RNA Analysis Market Companies and Technology Commercialization

Meet The Innovators of RNA Analysis Market

• Illumina, Inc.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Qiagen
• Agilent Technologies
• Bio-Rad Laboratories
• Oxford Nanopore Technologies
• 10x Genomics
• PacBio
• NEB (New England Biolabs)
• Takara Bio / Clontech
• NanoString Technologies
• PerkinElmer
• BGI / MGI
• Partek / Qlucore / Seven Bridges
• Sartorius / Miltenyi Biotec
• Roche Diagnostics
• Fluidigm
• Genuity Science / GENEWIZ
• Strategic startups
• Large CROs & clinical labs

Market Forecast

The global RNA analysis market size is calculated at US$ 6.86 billion in 2025, grew to US$ 7.78 billion in 2026, and is projected to reach around US$ 23.9 billion by 2035. The market is expanding at a CAGR of 13.36% between 2025 and 2034.

Company Landscape

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Company Overview: The world leader in serving science, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience, and pharmaceutical services. Its mission is to enable its customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

Corporate Information, Headquarters, Year Founded, Ownership Type:

• Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.
• Year Founded: 2006 (Formed by the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific, with roots tracing back to 1902).
• Ownership Type: Publicly Traded, NYSE, TMO.

History and Background: The company was formed by the merger of Thermo Electron Corporation, founded in 1956, and Fisher Scientific International Inc., founded in 1902. This merger in 2006 created a leading global provider of laboratory equipment, consumables, reagents, and services. The company has since grown significantly through a strategy of continuous acquisitions and organic growth, expanding its capabilities across life sciences, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical services.

Key Milestones / Timeline:

• 2006: Merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific to form Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
• 2014: Acquisition of Life Technologies, significantly expanding its life sciences tools and consumables portfolio, including products essential for RNA analysis, such as the Applied Biosystems brand.
• 2021: Acquisition of PPD, Inc., a leading contract research organization (CRO), broadening its clinical research and pharmaceutical services.
• 2023: Completed acquisition of Olink Holding, a key player in the proteomics space, enhancing its multi-omics capabilities.
• 2025 (October): Announced definitive agreement to acquire Clario Holdings, Inc., a provider of endpoint data solutions for clinical trials.

Business Overview: The company serves its customers, who are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics, or developing and manufacturing life-changing therapies.

Business Segments / Divisions:

• Life Sciences Solutions: Includes reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and biomedical research, including gene expression, RNA isolation, and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) preparation. This segment is a key contributor to the RNA analysis market.
• Analytical Instruments: Provides high-end analytical instruments like mass spectrometers and electron microscopes. 
• Specialty Diagnostics: Offers a broad range of diagnostic test kits, reagents, and instruments for clinical and medical use.
• Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services: Includes laboratory consumables, chemicals, safety supplies (Fisher Scientific), and the pharmaceutical services business (Patheon, PPD).
• Geographic Presence: Global presence, with operations, sales, and distribution channels across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. North America is the largest revenue contributor.

Key Offerings:

• RNA isolation and purification kits, Invitrogen, Applied Biosystems.
• Real-Time PCR (qPCR) systems, reagents, and assays, Applied Biosystems QuantStudio, TaqMan.
• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) instruments and consumables, Ion Torrent platform, for transcriptome sequencing.
• Microarrays and related consumables for gene expression profiling.
• Bioproduction and CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) services, for RNA-based therapeutics manufacturing.
• End-Use Industries Served: Government Institutes and Academic Centers, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Hospitals and Clinical Laboratories.

Key Developments and Strategic Initiatives:

• Mergers & Acquisitions: Announced acquisition of Clario Holdings, Inc. in October 2025 for $8.875 billion to expand clinical trial services and digital capabilities, completed acquisition of Solventum's Purification and Filtration Business in September 2025 for $4.1 billion.
• Partnerships & Collaborations: Strategic collaboration with OpenAI announced in October 2025 to accelerate life science breakthroughs using Artificial Intelligence. R&D partnership with AstraZeneca BioVentureHub announced in October 2025.
• Product Launches / Innovations: Launch of Industry-First Orbitrap Mass Detector for environmental and food safety testing in October 2025, launch of Next-Generation Microarray Solution in October 2025.
• Capacity Expansions / Investments: Opened Manufacturing Center of Excellence Site in North Carolina in August 2025.
• Regulatory Approvals: Received FDA approval for an NGS-Based Companion Diagnostic for a new Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer treatment in August 2025.
• Distribution channel strategy: Leverages its extensive direct sales force, e-commerce platforms like Fisher Scientific, and various distributors, offering purchasing convenience and a vast catalog of products, instruments, and services.

Technological Capabilities / R&D Focus:

• Core Technologies / Patents: Real-Time PCR (qPCR), Mass Spectrometry (Orbitrap technology), Next-Generation Sequencing (Ion Torrent), and various purification and analytical chemistry patents.
• Research & Development Infrastructure: Operates numerous R&D centers globally, focusing on continuous improvement of instruments, reagents, and software for multi-omics research.
• Innovation Focus Areas: High-throughput omics technologies (genomics, proteomics), digital and AI-powered tools for drug development, bioprocessing, and advanced analytical instrumentation.

