LIPhy - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics

What LIPhy - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics does

LIPhy (Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique) is a public research laboratory operating as a mixed research unit (Unité mixte de recherche) jointly under the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and Université Grenoble Alpes. Founded with mechanical platform operations dating to 1967 and currently employing 57 staff, LIPhy conducts fundamental and applied research in physics at its interfaces with life sciences, environmental sciences, mechanics, and applied mathematics. Its headquarters are located at 140 rue de la Physique in Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France, and it operates as part of the French national public research infrastructure rather than as a commercial entity.

The laboratory's core operational assets are a portfolio of specialized scientific platforms and services. The flagship is the CNRS-certified Mechanical Platform — the only such platform at Université Grenoble Alpes authorized to serve external laboratories, offering CNC machining, 3D printing, water jet cutting, and a Design Office since 1967, with partner rates of €14.29/hour and standard academic/private rates of €48.18/hour. Complementary platforms include MicroFAB (microfabrication and mold-making for microfluidic circuits, established 2007), M2Bio (molecular biology support), shared confocal microscopy (Leica SP8), atomic force microscopy, and the Matosthèque — a web platform developed in-house for inventory and lending of scientific equipment. The laboratory also maintains an active science outreach program through the Experimentarium, Fluides Complexes, Lacoscope, and energy education workshops, reaching school groups and the broader public.

LIPhy's business model is structured around two revenue streams: (1) core institutional funding from CNRS and Université Grenoble Alpes as a mixed research unit, supplemented by competitive national and European research grants, and (2) fee-for-service revenue from the mechanical platform and select technical services offered to academic, institutional, and approved private clients. Its customer base comprises other CNRS laboratories nationally, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble-INP, and major Grenoble-based research facilities including CEA, ILL (Institut Laue-Langevin), and ESRF. Key strategic partnerships include Cytomorpholab for collaborative research, Maison pour la Science en Alpes-Dauphiné for outreach, and ENS Paris for joint publications. Distribution occurs exclusively through direct service delivery, with no traditional commercial sales channels.

Name

LIPhy - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics

Legal name

Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique

Website

https://liphy.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LIPhy is a CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes mixed research laboratory conducting interdisciplinary physics research at the interfaces with life sciences, environmental sciences, mechanics, and applied mathematics. It operates specialized technical platforms — including a CNRS-certified mechanical workshop, microfabrication, and advanced microscopy — for academic, government, and institutional clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Laboratory Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary physics research
• Precision machining services
• Microfabrication platform
• Scientific microscopy services
• Science outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Martin d'Hères

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Core funding from CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and Université Grenoble Alpes as a mixed research unit. Additional funding through competitive research grants from national and European funding agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIPhy is a CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes mixed research laboratory conducting fundamental and applied physics research at the interfaces with life sciences, environmental sciences, mechanics, and applied mathematics. It operates certified technical platforms — a mechanical workshop, microfabrication facility, microscopy instruments, and a molecular biology platform — providing precision fabrication and analytical services to internal researchers, external academic laboratories, and private clients on a fee-for-service basis. The laboratory also runs science outreach programs for school groups and the general public.

