Japan’s Shimadzu acquires majority stake in German startup Plasmion
April 30, 2026 | Thursday | News
Shimadzu will develop next-generation mass spectrometers by integrating the SICRIT technology
Japan-based Shimadzu Corporation has acquired a 75% stake of the outstanding shares of German startup Plasmion GmbH (headquartered in Augsburg, Bavaria), making the company a subsidiary.
This acquisition aims to obtain Plasmion’s mass spectrometer (MS) ion source technology SICRIT（Soft Ionisation by Chemical Reaction In Transfer and related technologies to strengthen Shimadzu’s MS business.
SICRIT is a groundbreaking technology that overcomes the limitations of the widely used APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) method in liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and similar applications. Its chief feature is the ability to directly ionise analytes with high sensitivity without complex sample pretreatment, enabling high-sensitivity real-time analysis that was previously difficult. It is already being used in applications such as the search for disease markers in exhaled breath in the healthcare field, monitoring trace hazardous substances in the environment, and non-destructive analysis of aroma components in food and beverages.
Shimadzu and Plasmion have been collaborating since 2019 through exchanges of technical information, lending of Shimadzu products, and development of SICRIT applications. Plasmion’s founders, Dr Thomas Wolf (CEO) and Dr Jan-Christoph Wolf (CTO), will continue to hold 25% of the company’s shares and remain involved in management. Shimadzu will develop next-generation mass spectrometers by integrating the SICRIT technology with its MS-related technologies.