Nordic collaboration delivering the next leap in spatial biology
Spatial biology is reshaping how researchers understand complex tissue environments, from tumour–immune interactions to treatment response. A major barrier has long been the trade-off between throughput and multiplexing complexity. That barrier is now beginning to shift.
March 1, 2026
Through a strategic collaboration rooted in the Nordics, where proximity between scientists and technology developers enables rapid iteration from method development to practical application, ZEISS and the Swedish biotech company, Kromnigon, are introducing a complete 8-plex, high-throughput, spatial biology workflow to the global market.
By combining the new eight-channel ZEISS Axioscan 7 with Kromnigon’s gentle, high precision multiplex staining kits, the partners are delivering 8-plex capability in an integrated solution.
The result creates value across the ecosystem: ZEISS can offer a complete spatial biology workflow, Kromnigon can scale its breakthrough chemistry, and customers gain greater speed, sensitivity and a scalable multiplexing platform.
“You look straight into life. Into the tissue. Into the interaction between immune cells, cancer cells and everything else happening inside. Microscopy wasn’t always the cool field but now it’s booming. And being part of shaping the next generation of methods is incredibly exciting,” says Dr. Per Fogelstrand, CEO and co-founder of Kromnigon.
Strategic collaboration
ZEISS identified the need for higher-plex imaging early and set a clear ambition to lead the next generation of automated spatial biology. The latest ZEISS Axioscan 7 reflects that focus, featuring eight optimized color channels, stronger light sources, automation-ready workflows, and seamless data and image analysis integration.
However, achieving reliable 8-plex imaging requires more than advanced hardware and software. Customers also need staining kits that can consistently and gently fill all eight channels without compromising tissue integrity. Kromnigon addresses this challenge through its StreptaClickÆ technology which enables heat-free multiplex tyramide signal amplification (TSA) with excellent tissue preservation, fast turnaround and reliable performance.
“We provide staining solutions that allow customers to take full advantage of all eight channels,” says Per Fogelstrand. “That’s why ZEISS views us as a strategic partner. With the staining chemistry, customers can unlock the full capability of the Axioscan system.”
Complementary strengths
The partnership between a global technology leader and a technology-driven Swedish biotech innovator reflects a Nordic model of collaboration characterized by trust, shared problem-solving and direct engagement between teams. Together, the companies move faster than either could alone.
Kromnigon contributes more than a decade of hands-on multiplexing R&D, a deep understanding of how researchers stain tissues and the agility to innovate quickly as plexing demands increase. ZEISS brings global customer access, extensive sales and service networks, engineering scale, manufacturing capability and strong brand trust in microscopy.
For a specialized technology-driven company, partnering with a trusted global brand is key to scaling innovation into broad adoption.
“As an agile biotech, we can move fast and go deep scientifically, but reaching a global customer base requires a partner with the credibility, reach and infrastructure of ZEISS,” says Fogelstrand. “ZEISS could accelerate their spatial biology roadmap because we had already spent years optimizing multiplex workflows. They learned from us, we learned from them and together we moved from idea to market in around 18 months.”
Delivering value to customers
Shaped in a demanding Nordic research setting where tissue integrity, data quality and workflow robustness are critical, the collaboration delivers tangible benefits for laboratories worldwide.
- Higher plexing without compromising tissue integrity
Gentle, heat-free staining protects fragile samples. - Faster, more efficient workflows
Optimized chemistries reduce turnaround times for full 8-plex runs. - Ready-to-use kits aligned with Axioscan 7
Reagents and protocols are matched to ZEISS’ spectral channels and optics. - A complete, unified solution
Customers can order Axioscan-aligned kits directly through ZEISS. - A scalable platform
The workflow supports increasing plex levels without major redesigns.
Unlocking new opportunities
The ZEISS–Kromnigon collaboration brings something genuinely new to the market: an end-to-end, integrated, 8-plex, high-throughput workflow designed for the demands of modern spatial biology. It strengthens ZEISS’ leadership in an emerging field while enabling global adoption of Kromnigon’s staining innovations. Above all, it turns Nordic scientific craftsmanship into customer-ready solutions with lasting global impact, helping to shape the next leap in spatial biology.
About Kromnigon
Kromnigon is headquartered at the AstraZeneca BioVenture Hub in Mölndal, Sweden, and was founded in 2015 based on research at the University of Gothenburg. The company’s vision is to make multiplex immunohistochemistry clean by Scandinavian design. Kromnigon delivers this through carefully engineered staining reagents built on its patented StreptaClick® technology and by advancing fluorochrome separation in microscopy with unique multi-bandpass filters.
Related information
StreptaClick® HRP-based kit for tissue multiplexing with ZEISS Axioscan 7 spatial biology
Published: March 1, 2026
