What Quimiem Cia. Ltda. does

Quimiem Cia. Ltda. is a Quito, Ecuador-based B2B distributor of rapid microbiological testing and biotechnology products, founded in 1993/1994 and operating with approximately 7 employees. The company serves the Ecuadorian food and beverage industry as its primary vertical, with secondary reach into water treatment, pharmaceutical/cosmetics manufacturing, and quality-control laboratories. Quimiem's portfolio spans six product categories: food microbiology (Compact Dry plates, MC Media Pad, Assurance GDS genetic detection), water analysis (IDEXX Colilert/Colilert-18/Pseudalert/Enterolert/EasyDisc/Legiolert, TECTA B4/B16 automated systems, Aqualabo digital sensors and Photopod), hygiene monitoring (MVP Icon luminometer with NIST-traceable logarithmic calibration, FLASH protein swabs, Hy-RiSE strips), allergen detection across nine allergens in lateral-flow and ELISA formats, mycotoxin testing (Aflacard, Ochracard, Ridascreen, Aflaprep, Ochraprep), and antibiotic residue screening (PremiTest, Ridascreen). The company is the exclusive Ecuadorian distributor for IDEXX, R-Biopharm, Merck/Biocontrol, and several secondary international brands, and positions itself on the regulatory certifications carried by those products (US EPA, AOAC, AFNOR, ISO, IBWA, EBWA).

The company generates revenue through one-time sales of testing kits, laboratory equipment (luminometers, ELISA readers, PCR thermocyclers, automated water systems), and consumables (swabs, cartridges, dehydrated media plates), with no disclosed subscription, service-contract, or recurring-revenue layer. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and all transactions are handled through a direct sales motion supported by technical advisors who provide free training and ongoing customer support. Quimiem's go-to-market is sales-led and domestically focused: it operates exclusively in Ecuador with a single headquarters in Quito, does not appear to use resellers or dealers, and complements direct sales with a content-marketing blog authored by its technical commercial advisor. Recent product launches (TECTA B4/B16 in January 2024, FLASH protein swab in September 2023, broader educational content in 2023) indicate ongoing portfolio refresh but no evidence of scaling headcount, geographic expansion, or structural change to the distribution-only business model.

Quimiem is privately held, with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, funding rounds, or leadership changes beyond a named technical commercial advisor. The company's competitive positioning rests on three decades of category presence, exclusive distribution rights for internationally certified testing brands, and a service-led engagement model emphasizing free technical training and support. Strategic risk factors include single-country dependency (Ecuador only), absence of any proprietary technology or IP, supplier concentration risk across IDEXX/R-Biopharm/Merck distribution agreements, and a micro headcount of 7 employees that constrains scale and succession planning.

Name

Quimiem Cia. Ltda.

Legal name

Quimiem Cia. Ltda.

Website

https://quimiem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Quimiem Cia. Ltda. is a Quito, Ecuador-based B2B distributor of rapid microbiological testing kits, laboratory equipment, and biotechnology consumables, serving the Ecuadorian food, beverage, water, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries through exclusive distribution partnerships with IDEXX, R-Biopharm, and Merck.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiological Testing Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Feed & Nutraceutical Analytical Testing (HLAGADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA), Water, Ice & Process Utility Testing for Food Operations (AFALAAAJ)

Keywords

• Rapid microbiological testing
• Food safety testing
• Water quality analysis
• Hygiene monitoring systems
• Allergen detection kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Distribution and sale of rapid microbiological testing products: Quimiem generates revenue by distributing and selling rapid microbiological testing products including rapid test kits (lateral flow, ELISA, PCR), laboratory equipment (luminometers, readers, incubators, automated water systems), consumables (swabs, cartridges, trays), and physical-chemical water testing instruments. Revenue is derived from product sales with no indication of subscription or recurring models — primarily one-time hardware and consumable purchases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Quimiem is a specialized Ecuadorian distributor that sells rapid microbiological and biotechnology testing products to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, water treatment, and cosmetics industries. Its portfolio spans luminometers, defined substrate water tests, ELISA and lateral flow allergen/mycotoxin/antibiotic kits, PCR pathogen detection systems, dehydrated culture plates, environmental samplers, and temperature data loggers, sourced from international brands such as IDEXX, R-Biopharm, Merck, and Sigma-Aldrich. The company pairs product distribution with free technical training and ongoing customer support.

