Eurofins Scientific was founded in 1987 with 3 employees to market the SNIF-NMR™ technology, a patented analytical method used to verify the origin and purity of several types of food and beverages and identify sophisticated fraud not detectable by other methods. Building on this unique technology, Eurofins expanded over the years in several phases by adding a very large range of bioanalytical technologies to serve a broader range of industries.

The start-up phase

1987-1997

In 1987, Eurofins was founded and purchased the rights to ground-breaking testing technology SNIF-NMR®, which could detect whether sugar had been added during wine-making. In 1988 and 1989, the technology was expanded to verify the origin and purity of other products, including fruit juices and natural flavours.

A close-up image of red wine being poured from a bottle into a tilted wine glass. The background features blurred wooden barrels, suggesting a winery or cellar setting.
A close-up image of a gloved hand holding a small vial inside a laboratory setting. The background shows multiple similar vials arranged in rows within a storage unit or machine.

Expanding the technology portfolio

1997-2001

In 1997, our IPO in Paris helped fund our rapid geographic expansion. The strategy was to join forces with the best laboratories, with the brightest talent and most exciting technologies, in order to build a leading position in core markets – Food, Pharma and Environment testing. By 2001, we were present in eight countries and had a network of more than 50 laboratories.

Establishing the infrastructure for Europe

2002-2004

This was a period of foundation building, developing the infrastructure to support growth and improve service to customers. Bigger and more productive sites were developed, allowing Eurofins companies to drive higher sales and productivity through economies of scale, while a unified IT platform provided each client access to this now global business. Despite our rapid growth, we retained a start-up’s passion for innovation and ground-breaking science by structuring our laboratories as centres of excellence, nurturing talent and funding research.

A person wearing protective gear, including a full-body suit, gloves, and a face mask, is working in a laboratory setting. The person is handling various lab equipment and supplies, including a container of red liquid on the left side, several individually wrapped pipettes in the centre, and metal racks on the right side. The background shows a cleanroom environment with stainless steel surfaces and glass windows.
A close-up image of a laboratory pipetting robot dispensing blue liquid into a 96-well plate. The robotic system has multiple pipette tips aligned in a row, each releasing the liquid into individual wells of the plate.

Breaking into new markets and becoming a global reference

2005-2008

With these building blocks laid, Eurofins turned its attention to new markets and geographies, including China, Sweden, Norway and Ireland, while continuing to invest significantly into consolidating our market-leading positions. It was a period of further technological advancements, reaching a portfolio of 25,000 analytical methods by 2008.

Defying the global financial crisis

2009-2011

During the recession, the requirement for safe food and water, effective pharmaceutical products and a safe environment did not cease, and we continued to meet these global needs. Despite a period of worldwide economic austerity, Eurofins’ organic growth remained positive throughout, proving the resilience of our core businesses. By 2011, we were present in 30 countries with over 10,000 employees.

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Becoming a one billion euro business

2012-2015

In 2012, we celebrated not only 15 years since our IPO, but also reached the milestone of becoming a one-billion-euro annual revenue business. Around the same time, we achieved a number of new global market leadership positions, becoming the market leader in discovery pharmacology globally, in the Japanese genomics testing market, and in the Brazilian food testing market. In 2013, Eurofins became the second largest food testing service provider in the USA. We also entered the specialty clinical diagnostics market for the first time in 2014, with the acquisition of ViraCor-IBT.

Building the infrastructure of a global leader in testing for life

2015-2024

By 2015, we had doubled in size once again to become a two-billion-euro company. A 5-year growth plan was formulated, with the objective of doubling in size again by 2020. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, we vastly exceeded this goal, surpassing €5 billion in revenues in 2020. This was a period of significant investment into developing bespoke IT Solutions and to become a global network of fully digital, state-of-theart laboratories. In 2017–2018, Eurofins completed over 100 acquisitions and we became the market leader in food and environment testing in North America.

A close-up, detailed 3D rendering of a virus particle. The virus has a spherical shape with numerous spike-like protrusions extending from its surface. The background is a gradient of teal and green hues, giving the image a scientific and microscopic view.
A close-up image of a blue substance being pipetted into a vial. The vial is on a tray among other vials with blue lids. In the background, there is a blurred face wearing safety glasses.

Looking to the future

2025 onwards

Eurofins entered 2025 with ca. 63,000 staff across a network of over 950 laboratories in 60 countries, offering a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods and with 2024 revenues of over €6.95 billion. Having established our best-in-class global laboratory infrastructure in Europe and North America, we now turn to a new phase of development, with a particular focus on operational excellence, investment in innovation and digitalisation, as well as on expansion in Asia and Latin America. Thanks to our very large investments in laboratories, state-of-the-art testing equipment and bespoke IT solutions, we’re ready to continue to set standards in service and innovation in Testing for Life.

Read The story of Eurofins to learn more.