Microfluidics is the science of manipulating and controlling fluids in networks of channels with dimensions from tens to hundreds of micrometers.

Microfluidics enables:
- miniaturization: very small quantities, very high production rate, repeatability, fast reactions, lower costs => replacing an entire lab by a chip
- automation
- multiplexing: several analysis in parallel replacing several labs
- increasing precision

Leading to:
- cost & time savings
- smaller size (portability)
- higher reliability

In 2003 Jean-Louis Viovy and his team at the Curie Institute were facing issues with flow stabilization on a microfluidic experiment for DNA analysis. Stability and equilibration time of syringe pumps made the experiments long, tedious and not very reproducible. With J Lewiner, he has founded then, in 2006, the French company Fluigent as a spin off and introduced pressure-driven flow control pumps, as opposed to conventional syringe and peristaltic pumps. In 2008, Fluigent improved its product to monitor flow-rates. At that time, Fluigent was focusing on developing its pumps and providing specific tools for early cancerdetection. However, advances in genomic sequencing made the second activity outdated. In 2013, they decided to refocus the business and offer a modular solution for their flow sensors. The founders re-injected money, the CEO decided to leave the company and gave way to France Hamber, Fluigent’s current CEO. Since the company has been growing by 25% per year and Fluigent is now the world leader in fluid motion for the microfluidic market. The company exports in more than 40 countries, either directly, or via one of its thirteen distributors (for Asia, Middle East and Australia/New Zealand). The company has 2 Subsidiaries, one in Germany and one in the United States, and employs 40 people, including 7 PhD and 19 engineers. Fluigent’s ambition is to move from being the leader in microfluidics instrumentation to being the leader for providing global solutions for microfluidic applications to the research and industrial markets.

Fluigent is the partner to facilitate tomorrow's discoveries and accelerate their impact on society, in particular in the field of health and medicine, e.g. by reducing dose in therapy, replacing animal tests, etc.

Fluigent is committed to creating an impact for society on:

SDG#3 Good Health and Well-Being by supporting the research and development of vaccines and medicines, and SDG#8 Decent Work and Economic Growth by achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities and equal pay for work of equal value, and SDG#9 Industry, Innovation and infrastructure.

- Digital marketing;
- Communication (flyers, brochures, case studies, etc);
- Conferences: main channel because it gathers customers at the same place, avoids trips, and allows all team members to meet and understand clients’ needs

Fluigent has 2 different channels for commercialisation and exports in more than 40 countries:

1. Via its internal sales force: Fluigent has 2 wholly owned subsidiaries, one in Germany and another one in the United States;

2. Via distributors: 13 distributors in Asia (China, India, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore) Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Its main distributor is in China. A distributorship agreement is concluded, generally with non exclusive competence.

Move from being the leader in microfluidic instrumentation to being the leader for providing global solutions for microfluidic applications, which are ease of use minimizing quantities of samples involved and automated.