Product overview

Quimiem Cia. Ltda. is a specialized distributor of rapid microbiological testing and biotechnology products in Ecuador with 30 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into six main categories: (1) Food Microbiology including VIP, MC Media Pad, Compact Dry plates and GDS genetic detection systems for pathogen testing; (2) Water Analysis covering Colilert/Colilert 18, Pseudalert, Enterolert, EasyDisc, Legiolert and Tecta automated systems for microbiological testing, plus Sensores Digitales, Photopod and Pastel UV for physicochemical analysis; (3) Hygiene Monitoring featuring MVP ICON luminometer with sensors, Flash protein detection swabs and Hy-RiSE reactive strips; (4) Allergen Detection spanning 9 allergens (gluten, soy, crustaceans, milk, egg, peanut, mustard, coconut, sesame) with lateral flow and ELISA formats; (5) Mycotoxin Testing for Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin using cards, ELISA and HPLC columns; (6) Antibiotic Residue Testing with Premi Test, Premi Test Starter Kit and Ridascreen formats; and (7) Specialized Equipment including MAS-100 environmental samplers, Rida Cycler PCR, Rida Absorbance 96 ELISA reader, Rida Quick Scan lateral flow reader, Quantiplate microsistin tests, temperature data loggers, and GMO PCR testing. Quimiem distributes products from international brands including IDEXX, R-Biopharm, Merck, Sigma-Aldrich, and Envirologix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MVP Icon Luminometer ATP-based hygiene monitoring luminometer that collects, analyzes, and reports surface cleanliness results using a validated logarithmic scale; also measures pH, temperature, and conductivity via add-on sensors. Distributed in Ecuador for food, pharmaceutical, hospital, and cosmetics industries.
• Flash Protein Residue Detection Swab Single-use protein residue swab that validates cleaning in approximately 10 minutes with no equipment required, detecting down to 20 micrograms of protein on surfaces.
• Hy-RiSE Reactive Chromatic Strip Qualitative reactive strip that produces a color change in 4–5 minutes to verify hygiene on live or inert surfaces.
• Colilert Water Test Defined substrate technology test that simultaneously detects coliforms and E. coli in 24 hours, available in qualitative and Quanti-Tray quantitative formats, EPA/AOAC approved.
• Colilert 18 Water Test Same defined substrate system as Colilert producing results in 18 hours and validated for fecal coliform detection in wastewater.
• Pseudalert Pseudomonas Test Defined substrate technology test that detects Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 1 CFU per 100 or 250 mL in 24 hours.
• Enterolert Enterococci Test Defined substrate technology test that detects enterococci in water at 1 CFU per 100 or 250 mL with results in 24 hours, half the time of standard methods.
• EasyDisc Heterotrophic Plate Count Ready-to-use disc that delivers heterotrophic plate counts in 48 hours without autoclave or agar preparation, available for PCA, YEA, and R2A.
• Legiolert Legionella Test Defined substrate test that detects Legionella pneumophila at 1 CFU per 100 mL in 7 days, validated by ISO and US EPA.
• TECTA B4 and B16 Automated Water Microbiology System Fully automated system that prepares samples in cartridges, incubates and reads results without operator intervention, and emails results; delivers E. coli and coliform results in 2–18 hours and is AOAC- and US EPA-approved.
• Aqualabo Digital Water Sensors Digital sensors for water control covering temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, and suspended solids.
• Photopod Photometer Compact photometer connected to an ODEON multiparameter or computer that runs over 100 liquid and solid reagent tests for water contaminants.
• Pastel UV Water Analyzer Equipment that reads BOD, COD, TSS, TOC, and nitrates using personalized curves with no reagents required and delivers results in under a minute.
• Compact Dry Dehydrated Culture Plates Ready-to-use dehydrated plates for total plate count, coliforms/E. coli, fungi/yeasts, staphylococci, and enterobacteria, requiring only an incubator.
• MC Media Pad Plates AOAC-certified plates for determination and quantification of Staphylococcus aureus, aerobic count, coliforms, fungi, and yeasts in food.
• Assurance GDS Genetic Detection System qPCR-based real-time amplification system for genetic detection of Salmonella spp, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria spp, Shiga toxin, and E. coli O157:H7 in food.
• MAS-100 Microbial Air Sampler Anderson impactor-based environmental air sampler available in different models for pharmaceutical and food industry microbial monitoring.
• Rida Cycler Real-Time PCR System Magnetic induction real-time PCR instrument used with SureFast and SureFood tests for allergen, microbiological pathogen, and GMO analysis in food.
• Rida Absorbance 96 ELISA Reader Compact ELISA reader aimed at laboratories beginning to use ELISA technology for mycotoxin, allergen, and antibiotic residue analysis.
• Rida Quick Scan Lateral Flow Reader Automated reader that scans Ridaquick lateral flow tests and delivers quantitative or semi-quantitative results for allergen and mycotoxin screening.
• PremiTest Antibiotic Residue Test Microbial inhibition assay using Bacillus stearothermophilus that screens antibiotic residues in meat, fish, and shrimp in under 4 hours, validated by AOAC and AFNOR.
• PremiTest Starter Kit Accessory kit including meat press, specialized incubator, timer, and scissors needed to run the PremiTest antibiotic residue assay.
• Ridascreen Antibiotic ELISA Kits Enzyme immunoassays that determine antibiotic residues such as chloramphenicol, nitrofuran metabolites, tetracycline, quinolone, and sulfamethazine across food matrices.
• Aflacard Aflatoxin Rapid Test Monoclonal antibody lateral flow kit for qualitative presence/absence detection of total aflatoxins or aflatoxin B1.
• Ridascreen Fast Aflatoxin ELISA Enzyme immunoassay for quantitative determination of aflatoxin M1 and SC, read on a spectrophotometer.
• Aflaprep HPLC Aflatoxin Columns HPLC immunoaffinity columns with monoclonal antibody technology for highly specific aflatoxin analysis.
