Caliper Life Sciences

About Caliper Life Sciences

Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. operated as a key provider of research tools for the life sciences industry, focusing on accelerating drug discovery and development. Founded in 1995 as Caliper Technologies by Larry Bock, Dr. Michael Knapp, Dr. Michael Ramsey, and Dr. Andreas Manz, the company was initially established to commercialize microfluidics technology, often referred to as "lab-on-a-chip". The founders' vision was to automate and miniaturize complex laboratory processes onto a microchip, aiming to make biochemical analysis faster, cheaper, and more accessible.

The company's business model evolved from primarily earning revenues through fee-based technology access with corporate partners to a products-based business. Its offerings served a client base that included major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as universities and government research laboratories. Caliper's product portfolio was extensive, encompassing instruments, software, reagents, and services across several key areas. A core component was its microfluidic platform, which provided lab-on-a-chip technology for applications like DNA, RNA, and protein analysis, as well as high-throughput drug screening. Through strategic acquisitions, Caliper expanded its capabilities significantly. The 2003 acquisition of Zymark brought in expertise in laboratory automation and robotics, leading to the company's renaming to Caliper Life Sciences. In 2006, the purchase of Xenogen Corporation added in-vivo optical imaging systems to its portfolio. This allowed the company to offer a suite of tools that bridged the gap between in-vitro assays and in-vivo results.

The company's journey was marked by a series of acquisitions to build its technology stack and several divestitures of non-core product lines. A significant milestone was the company's acquisition by PerkinElmer in November 2011 for a net purchase price of approximately $600 million. This strategic transaction integrated Caliper's imaging and detection solutions, particularly its microfluidics and molecular imaging technologies, into PerkinElmer's broader portfolio. The acquisition aimed to enhance offerings for translational medicine research, genomics, proteomics, and biotherapeutics development, ultimately strengthening PerkinElmer's position in personalized medicine.