Product overview

LIPhy is a CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes research laboratory focused on physics interfaces with life sciences, environmental sciences, mechanics, and applied mathematics. The laboratory operates a collection of scientific platforms and services including the Matosthèque (equipment inventory and lending platform), the CNRS-certified Mechanical Platform (machining services since 1967), MicroFAB (microfabrication), M2Bio (molecular biology), confocal microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Additionally, LIPhy provides science outreach programs including the Experimentarium, Fluides Complexes, Lacoscope, and energy education workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plateforme Mécanique (Mechanical Platform) CNRS-certified mechanical workshop offering precision machining services (CNC machining, 3D printing, water jet cutting) and raw materials supply to internal LIPhy researchers and external academic, governmental, and private laboratory clients since 1967.
• MicroFAB Microfabrication technical plateau providing mold fabrication services for the development of microfluidic circuits and microdevices, available to internal and external research clients.
• M2Bio Platform Experimental molecular biology platform providing research support services for projects requiring molecular biology expertise, available to internal and external laboratory members.
• Confocal Microscope (Leica SP8) Shared Leica SP8 confocal microscope between partner laboratories of Labex Tec21, accessible to external users for advanced imaging applications.
• AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) Atomic Force Microscope combining an AFM head with an inverted optical microscope, allowing simultaneous visualization of probe and sample, available for use by laboratory members and external users.
• Bureau d'Études (Design Office) Design office service that constructs all parts after gathering and validating specifications with concerned scientists, supporting laboratory prototyping needs.
• L'Experimentarium Science outreach program under UGA Open Science Workshops, offering school groups (colleges and high schools) demonstrations and hands-on activities around physics concepts.
• Fluides Complexes Science outreach activity illustrating the remarkable properties of matter through experiments, designed for the public to discover the scientific approach in physics.
• Lacoscope Interdisciplinary educational project combining electronics and optics, used for student training through research.
• L'énergie sous toutes ses formes Science outreach program discussing energy in physics, demonstrating energy conversions, explaining the principles of batteries and electric motors, and exploring renewable energy sources and climate impacts.

Named customers7 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research)coreOthersLIPhy is a mixed research unit jointly operated by CNRS and Université Grenoble Alpes. CNRS provides the primary institutional framework and core funding for the laboratory.
• Université Grenoble AlpescoreOthersUGA is the host university for LIPhy. The laboratory operates as a mixed unit (unité mixte) under the university umbrella.
• ILL (Institut Laue-Langevin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe mechanical platform serves ILL, a major neutron research facility in Grenoble, providing precision mechanical fabrication and machining services.
• ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe mechanical platform provides services to ESRF, another major European research facility in Grenoble.
• CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe mechanical platform serves CEA, providing mechanical fabrication services to this major research organization.
• Maison pour la Science en Alpes-DauphinéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for science outreach programs, including teacher training workshops on complex fluids.
• Cytomorpholab (Grenoble)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research project on microtubule-motor assemblies with joint experimental-theoretical approach.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (ENS Paris / Sorbonne Université / CNRS): Major CNRS physics laboratory focused on quantum optics, atomic physics, and interdisciplinary applications; comparable in scale and as a French mixed research unit serving external academic clients.
• Institut Néel (CNRS): CNRS physics research laboratory also based in Grenoble, operating as a mixed research unit with comparable platforms, interdisciplinary research groups, and external service offerings to academic and industrial clients.
• IRAMIS / SPEC (CEA Saclay): CEA physics institute operating multiple specialized technical platforms and services for external research users, with comparable industrial-research hybrid model and overlap with LIPhy's mechanical platform customer base.
• Institut Lumière Matière (CNRS / Université Lyon 1): CNRS mixed research unit focused on physics at interfaces with life and environmental sciences, with technical platforms and academic/research service operations analogous to LIPhy's model.
• Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS (ENS Paris / CNRS / Sorbonne Université): Interdisciplinary physics laboratory operating as a CNRS mixed unit, conducting research at physics interfaces with life sciences and applied mathematics — closely aligned mission and structural model to LIPhy.
• Laboratoire Aimé Cotton (CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay): CNRS physics laboratory combining fundamental research in atomic/molecular/optical physics with experimental platforms; structurally similar CNRS/University unit to LIPhy.

Others

• Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL): International neutron science research facility in Grenoble and a current mechanical platform client; comparable as a large-scale shared-instrument institution but not a peer in physics research scope.
• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF): Large-scale European research facility in Grenoble and an existing LIPhy mechanical platform customer; operates user-access beamlines and shared platforms, positioning it as an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Max Planck Institute for Physics: Large German publicly funded physics research institute operating in a comparable model of state-funded fundamental research with platform services; structurally analogous but geographically separate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liphy-interdisciplinary-laboratory-of-physics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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