• Ochracard Ochratoxin Rapid Test Monoclonal antibody kit for qualitative presence/absence detection of ochratoxin, requiring no equipment.
• Ochraprep HPLC Ochratoxin Columns HPLC immunoaffinity columns with monoclonal antibody technology for ochratoxin detection in food matrices.
• Quantiplate Microcystin ELISA ELISA test for diagnosing microcystins in freshwater, seawater, and algae extracts with a detection limit of 0.147 ppb.
• Cryopak Temperature and Humidity Data Loggers Cryopak data loggers for the food industry available in multi-use, single-use, internal sensor, and external sensor configurations.
• Envirologix GMO Lateral Flow Tests Lateral flow tests for GMO detection read with the Rida Quick Scan instrument.
• R-Biopharm GMO PCR Kits PCR kits from R-Biopharm for GMO detection across different food and feed matrices.
• Allergen Detection Lateral Flow and ELISA Kits (9 allergens) Immunochromatographic and ELISA kits covering milk, egg, peanut, mustard, coconut, sesame, crustacean, soy, and gluten allergens for products and surfaces, with detection limits ranging from sub-ppm to 10 ppm depending on allergen and format.
• Free Technical Training and Ongoing Customer Support Quimiem guarantees free technical training and constant technical support to all customers as part of its product offering, covering product selection, implementation, and troubleshooting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Colilert provides results in 24 hours vs. traditional methods, with 20–50% lower cost.
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IDEXXcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem is a distributor of IDEXX water microbiology products in Ecuador, including Colilert, Colilert-18, Pseudalert, Enterolert, Legiolert, EasyDisc, and the automated TECTA system. IDEXX products are approved by the US EPA, AOAC, IBWA, EBWA, and accepted by Standard Methods for Water and Wastewater.
• R-BiopharmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes the full range of R-Biopharm food safety testing products in Ecuador, including PremiTest, Ridascreen, Ridaquick, SureFood, Aflacard, Ochracard, Aflaprep, and Rida Cycler PCR kits for allergens, mycotoxins, GMOs, and pathogens.
• Merck / Biocontrol (now Merck Life Sciences)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Merck's MVP Icon luminometer (originally developed by Biocontrol, acquired by Merck) with its patented logarithmic scale and NIST-traceable calibration. Quimiem is the sole distributor of this luminometer in Ecuador. Merck also supplies FLASH protein detection swabs and Hy-RiSE hygiene monitoring strips.
• CryopakminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Cryopak temperature and humidity data loggers for the food industry in Ecuador, available in multi-use, single-use, internal sensor, and external sensor configurations.
• AqualabominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Aqualabo digital sensors (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, suspended solids) and Photopod photometers for water physical-chemical analysis in Ecuador.
• EnvirologixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Envirologix lateral flow tests for GMO detection, read on the Rida Quick Scan instrument.
• Modern WaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Modern Water toxicity testing products for water quality monitoring in Ecuador.
• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuimiem distributes Sigma-Aldrich food microbiological control products in Ecuador.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• bioMérieux: bioMérieux is a broad incumbent in industrial microbiology with a comprehensive portfolio of pathogen detection, molecular diagnostics, and industrial applications. Comparable to Quimiem's microbiology testing product portfolio (Compact Dry, MC Media Pad, GDS) and competes broadly in the same food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics testing markets, though bioMérieux manufactures and sells globally while Quimiem distributes regionally.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad is a broad incumbent in life science research and clinical diagnostics with a portfolio spanning ELISA readers, PCR systems, and food safety testing reagents. Comparable to Quimiem in distributing ELISA and PCR equipment (Rida Absorbance 96, Rida Cycler) and serving food and pharmaceutical laboratories with similar analytical testing workflows.
• R-Biopharm: R-Biopharm is both a strategic partner and broad incumbent in food safety diagnostics, manufacturing ELISA, lateral flow, and PCR tests for pathogens, allergens, mycotoxins, GMOs, and antibiotics which Quimiem distributes. Comparable as a food safety testing solutions provider serving dairy, meat, and processed food manufacturers globally with overlapping presence in many of the same Ecuadorian food industry accounts.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a broad incumbent in food, environmental, and pharmaceutical testing services operating a global network of accredited laboratories. Comparable to Quimiem in serving the same Ecuadorian food, water, and pharmaceutical testing end markets, though Eurofins provides testing services while Quimiem distributes the products and equipment used in those tests.
• IDEXX Laboratories: IDEXX is both a strategic partner and broad incumbent in water microbiology testing, manufacturing Colilert, TECTA, Pseudalert, Enterolert, and Legiolert which Quimiem distributes exclusively in Ecuador. Comparable as a water microbiology testing solutions provider serving drinking water, bottled water, and wastewater laboratories globally, with overlapping customer base in Ecuador's water utilities.
• 3M Food Safety: 3M Food Safety is a broad incumbent offering pathogen detection, hygiene monitoring, and quality indicator products for the food and beverage industry. Comparable to Quimiem across pathogen testing, ATP-based hygiene monitoring, and lab equipment distribution, with overlapping presence in many of the same Ecuadorian food and beverage customer accounts.