Competitive Positioning:

• Strengths & Differentiators: Unmatched scale and breadth of offerings, the world's largest supplier in the life science tools industry, strong brand portfolio (Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Patheon, PPD), and deep customer relationships across multiple sectors.
• Market presence & ecosystem role: A dominant force across the entire life science and clinical research value chain, from basic research to drug manufacturing, providing end-to-end solutions.

SWOT Analysis:

• Strengths: Broadest product portfolio, Global distribution and service network, Strong M&A track record.
• Weaknesses: High reliance on acquisition integration, Potential for complexity in managing diverse business segments.
• Opportunities: Expansion into multi-omics (proteomics via Olink acquisition), Growth in biopharma and CDMO services, Digital and AI integration in clinical trials.
• Threats: Intense competition in specific product segments, Regulatory changes and geopolitical tensions affecting global sales, Customer funding variability, such as NIH budget fluctuations.

Recent News and Updates:

• Press Releases: October 29, 2025, Thermo Fisher Scientific to Acquire Clario Holdings, Inc., October 22, 2025, Reports Third Quarter 2025 Results, with 5% revenue growth to $11.12 billion.
• Industry Recognitions / Awards: Secured R&D 100 Awards for innovations accelerating the discovery and development of therapies in August 2025.

Illumina, Inc.

Company Overview: Illumina is a global leader in DNA and RNA sequencing and array-based technologies. Its mission is to improve human health by unlocking the power of the genome, focusing on enabling customers to accelerate the development and adoption of genomic applications.

Corporate Information, Headquarters, Year Founded, Ownership Type:

• Headquarters: San Diego, California, U.S.
• Year Founded: 1998.
• Ownership Type: Publicly Traded, NASDAQ, ILMN.

History and Background: Founded in 1998, Illumina initially focused on developing high-throughput technologies for genetic analysis using bead array technology. A pivotal moment was the 2007 acquisition of Solexa, which brought the foundational sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) technology, transforming Illumina into the dominant player in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and making high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) commercially viable.

Key Milestones / Timeline:

• 2007: Acquisition of Solexa, which provided the sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) technology that became the basis for its high-throughput sequencing platforms.
• 2014: Launch of the HiSeq X Ten, aiming to deliver the $1,000 genome, dramatically increasing sequencing throughput.
• 2020: Announced the intention to reacquire GRAIL, a decision that faced significant regulatory and shareholder scrutiny before eventually being divested.
• 2024: Launched the NovaSeq X Plus, offering the capability to sequence up to 20,000 whole genomes per year.
• 2025 (October): Announced the acquisition of SomaLogic, a leading multi-omics company, for $350 million in cash plus milestones, significantly expanding its proteomic and multi-omic capabilities.

Business Overview: The company develops, manufactures, and markets integrated systems for genetic and genomic analysis, specializing in applications that allow researchers and clinicians to perform sequencing, genotyping, and gene expression analysis, with RNA-Seq being a core application.

Business Segments / Divisions:

• Core Illumina: Focused on the sequencing and array technology, including instruments, consumables, and services for research and clinical markets, this segment directly drives the RNA analysis market.
• GRAIL: Previously a key division, it has been divested (completed June 2024) following regulatory pressure, enabling the company to refocus on its core genomics business.
• Geographic Presence: Global sales and service operations with primary markets in North America, Europe, China, and the Asia Pacific. North America is the largest market, but the company is heavily focused on expanding in the clinical markets globally.

Key Offerings:

• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms, NovaSeq X Series, NextSeq, MiSeq, MiSeq i100 Series, which are the primary tools for transcriptome and single-cell RNA sequencing.
• Library Preparation Kits and Reagents, for a variety of RNA analysis applications, including total RNA-Seq, polyA-selected mRNA-Seq, and small RNA-Seq.
• Microarrays, for gene expression and genotyping analysis.
• Bioinformatics and Data Analysis Software, DRAGEN Bio-IT Platform, Illumina Connected Analytics (ICA), for processing and interpreting complex RNA-Seq data.
• End-Use Industries Served: Academic and Government Research Institutions, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Clinical Diagnostics, and Agricultural Genomics.

Key Developments and Strategic Initiatives:

• Mergers & Acquisitions: Announced the acquisition of SomaLogic in October 2025 for $350 million in cash plus milestones, to enhance its multiomics strategy with SomaLogic's established SOMAmer technology.
• Partnerships & Collaborations: Welcomed Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD), partnered with companies like Amgen and Roche to enhance drug discovery capabilities.
• Product Launches / Innovations: Launched MiSeq i100 Series, a new benchtop sequencer, in October 2024. Introduced Illumina Protein Prep to drive proteomic insights in 2025. Launched a 5-base solution to enable simultaneous genomic and epigenomic insights in Q3 2025.
• Capacity Expansions / Investments: Continuous investment in the NovaSeq X Series transition, with over 50 instrument placements reported in Q2 2025.
• Regulatory Approvals: Received FDA approval for its in vitro diagnostic TruSight Oncology Comprehensive test in August 2024.
• Distribution channel strategy: Primarily relies on a direct sales force for its sequencing instruments and high-volume consumables, supplemented by a network of distributors for wider market reach, especially in emerging regions.

