: Setaram, part of KEP Technologies, is a French specialist in calorimetry and thermal analysis (DSC, high-temperature calorimeters). It competes in adjacent thermal analysis categories and serves similar industrial and academic customers specializing in materials characterization.
• Apreo Instruments / Expert System Solutions: Apreo Instruments and expert system solutions providers offer complementary thermal analysis and image analysis software that could substitute or complement heating microscope workflows in ceramics and process industries, representing an emerging adjacency in the same niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hesse-instruments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Hesse Instruments GmbH