Waltham, MA and Sarasota, FL 2/28/18–Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to acquire Gatan from Roper Technologies for $925 million in cash. Gatan provides instrumentation and software for electron microscopy workflows, such as filter systems, cameras and software, for the materials science, electronics and life sciences markets. Based in California with 320 employees, Gatan expects to generate 2018 revenues of $150 million. Gatan will join Thermo Fishers’ Analytical Instruments division. “Gatan has been a trusted supplier of components to the electron microscopy industry for many years, and we look forward to building on its strong reputation,” stated Dan Shine, president of Thermo Fisher’s Analytical Instruments business. “Adding Gatan’s technologies to our leading electron microscopy portfolio will enhance our customer offering by creating an integrated system that seamlessly connects microscope hardware, software and accessories.” The transaction is expected to close this year.

A Thermo Fisher spokesperson told IBO, “The Gatan acquisition will enable us to better serve customers working in life sciences and materials science applications, and that is likely to increase adoption of electron microscopes overall.” Asked how the purchase enhances Thermo Fisher’s cryo-EM offerings, she commented, “The advantage of having Gatan’s technologies as part of our electron microscopy platform is that we can offer our customers an improved, differentiated solution that combines hardware and software elements of the workflow more seamlessly than we can do today as separate businesses.”

Gatan was Roper Technologies’ only electron microscopy–related business.