Velaris Announces Acquisition of Markes International

Velaris (Breda, Netherlands), a platform of laboratory-automation brands backed by global investment firm Battery Ventures, has announced the acquisition of Markes International (Bridgend, UK) from Schauenburg International and its founders, Alun Cole and Elizabeth Woolfenden. The acquisition adds Markes’ analytical technologies to Velaris’ portfolio, which includes Skalar Analytical, LCTech, PromoChrom, EST Analytical, Gerstel, and TE Instruments, enhancing the company’s product and service capabilities and global reach, according to the press release (1).

Founded in 1997, Markes International provides analytical solutions that improve the sensitivity, separation, and interpretive power of gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Its technologies support laboratories across environmental, food, security, industrial, and life science markets.

According to the press release (1), Markes’ offerings in sample preparation, sample introduction, chromatographic separation, mass spectrometry, and data processing complement Velaris’ existing capabilities. The company’s strong presence in Europe and North America, together with local assembly operations in China, is expected to expand Velaris’ regional sales and service coverage.

Nigel Fry, CEO of Markes International, said, “Markes has built a strong position through innovation, technical excellence, and the dedication of our talented teams, earning the trust of customers worldwide. Joining the Velaris family marks an important milestone in our journey, creating a compelling platform to work alongside a group of complementary businesses and expand our capabilities. This combination strengthens our ability to support our customers and the markets we serve, while creating meaningful development opportunities for our people.”

Amod Kher, CEO of Velaris, added, “Markes is recognized worldwide as a leading global designer and manufacturer of advanced, high performance analytical instrumentation and software for challenging GC and GC–MS analyses, and this is an excellent extension of Velaris’ market leadership. The brand represents technical leadership in thermal desorption and adjacent separation technologies and is committed to providing the best products and application support to end users.”

Battery Ventures’ general partner and member of Velaris’ board, Zack Smotherman, noted, “We are excited to add Markes to Velaris as we continue building a unified portfolio of complementary analytical instrumentation and automated sample preparation technologies, and believe the reorganization under the Velaris brand will help simplify the story by aligning our offerings by end markets.”

Velina Allerkamp, Co-CEO of Schauenburg International, commented, “During the last 13 years of partnership, Markes has delivered breakthrough innovation and expanded its global footprint significantly. We wish Velaris all the best as they continue the journey and thank the founders, Elizabeth Woolfenden and Alun Cole, for over a decade of great partnership.”

Founders Alun Cole and Elizabeth Woolfenden also expressed support for the transition. Woolfenden stated, “It has been an immense privilege to have worked alongside so many wonderful people over the years. Velaris values and shares Markes’ passion for technical innovation, expertise, and customer support, and becoming part of this group is the best possible next step for the business. We wish Nigel and the whole team every success.”

The acquisition strengthens Velaris’ position as a global provider of automated sample preparation and analytical instrumentation, combining complementary technologies, market reach, and expertise to support laboratories across a range of scientific and regulatory applications (1).

Reference

1. https://markes.com/news/2026/velaris-acquires-markes-international-to-expand-its-automated-sample-preparation-capabilities (accessed 2026-01-07).