# ForteBio

> ForteBio created the Octet platform, a family of instruments, disposable biosensors and software that measures molecular binding in real time without fluorescent or radioactive labels. Its key move was to dip fiber-optic sensor tips into microwell plates rather than pump samples through microfluidic channels, making parallel protein quantitation and kinetic analysis easier to run from drug discovery through regulated quality control. Founded in 2001, launched commercially in 2005, acquired by Pall in 2011 and transferred from Danaher to Sartorius in 2020, ForteBio now lives on as Sartorius's Octet BLI business.

- **Founded:** 2001
- **Headquarters:** Fremont, United States
- **Founders:** Hong Tan (Founder; former CEO and CTO), Winnie H. Wan (Co-founder; former President and CEO)
- **Products:** Octet BLI systems, Octet R8 and R8e, Octet RH16, Dip and Read biosensors and kits, Octet BLI Discovery and Analysis Studio software
- **Notable:** Turned Bio-Layer Interferometry into a commercial plate-based platform with the 2005 launch of Octet., Raised $42.3 million across its disclosed Series B and Series C rounds., Built a portfolio spanning instruments, surface-chemistry biosensors, software, service and GxP compliance tools.

## Products & services

- **Octet BLI systems** — Plate-based, fluidics-free instruments that use Bio-Layer Interferometry to measure biomolecular concentration, specificity, affinity and binding kinetics in real time.
- **Octet R8 and R8e** — Eight-channel systems for discovery, development, quality control and manufacturing workflows, including kinetic analysis and protein quantitation.
- **Octet RH16** — A 16-channel, 384-well-compatible platform aimed at higher-throughput screening, epitope binning and small-molecule work.
- **Dip and Read biosensors and kits** — Disposable fiber-optic biosensors with application-specific capture chemistries, plus kits for antibody, contaminant, viral-vector and other assays.
- **Octet BLI Discovery and Analysis Studio software** — Data-acquisition and analysis software for sensorgrams, kinetic fitting, concentration curves, epitope binning and reporting.
- **GxP compliance and support** — 21 CFR Part 11 software, qualification kits, validation services, biosensor lot support, training and instrument service for regulated laboratories.

## Achievements

- Turned Bio-Layer Interferometry into a commercial plate-based platform with the 2005 launch of Octet.
- Raised $42.3 million across its disclosed Series B and Series C rounds.
- Built a portfolio spanning instruments, surface-chemistry biosensors, software, service and GxP compliance tools.
- Reached an installed research footprint represented by more than 7,000 peer-reviewed publications, according to Sartorius.
- Expanded the same core measurement approach from early antibody screening into process development, quality control and manufacturing.
- Became part of Sartorius's bioanalytics business in 2020 after an acquisition path through Pall and Danaher.

## Latest updates

- **2020-04** — Sartorius completed its acquisition of selected Danaher life-science businesses for $825 million; FortéBio, then employing about 200 people worldwide, joined Sartorius's Bioanalytics unit.
- **2024-06** — Sartorius published updated R-series material positioning Octet R8 for flexible kinetics, affinity and quantitation work across discovery, development and quality control.
- **2026-09** — The current Octet portfolio includes R8/R8e and RH16 instruments, automation support, GxP tools and an expanding biosensor menu including DYKDDDDK, VHH and ARC chemistries.

## Links

- Website: https://www.sartorius.com/en/products/biolayer-interferometry
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortebio/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/fortebio
- YouTube: https://www.sartorius.com/en/products/biolayer-interferometry/platform-demonstration
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fortebio

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28