Institute of Forensic Sciences

What Institute of Forensic Sciences does

The Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (INCIFO), legally known as Instituto de Servicios Periciales y Ciencias Forenses, is a public government institution that operates as part of the Poder Judicial de la Ciudad de México (Judicial Power of Mexico City). Its mandate is to deliver scientifically grounded forensic evidence and expert services that support the administration of justice for Mexico City's courts, prosecutors (Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México), and citizens. The institution functions as an auxiliary body of the judicial branch rather than a commercial enterprise.

INCIFO operates a portfolio of integrated forensic disciplines organized into specialized departments and laboratories: Forensic Medicine (including 24/7 necropsy services), Forensic Pathology (histopathology laboratory), Forensic Chemistry (toxicology with GC-HS and GC-MS instrumentation for alcohol, drug, and poison quantification), Forensic Genetics (DNA extraction, PCR, capillary electrophoresis for paternity and human identification), and an Identification Department encompassing Forensic Anthropology, Dactyloscopy (AFIS-based fingerprint analysis), Forensic Odontology, and Forensic Photography. The pathology, chemistry, and genetics laboratories are accredited under ISO 17025, and the institution as a whole is accredited by the Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación (e.m.a.), supporting evidentiary admissibility standards. Specialized staff include forensic doctors, geneticists, pathologists, toxicologists, chemists, anthropologists, dactyloscopists, photographers, and dentists.

The institution's economic model is hybrid and non-commercial. Core funding derives from the public institutional budget of the Poder Judicial de la Ciudad de México, supplemented by "Cuotas de Recuperación" (recovery fees) for non-judicial services such as paternity tests, alcohol/drug studies, psychiatric valuations, surgical practice observation, and guided necropsy visits, priced under official agreements (Acuerdo V-05/2025, Acuerdo V-06/2026). Most judicial services — necropsies, missing persons searches, medical valuations, corpse intake/egress, and user attention — are provided free of charge (sin costo). Distribution is exclusively through official institutional channels (Oficialía de Partes, satellite offices at Reclusorio Norte and Reclusorio Oriente courts), with a secondary revenue stream from academic engagements (UNAM, IPN, social service internships, guided tours). No private ownership, venture funding, or commercial channels exist.

Name

Institute of Forensic Sciences

Legal name

Instituto de Servicios Periciales y Ciencias Forenses

Website

https://incifocdmx.gob.mx

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public forensic science institution under Mexico City's Judicial Power, providing accredited forensic medicine, pathology, genetics, toxicology, and identification services to courts, prosecutors, and citizens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Science Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAFAI

Forensic Science & Crime Laboratories (Justice System Support)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYBPAIAGAI

Criminal Investigations & Forensics (Detectives, Crime Labs, CSI)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Law Enforcement & Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)

Keywords

• Forensic science services
• Forensic pathology
• Forensic genetics
• Forensic toxicology
• Judicial forensic analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Ciudad de México (Mexico City)

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Budget: Core funding provided by Poder Judicial de la Ciudad de México as a public judicial institution
2. Recovery Fees (Cuotas de Recuperación): Fee-based services for certain procedures including paternity tests, surgical practice observation, guided necropsy visits, and alcohol/drug studies, charged according to official fee agreements (Acuerdo V-05/2025, Acuerdo V-06/2026)
3. 24-Hour Services: Continuous availability for necropsies and intake/egress of cadavers 365 days per year, supported by institutional funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Institute of Forensic Sciences (INCIFO) is a public institution that delivers comprehensive forensic science services — including forensic medicine, pathology, toxicology, genetics, chemistry, anthropology, dactyloscopy, photography, and odontology — to support the administration of justice in Mexico City. It produces court-accepted forensic evidence through ISO 17025-accredited laboratories and clinical service areas, performing necropsies, DNA paternity and identification testing, alcohol and drug analysis, psychiatric evaluations, and missing persons searches upon official judicial or ministerial request.

