Published: September 2023
Over time, with growing demand for liquid handling systems and stringent regulatory guidelines, the biopharmaceutical industry has shifted to using automated liquid handling systems, which offer a reliable method for dispensing and aspirating the solution directly from the pipette to the tube or well. We analyzed over 125 companies engaged in the manufacturing of automated liquid handlers including automated pipetting systems / automated microplate washers. In this article, discover five manufacturers of such automated liquid handlers and their capabilities in this industry
In recent years, the biopharmaceutfical domain has witnessed several advancements in the field of laboratory sciences, including the emergence of automated systems. The use of automated liquid handling systems in the pharmaceutical industry has revolutionized the way modern laboratories operate. The advantages offered by automated liquid handling systems over manual methods primarily drive the growth of this market. Owing to the increased throughput, greater precision and improved workflows that allow significant time saving, more and more laboratories are now adopting these systems in order to give themselves a competitive edge, as compared to the past two decades. In order to leverage the full potential of automated liquid handlers and sustain growth in the future, it is important to address the various hurdles and existing challenges. Given the ongoing advancements in lab automation and growing adoption, the demand for automation in different lab processes is expected to increase in the future.
The increasing interest of stakeholders in automated liquid handling systems can be attributed to the benefits provided by these systems, such as enhanced workflows, increased reproducibility, and high-throughput. This has led to the expansion of intellectual capital in this industry. The number of patents filed / granted for automated liquid handling systems has increased steadily, over the years. This can be attributed to the incessant efforts that are being made to develop automated liquid handlers for use across multiple sectors of the biopharmaceutical industry.
Roots Analysis has conducted an exhaustive study on Automated Liquid Handling Systems Market featuring the current market landscape and future opportunity for the manufacturers involved in offering medical drones, over a span of 12 years.
Given the ease of use of these systems, along with the enhanced accuracy and reproducibility, and minimal requirement of manual labor, the market for automatic liquid handlers is anticipated to witness steady growth in the future.
Below, we have listed (in alphabetical order), the top 5 manufacturers of automated liquid handlers transforming the liquid handling industry.
1. Agilent Technologies
2. Beckman Coulter Lifesciences
3. Eppendorf
4. Hamilton Robotics
5. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Interested in exploring all 125+ Automated Liquid Handling System Companies and their recent initiatives?
Since the guidelines for pharmaceutical liquid handling are constantly evolving, particularly in the areas of digitalization, automation, and process transparency, the need for automated liquid handlers is growing. This article highlights five Automated Liquid Handling System Manufacturers to watch out for in 2023. It is essential to note that the selection of top players can differ substantially according to the defined criteria(s).
1. Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies is a leading biotechnology research company engaged in the development of innovative laboratory solutions for environmental testing, academic research, medical diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and food testing. Further, the company claims to work closely with its customers to address worldwide trends that have an influence on human health and the environment, in order to anticipate future scientific requirements.
Agilent Technologies: Company Details
| Particulars | Specifications |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establishment | 1999 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
| Type of Automated Liquid Handling System | Automated Microplate Washers |
The following table presents the details of one of the automated liquid handlers offered by Agilent Technologies.
Agilent Technologies: BioTek™ ELx405™
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Washing Technology |
Ultrasonic |
|
Type of Instrument by Assembly |
Integrated Workstation |
|
Compatible Microplates |
|
|
Software |
Liquid Handling Control™ Software |
|
Compatible Labware |
|
|
Application Areas |
Molecular Biology |
|
Applications |
|
|
End Users |
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries |
In addition to the above product, the laboratory automation market segment of Agilent Technologies offers around 10 automated microplate washers, details for which are available in full report.
Recent Collaborations:
2. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Danaher, is a US-based company focused on delivering sophisticated instrument systems, reagents, and services to advance life science research across the globe. In addition, the company claims to offer a wide range of scalable liquid handling systems. As per the firm's website, its liquid handling systems can be used in next generation sequencing, cell-based assays, proteomics and genomics.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Company Details
| Particulars | Specifications |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establishment | 1935 |
| Number of Employees | 1,001-5,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
| Type of Automated Liquid Handling System | Automated Pipetting Systems |
The following table presents the details of one of the automated liquid handlers offered by the Beckman Coulter Life Sciences.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Echo® 525
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Pipetting Technology |
Acoustic |
|
Type of Instrument by Assembly |
Integrated Workstation |
|
Type of Instrument by Sophistication |
NGS-Focused System |
|
Software |
Echo Software |
|
Compatible Labware |
|
|
Applications |
|
|
End Users |
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries |
In addition to the above product, the laboratory automation market segment of the Beckman Coulter Lifesciences offers around 10 automated pipetting systems, details on which are available in full report.