Technological Capabilities / R&D Focus:

• Core Technologies / Patents: Sequencing-by-Synthesis (SBS) chemistry, XLEAP-SBS chemistry for faster and more accurate sequencing, Array technology, and the DRAGEN Bio-IT Platform for bioinformatics.
• Research & Development Infrastructure: Strong R&D focus on advancing sequencing chemistry and developing next-generation instruments to lower the cost and increase the speed of genomic analysis.
• Innovation Focus Areas: Transition to the NovaSeq X platform (lower cost per gigabase), expansion into multi-omics (proteomics, epigenomics), and the development of clinical applications and in vitro diagnostics (IVD).

Competitive Positioning:

• Strengths & Differentiators: Dominant market share in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), the lowest cost per gigabase with NovaSeq X, highly accurate and reliable sequencing technology, large installed instrument base drives recurring consumable revenue.
• Market presence & ecosystem role: Holds a near-monopoly position in high-throughput sequencing, serving as the foundational technology provider for the majority of global genomics and transcriptomics research, including RNA-Seq.

SWOT Analysis:

• Strengths: Leading NGS technology and market share, Strong recurring revenue from consumables, Global installed base of instruments.
• Weaknesses: Past regulatory challenges with GRAIL, High capital cost of instruments for some labs, Intense competition in benchtop and clinical sequencing markets.
• Opportunities: Expansion of the clinical genomics market (oncology, rare disease), Growth in multi-omics and single-cell analysis, Lowering the cost of sequencing to drive mass adoption.
• Threats: Competition from new sequencing technologies (e.g., Pacific Biosciences, Oxford Nanopore, Ultima Genomics), Geopolitical risks affecting China's business, and Funding uncertainty in the research sector.

Recent News and Updates:

• Press Releases: October 30, 2025, Reports Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results with $1.08 billion in revenue. October 2025, Announced acquisition of SomaLogic for $350 million.
• Industry Recognitions / Awards: Focus on clinical and research milestones, such as the FDA approval for the TSO Comprehensive test in 2024.

Top Vendors in the RNA Analysis Market & Their Offerings

• xFOREST Therapeutics Co., Ltd. In September 2025, xFOREST Therapeutics Co., Ltd. and Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc. announced the launch of a joint research collaboration aimed at developing RNA structure-targeted small molecule therapeutics for multiple diseases.
• Plasmidsaurus: In October 2025, Plasmidsaurus, the leading global Sequencing as a Service company, announced the launch of its new RNA-Seq service. Applying Plasmidsaurus's innovative approach to sequencing as a service to Illumina short read applications, Plasmidsaurus is bringing the same speed, convenience, and insights they pioneered for plasmid sequencing to gene expression analysis.
• Lexogen: In October 2025, Lexogen, a leader in RNA sequencing technologies, announced the launch of the miRVEL Profiling Small RNA-Seq Library Prep Kit, designed to facilitate small RNA research. The innovative kit integrates seamlessly into the miRVEL small RNA sequencing line and helps scientists achieve reliable results faster and with less hands-on work.
• Altamira Therapeutics Ltd. In May 2025, Altamira Therapeutics Ltd., a company dedicated to developing and commercializing RNA delivery technology for targets beyond the liver, announced that it had entered into a collaboration agreement with an undisclosed company to evaluate the potential use of Altamira’s proprietary CycloPhore platform for the delivery of circular RNA payloads under development by the partner company.

Recent Developments in the RNA Analysis Market

• In October 2025, MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, entered into a partnership with Promega Corporation, a global life science solutions and service leader based in Madison, Wisconsin, to co-develop novel technologies that advance drug screening and discovery.
• In July 2025, New England Biolabs announced the launch of the NEBNext Low-bias Small RNA Library Prep Kit, designed to minimize biased representation of small RNA species in sequencing data. This next-generation small RNA preparation method is faster, less biased, and has a broader input range than other commercially available kits.
• In June 2025, Molecular Instruments (MI), creators of the innovative HCR platform, and Alpenglow Biosciences, developers of the 3Di Hybrid Open-Top Light-Sheet (HOTLS) microscopy system, announced a strategic partnership to enable high-resolution, three-dimensional RNA imaging in intact tissues, organoids, embryos, and other complex biological specimens—without the need for physical sectioning.
• In May 2025, Biogen Inc. and City Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company leading the future of RNA interference (RNAi)-based medicine, announced a strategic collaboration to develop select novel RNAi therapies. Through the collaboration, City Therapeutics will leverage its next-generation RNAi engineering technologies to develop an RNAi trigger molecule combined with proprietary drug delivery technology from Biogen.

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