berlinger
Berlinger Special AG is a Swiss family-owned manufacturer of tamper-evident doping control equipment (BEREG-Kit sample containers, transport and laboratory accessories), serving national anti-doping organizations, international sports federations, laboratories, and equine racing bodies in more than 140 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersGanterschwil, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What berlinger does
Berlinger Special AG is a Swiss family-owned manufacturer of tamper-evident doping control equipment, headquartered in Ganterschwil, Canton St. Gallen. Founded in 1865 as a broader industrial business and entering anti-doping in 1994 with the BEREG-Kit 94, the company operates today as a focused specialty hardware vendor serving national anti-doping organizations (NADOs), international sports federations, doping control laboratories, and equine/camel racing organizations in more than 140 countries.
The product platform centers on the BEREG-Kit family of tamper-evident sample containers — urine sample containers (available in Glass and Plastic variants since 2023), compact blood sample containers (BEREG-Kit small), and specialized animal-sports kits (BEREG-Horse-Kit, Berlinger Lausanne Kit, Equine Pre-Purchase Kit) — supported by tamper-evident transport bags, urine collection vessels, and laboratory accessories. All kit components share a unique 7-digit serial number for chain-of-custody integrity; products are externally tested at an ISO 17025 certified laboratory for WADA ISTI compliance. Through a 2022 partnership with InsituGen, Berlinger also distributes the firstflagX anabolic-activity-based assay for designer-steroid detection in racehorses and supplements.
The business model is direct enterprise sales to institutional buyers (NADOs, federations, labs, equine organizations) under quote-based, multi-year contracts. Distribution is run from the Switzerland production facility through Berlinger's own sales team; marketing emphasizes LinkedIn, YouTube, industry events (e.g., iNADO, ITA training), and content on berlinger.ch. The company employs approximately 100 people and has delivered more than 5 million (and in later references, 8+ million) BEREG-Kits cumulatively. In 2024 the Berlinger Schwyter family restructured the group: the cold-chain monitoring unit (Berlinger & Co. AG) was divested to US-based Sensitech Inc., while Berlinger Special AG — the anti-doping franchise — remains in family ownership under new CEO Andreas Schnabl.
berlinger firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- berlinger
- Legal name
- Berlinger Special AG
- Website
- https://berlinger.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Berlinger Special AG is a Swiss family-owned manufacturer of tamper-evident doping control equipment (BEREG-Kit sample containers, transport and laboratory accessories), serving national anti-doping organizations, international sports federations, laboratories, and equine racing bodies in more than 140 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
berlinger industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Doping Control Equipment
- NAICS
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Diagnostic & Laboratory Packaging (Specimen Containers, Transport Tubes) (IMALAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Anti-Counterfeit & Track-and-Trace Packaging (Serialization, Security Features) (IMALAIAJ), Vaccine Cold Chain, Storage & Distribution (HLAIAEAK)
Keywords
Where berlinger is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ganterschwil
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
berlinger business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Anti-Doping Equipment Sales: Sale of BEREG-Kit sample containers, transport accessories, and laboratory accessories for doping control. Products include urine sample containers (glass and plastic), blood sample containers, horse blood sample containers, urine collection vessels, and transport bags.
- Temperature Monitoring Devices: Sale of Q-tag temperature monitoring products for cold chain monitoring in pharmaceutical and medical product transport.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise pricing - quote-based sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
berlinger product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Berlinger develops and manufactures tamper-evident doping control equipment, including the BEREG-Kit family of urine and blood sample containers, specialized animal/equine anti-doping kits, urine collection vessels, transport accessories, and laboratory accessories. Products feature unique 7-digit serial numbers for chain of custody and are certified to meet WADA requirements. The company also distributes the firstflagX drug detection technology for equine samples through partnership with InsituGen.
Product overview
Berlinger Special AG offers a comprehensive portfolio of doping control equipment for professional sports, centered on its BEREG-Kit family of tamper-evident security containers. The product line includes urine sample containers (BEREG-Kit in Glass and Plastic variants), blood sample containers (BEREG-Kit small), and specialized animal sports solutions (BEREG-Horse-Kit, Berlinger Lausanne Kit, Equine Pre-Purchase Kit). Supporting products include the Berlinger Urine Collection Vessel for sample collection, transport accessories including tamper-evident transport bags, and laboratory accessories. Through a partnership with InsituGen Ltd, Berlinger also distributes the firstflagX drug detection technology. The company serves anti-doping organizations, national associations, sport federations, and laboratories in over 120 countries, with products manufactured in Switzerland and certified to meet WADA requirements. The portfolio spans human testing, animal testing, and transport/laboratory equipment, unified by tamper-evident security features and Swiss quality manufacturing standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BEREG-Kit: Tamper-evident urine sample container for anti-doping controls, available in glass and plastic versions
- BEREG-Kit Small
- BEREG-Horse-Kit
- firstflagX
- SmartMonitor
Products and services
- BEREG-Kit Tamper-evident urine sample container ensuring secure transport and storage of urine samples between collection point and laboratory. Available in Glass and Plastic variants. All components provided with same individual 7-digit number for chain of custody.
- BEREG-Kit small Compact tamper-evident blood sample container with minimal weight and size for safe transport and storage of blood vacutainers in anti-doping testing.
- BEREG-Horse-Kit Blood sample container kit specially designed for use in animal sports, particularly equine doping control. Features transparent container design with thermoplastic lock ring.
- Berlinger Urine Collection Vessel Collection vessel for urine samples featuring stackable design for efficient storage and transportation, precision-designed spout for controlled pouring and accurate measurement, watertight and leak-proof construction.
- Berlinger Lausanne Kit Animal urine collection kit for doping control in animal sports, specifically designed for equine applications.