Direct peers

• Charm Sciences: Charm Sciences manufactures rapid tests for antibiotic residues, mycotoxins, and food sanitation with AOAC-validated methods. Comparable to Quimiem in distributing AOAC-certified PremiTest antibiotic residue kits and competing in the same food safety testing methods space across regulated food processors.
• Hardy Diagnostics: Hardy Diagnostics is a direct peer manufacturing and distributing prepared culture media, dehydrated plates, and microbiology testing supplies for clinical, food, and water laboratories. Comparable to Quimiem's Compact Dry and MC Media Pad product categories and competes in the same ready-to-use microbiological testing formats for food processors and water utilities.
• Hygiena: Hygiena is a direct peer specializing in ATP bioluminescence hygiene monitoring systems and rapid microbiology tests for food, beverage, and healthcare industries. Directly comparable to Quimiem's MVP Icon luminometer business, and a global competitor in the same rapid hygiene monitoring category that Quimiem pioneered in Ecuador.
• Neogen Corporation: Neogen is a direct peer offering food safety diagnostics across pathogen detection, allergen testing, and mycotoxin screening with both lateral flow and ELISA formats. Comparable to Quimiem in that both companies serve food processors and laboratories with validated rapid testing methods and consumables, though Neogen operates globally and manufactures products while Quimiem distributes them regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quimiem

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Quimiem Cia. Ltda.