Dolomite Microfluidics

HardwareRoyston, Hertfordshire, UKFounded 2005· One of 1757 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops the Fluidic Factory, the world's first commercial 3D printer for fabricating fluidically sealed microfluidic devices using COC polymer, enabling rapid prototyping of chips for as little as $1 per chip.

CEO / Founder: Mark Gilligan
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Subsidiary
Total Funding: $25M
Latest Round: Acquired
Key Investors: Maven Capital Partners; Oxford Sciences Innovation; MMC Ventures; Syncona

Technology & Products

Key Products

Fluidic Factory 3D printer; Microfluidic systems; Components (pumps, chips, connectors); Specialist chemicals for emulsion stabilization

Technological Advantage

Proprietary 3D printing process ensures water-tight, sealed fluidic paths in microfluidic devices, protected by being a first-mover in this niche (launched 2015). Advantage is replicable but defended by early market entry and specialized expertise in microfluidics.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces microfluidic chip prototyping cost to $1 per chip and enables rapid, on-demand fabrication of sealed devices, accelerating R&D timelines from weeks to days for drug development, diagnostics, and lab-on-a-chip applications.

How They Differentiate

3x faster prototyping than traditional microfluidic fabrication methods (molding, lithography) and 90% cost reduction per chip ($1 vs. $10+), with sealed devices ready-to-use without post-processing.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Academic institutes, biotechs, start-ups, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, petrochemical companies, government institutes, and scientific organizations.

Industry Verticals

Biotechnology; Pharmaceutical; Medical; Research; Petrochemical

Competitors

Fluidic Factory (no direct named competitor found in microfluidics 3D printing niche); General microfluidics equipment providers (e.g., Dolomite's own traditional microfluidic systems)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Grown year on year since 2005; thousands of customers in over 50 countries.

Major Milestones

Founded in 2005; Launched Fluidic Factory 3D printer in 2015; Celebrated 10 years of innovation in 2015; Partnerships for COVID-19 diagnostics and stem cell sorting

Notable Customers

Major academic institutes; Biotechs; Pharmaceutical companies; Government institutes; Mologic (for COVID-19 diagnostic tests)

https://www.dolomite-microfluidics.com

Why this company matters

Dolomite occupies a unique niche at the intersection of additive manufacturing and microfluidics. Its Fluidic Factory, launched in 2015, is the first commercially available 3D printer purpose-built for producing fluidically sealed microfluidic devices. The system uses a proprietary fused filament fabrication process with cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), an FDA-approved biocompatible material, to create water-tight fluidic paths without post-processing. This eliminates the multi-step molding and lithography workflows that traditionally require weeks of lead time and cost $10 or more per chip.

The printer targets academic institutes, biotechs, pharmaceutical companies, and government labs engaged in drug development, diagnostics, and lab-on-a-chip research. Dolomite reports that the Fluidic Factory reduces prototyping time from weeks to days and cuts per-chip cost by roughly 90%, enabling rapid iterative design. Notable applications include COVID-19 diagnostic test development with partner Mologic and 3D cell culturing with Bioneer. The company also supplies traditional microfluidic components such as pumps, chips, and connectors, giving it a broad installed base across over 50 countries.

Dolomite's early entry into microfluidic 3D printing and its specialized expertise in microfluidics serve as its primary defensive moat, though the core FDM process is replicable. The company has raised approximately £20 million from investors including Maven Capital Partners, Oxford Sciences Innovation, MMC Ventures, and Syncona. A key open question is whether larger AM hardware firms will develop competing solutions for the microfluidics vertical, potentially eroding Dolomite's first-mover advantage.