Product overview

The Instituto de Servicios Periciales y Ciencias Forenses (INCIFO) is a public institution within the Judicial Power of Mexico City that provides comprehensive forensic science services. It operates as a multi-specialty laboratory and clinical service center offering forensic medicine, pathology, chemistry, genetics, identification (anthropology, dactyloscopy, photography, odontology), and toxicology services. The institute's portfolio includes medical necropsies, psychiatric evaluations, paternity testing, alcohol and drug analysis, missing persons identification, and health/lesion classifications. Services are delivered through integrated departments including laboratory facilities for pathology, chemistry, and genetics—all operating under ISO 17025 accreditation—and clinical areas for various forensic evaluations, all aimed at supporting judicial authorities in the administration of justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medicina Forense (Forensic Medicine) Medical specialty that assists judicial institutions in resolving medicolegal problems through scientific methods, including valuation of injured persons and necropsy procedures for determining cause of death. Provided to Mexico City courts, prosecutor's offices, and judicial authorities.
• Patología Forense (Forensic Pathology) Branch of anatomic pathology focused on histological analysis of biological samples to contribute to determining cause of death. Includes areas for tissue processing, microscopy, inclusion, and sample transfer. The pathology laboratory is accredited under ISO 17025.
• Química Forense (Forensic Chemistry) and Estudios de Toxicología (Toxicology Studies) Chemistry specialty for qualitative and quantitative analysis of toxic elements and compounds from biological samples. Performs toxicological studies using GC-HS and GC-MS, including identification and quantification of ethyl alcohol, drugs of abuse, poisons, pesticides, and volatile substances. The chemistry laboratory is accredited under ISO 17025 for identification and quantification of ethyl alcohol in blood and urine.
• Laboratorio de Genética Forense (Forensic Genetics Laboratory) Laboratory specializing in DNA studies for establishing biological kinship relationships and identifying biological evidence from crime scenes. Uses DNA extraction, quantification, PCR, and capillary electrophoresis workflows, with reference markers for paternal lineage, X chromosome, and highly degraded or minimal-quantity samples. The genetics laboratory is accredited under ISO 17025.
• Departamento de Identificación (Identification Department) Department responsible for clinical and forensic activities aiding in the identification of unidentified corpses through anthropological, dactyloscopic (AFIS), odontological, and photographic studies.
• Necropsia Médico Forense (Forensic Medical Necropsy) External and internal technical-scientific examination of cadavers to determine cause of death and identify individuals, performed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Provided free of charge when requested through judicial proceedings.
• Pruebas de Paternidad (Paternity DNA Testing) DNA-based genetic testing for establishing biological paternity and kinship relationships. Fee-based service with 15-working-day standard turnaround for expert reports.
• Estudios de Alcohol y Drogas (Alcohol and Drug Testing) Laboratory studies for determination of alcohol and drug levels in biological samples through toxicological analysis, including identification and quantification of drugs of abuse and ethyl alcohol. Fee-based with 15-working-day expert report turnaround.
• Valoraciones Psiquiátricas (Forensic Psychiatric Evaluations)
• Valoración Ginecológica, Andrológica y Proctológica Sexual violence clinical evaluations for men and women to provide forensic evidence to authorities in criminal investigations, delivered at headquarters and satellite offices at Reclusorio Norte and Reclusorio Oriente prison courts.
• Evaluaciones para Estado de Salud y Clasificación de Lesiones Medical evaluations determining health status through clinical history and physical examination, and classification of injuries in judicial litigation cases.
• Estimación de Edad Clínica (Clinical Age Estimation) Studies estimating clinical age of individuals subject to legal process through physical characteristics, secondary sexual characteristics, and somatic development.
• Búsqueda de Personas Extraviadas (Missing Persons Search) Search services for missing or disappeared persons through forensic identification methods. Provided free of charge.
• Ingreso/Egreso de Cadáveres (Corpse Admission/Discharge)
• Visitas Guiadas y Práctica Quirúrgica (Guided Tours and Surgical Practice) Educational tours and surgical practice opportunities for university students in forensic medicine-related programs, including guided necropsy observation. Fee-based with costs based on Acuerdo V-06/2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 working days for expert report delivery on alcohol/drug studies and paternity tests
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación (e.m.a.)coreOthersINCIFO is accredited by EMA (Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación) to guarantee that services meet national and international quality standards, supporting judicial administration of justice.
• Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM) - Faculty of MedicineminorOthersAcademic collaboration for forensic medicine specialization, forensic science degree programs, and legal medicine education through UNAM's medical faculty.
• Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) - Escuela Superior de MedicinaminorOthersAcademic partnership for forensic medicine specialization through IPN's medical school.
• Comisión Nacional de BioéticaminorOthersBioethics oversight for research activities conducted at the institute.
• Instituto de Estudios Judiciales del Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad de MéxicocoreOthersInternal judicial education partner under the same parent institution (Poder Judicial de la Ciudad de México).
• Consejo Mexicano de Medicina Legal y ForenseminorOthersProfessional association for legal and forensic medicine practitioners in Mexico.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Defense Forensic Science Center (U.S. DoD): Operates accredited forensic laboratories for the U.S. military, covering DNA, toxicology, and pathology. Comparable ISO-accredited testing laboratory operations supporting legal/judicial processes.
• INTERPOL Forensic Directorate: Provides forensic support and global identification cooperation, including DNA and fingerprint databases. Comparable in forensic identification (DNA, dactyloscopy) capabilities though operating internationally rather than as a domestic provider.
• FBI Laboratory: U.S. federal crime laboratory providing forensic science across DNA, toxicology, pathology, and identification. Comparable scope and multidisciplinary forensic capability to INCIFO but at national scale and federal jurisdiction.
• Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI): National forensic institute delivering forensic medicine, DNA, toxicology, and digital evidence services. Comparable multidisciplinary public forensic science mandate and ISO-accredited laboratory footprint.

Others

• Consejo Mexicano de Medicina Legal y Forense: Professional association for legal and forensic medicine practitioners in Mexico. INCIFO is a listed partner; comparable as the broader professional ecosystem shaping standards and credentialing in Mexican forensic medicine.

Emerging players

• NMS Labs: Private forensic and clinical toxicology laboratory offering alcohol/drug testing, paternity genetics, and forensic analyses. Comparable in toxicology and genetic testing services, but commercial rather than government-affiliated.
• Bode Cellmark (now part of Solventum/3M): Commercial forensic DNA and paternity testing laboratory. Comparable DNA-based paternity and identification services to INCIFO's genetics lab, but privately operated for law enforcement and consumer markets.

Regional players

• Servicio Médico Forense (SEMEFO) - various Mexican states: State-level forensic medicine services across Mexico (e.g., Edomex, Jalisco). Comparable to INCIFO in core forensic medicine and necropsy mandate, but operating under state rather than judicial-branch authority and serving different geographies.
• Centro de Justicia para las Mujeres (CJM) - Mexico City: Mexico City prosecutor-affiliated center providing forensic gynecological, psychological, and medical evaluations. Comparable forensic valuation services to INCIFO's gynecological/andrological/proctological valuations, though narrower in scope.

Direct peers

• Comisión Nacional de Búsqueda (Mexico): Federal Mexican agency coordinating missing persons search and forensic identification. Operates in the same identification/forensic space as INCIFO but at national coordination level rather than service-delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-forensic-sciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 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 Institute of Forensic Sciences