Recent Collaborations:
3. Eppendorf
Eppendorf claims to be a leading life science company focused on providing services for liquid handling in laboratories, globally. The products offered by the company include pipettes, pipette tips, centrifuges, mixers and ultra-low temperature equipment. In addition to this, the products and services offered by the company are used in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostic laboratories.
Eppendorf: Company Details
| Particulars | Specifications |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establishment | 1945 |
| Number of Employees | 1,001-5,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
| Type of Automated Liquid Handling System | Automated Pipetting Systems |
The following table presents the details of one of the automated liquid handlers offered by Eppendorf.
Eppendorf: epMotion® 5075v
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Washing Technology |
Free-jet |
|
Type of Instrument by Assembly |
Integrated Workstation |
|
Type of Instrument by Sophistication |
Pipetting Assisting Device |
|
Additional Features |
Barcode Identification |
|
Software |
epBlue Software |
|
Compatible Labware |
96/384 Well Plates |
|
Applications |
|
|
End Users |
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries |
In addition to the above product, the laboratory automation market segment of the Eppendorf offers over 10 automated pipetting systems, details on which are available in full report.
Recent Collaborations:
In August 2023, Takara Bio signed a co-marketing agreement for the automation of Takara Bio’s chemistries on Eppendorf epMotion® automation platforms.
4. Hamilton Robotics
Hamilton Robotics is a US-based biotechnology research company offering a wide range of laboratory solutions, which include automated liquid handling workstations, precision measuring devices, process sensor and sample management systems. As per the firm’s website, its automated liquid handling workstations have the potential to offer reliable results for assays, ranging from low-throughput pipetting to high-throughput systems.
Hamilton Robotics: Company Details
| Particulars | Specifications |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establishment | 1953 |
| Number of Employees | 501-1,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
| Type of Automated Liquid Handling System | Automated Pipetting Systems |
The following table presents the details of one of the automated liquid handlers offered by Hamilton Robotics.
Hamilton Robotics: Microlab STAR
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Pipetting Technology |
Air Displacement |
|
Type of Instrument by Assembly |
Integrated Workstation |
|
Type of Instrument by Sophistication |
Highly Sophisticated System |
|
Additional Features |
|
|
Software |
|
|
Compatible Labware |
|
|
Applications |
|
|
End Users |
|
In addition to the above product, the laboratory automation market segment of Hamilton Robotics offers around 5 automated pipetting systems, details on which are available in full report.
Recent Collaborations:
5. Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a US-based pharmaceutical company dedicated to accelerating life sciences research by solving complex analytical challenges and developing innovative technologies for its clients. Additionally, the firm’s extensive liquid handling portfolio provides a wide range of tools with applications across life science research, clinical diagnostics and applied sciences.
Thermo Fisher Scientific: Company Details
| Particulars | Specifications |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establishment | 1956 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
The following table presents the details of one of the automated liquid handlers offered by Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Thermo Fisher Scientific: Wellwash™ Versa
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Washing Technology |
Acoustic |
|
Type of Instrument by Assembly |
Stand-alone Workstation |
|
Compatible Microplates |
|
|
Compatible Labware |
|
|
Applications |
ELISA |
|
End Users |
|
In addition to the above product, the laboratory automation market segment of Thermo Fisher Scientific offers around 5 automated microplate washers, details on which are available in full report.
Recent Collaborations:
The above presentation features five manufacturers of automated liquid Handlers selected from a pool of over 125 players that we have compiled. If you're interested, you can download the Sample Report on this topic by Roots Analysis. For personalized assistance in identifying the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sales@rootsanalysis.com.
Source 1: https://www.agilent.com/en/product/clinical-microplate-instrumentation/clinical-automated-liquid-dispensing-handling/clinical-automated-microplate-washers-dispensers
Source 2: https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/automated-liquid-handling