- Equine Pre-Purchase Kit All-in-one kit providing tamper-evident safety container for blood or urine samples during equine pre-purchase examinations and testing.
- firstflagX Drug testing technology platform for detection of anabolic drugs in biological samples from racehorses and in supplements. Screens for designer steroids based on anabolic activity rather than structure. Distributed through partnership with InsituGen Ltd.
- Transport accessories Tamper-evident transport bags for secure transport of doping control samples and equipment.
- Laboratory accessories Opening tools and laboratory accessories for use in doping control sample handling and processing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 8 million kits delivered to global anti-doping community
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use berlinger
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
berlinger technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
berlinger partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Salaam Baalak TrustminorCSR partnership supporting football program for street children in Mumbai. Berlinger has supported the program since 2015, providing funding for sports equipment and coaching.
- InsituGen LtdcoreMulti-year global distribution agreement for InsituGen's firstflagX drug testing technology platform. Berlinger distributes the innovative assay for detection of anabolic drugs in racehorses and supplements, including designer steroids.
- Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve / South PoleminorClimate action partnership supporting Rimba Raya forest conservation project in Borneo, Indonesia. Berlinger's SmartMonitor became first carbon neutral temperature monitoring solution through this initiative.
- Vet-WebinarminorCo-marketing partnership for equine anti-doping webinar featuring Emmanuelle van Erck on pre-purchase examinations and Berlinger Equine Pre-Purchase Kit.
- International Testing Agency (ITA)coreBerlinger is the Official Partner of the ITA DCO Foundation Training Program and IDCO Training Program. Supports anti-doping education initiatives to harmonize and improve quality standards for doping control officers worldwide.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
berlinger competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sarstedt: German manufacturer of blood collection and urine sample collection systems, including Monovette and other specimen containers. Direct peer in the regulated sample-containment and consumables category that Berlinger serves for anti-doping and pre-analytical workflows.
- Greiner Bio-One: Austrian manufacturer of Vacuette blood collection tubes and laboratory plastic consumables used in clinical diagnostics. Closely comparable to Berlinger's BEREG-Kit Small and related blood/urine sample containers in regulated medical and laboratory workflows.
- DWK Life Sciences: Manufacturer of premium glass and plastic laboratory containers, including specimen and sample storage vials. Comparable to Berlinger's tamper-evident containers and supporting laboratory consumables used in sample handling and chain-of-custody workflows.
- Eppendorf: German manufacturer of laboratory consumables including sample tubes, reaction vessels, and cryogenic storage. Comparable to Berlinger in regulated laboratory plastic consumables and specimen-handling infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Becton Dickinson (BD): Global medical-device leader manufacturing Vacutainer blood collection systems — an existing Berlinger partner on blood collection needles. BD is a broad incumbent whose Vacutainer line competes with Berlinger's specimen-containment products in clinical and regulated sampling markets.
- Zebra Technologies (Temptime): Through its Temptime business, Zebra offers temperature-indicating labels and monitoring devices for pharmaceutical cold chain. Comparable to Berlinger's Q-tag temperature monitoring solutions for vaccine and biologics logistics.
- Sensitech (Carrier Global): Cold-chain visibility and temperature-monitoring solutions provider that is acquiring Berlinger's cold-chain business (Berlinger & Co. AG) in 2024. Overlaps directly with Berlinger's Q-tag and SmartMonitor temperature monitoring products serving pharmaceutical and vaccine logistics.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Broad incumbent in life-sciences tools, diagnostics, and laboratory products. Overlaps with Berlinger through its specimen-containment, diagnostics, and lab-consumables portfolio, though Berlinger remains specialized in the anti-doping niche.
Emerging players
- ELPRO-BUCHS: Swiss manufacturer of temperature monitoring and data-logger solutions for pharmaceutical cold chain. Directly comparable to Berlinger's Q-tag temperature monitoring devices for vaccines and medical product transport.
Others
- Avantor (VWR): Global laboratory products distributor and supplier of specimen collection and life-science consumables. Adjacent peer as a channel and complementary supplier in the same regulated laboratory and clinical testing end markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
berlinger social profiles
Digital presenceberlinger compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
berlinger financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
berlinger leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
berlinger subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
berlinger funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
berlinger 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 berlinger
What does berlinger do?
Berlinger develops and manufactures tamper-evident doping control equipment, including the BEREG-Kit family of urine and blood sample containers, specialized animal/equine anti-doping kits, urine collection vessels, transport accessories, and laboratory accessories. Products feature unique 7-digit serial numbers for chain of custody and are certified to meet WADA requirements. The company also distributes the firstflagX drug detection technology for equine samples through partnership with InsituGen.
Is berlinger a public or private company?
berlinger is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was berlinger founded?
berlinger was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is berlinger based?
berlinger is headquartered in Ganterschwil, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does berlinger make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Anti-Doping Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are temperature Monitoring Devices.
Who are berlinger's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sarstedt, Greiner Bio-One, DWK Life Sciences and Eppendorf. Broad incumbents are Becton Dickinson (BD), Zebra Technologies (Temptime), Sensitech (Carrier Global) and Thermo Fisher Scientific. ELPRO-BUCHS is listed as an emerging player. Avantor (VWR) is listed as an others.
Does berlinger have an API?
No public API is recorded for berlinger.
What industry is berlinger in?
berlinger's product category is Doping Control Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAIAF, Diagnostic & Laboratory Packaging (Specimen Containers, Transport Tubes), with a secondary code of IMALAIAJ, Anti-Counterfeit & Track-and-Trace Packaging (Serialization, Security Features). Its NAICS code is 3391 and its SIC code is 3841.