Request for Free Sample

Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Size Analysis

The Cryo Electron Microscopy Market size was valued at USD 1.40 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.40 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11.65% over the forecast period of 2025-2032.

The global cryo-electron microscopy market is growing rapidly due to the advancements in fields of structural biology, drug discovery, and nanotechnology. The demand for high-resolution imaging of biomolecules, the integration of artificial intelligence in imaging processes, and the increase in algorithms for imaging systems have driven demand. However, factors such as increased risk for chronic disease have resulted in high cryo-electron microscopy market growth during the outlook period.

The U.S. cryo electron microscopy market size was valued at USD 0.48 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 1.13 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11.10% over the forecast period of 2025-2032. The U.S. holds the highest share among the others in the North American cryo-electron microscopy market owing to the presence of major industry players, such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, JEOL, and Zeiss. These companies embedded research and development proficiencies in the U.S. that help drive the same technology innovations that provide a competitive advantage to U.S. industry.

Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Dynamics

Drivers:

  • Increasing Demand for High-Resolution Tools for Structural Biology is Driving the Market Growth

The free-to-use and popular Cryo-EM has become revolutionary for structural biology as it allows scientists to see the details of 3D structures of biomolecules at near-atomic resolution without the requirement of crystallization. This property is particularly relevant for studying the structure of complex proteins or large molecular assemblies that are difficult or impossible to study with classical methods, such as X-ray crystallography. Cryo-EM is increasingly an important technique in the life sciences today as researchers strive to understand the molecular underpinnings of disease and biology in a deeper way.

  • Technology Transfer of Electron Microscopy is Accelerating the Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Trends

The newly developed direct electron detectors and the incorporation of modern image processing software increasingly result in high-quality and high-resolution images in a short time. This technology has also been instrumental in speeding up and simplifying the data collection process, cutting down the time and skills necessary to run Cryo-EM devices. Cryo-EM is thus increasingly available for laboratories, implementing a wider diffusion into academic and industrial research laboratories, which in turn are driving overall market growth.

Restraints:

  • Expensive Equipment and Maintenance are Restraining the Market from Growing

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) requires an extremely high initial investment to be able to buy and maintain the equipment. These instruments demand huge upfront costs, often in the millions of dollars; hence, only larger research institutions, well-capitalized universities, and large pharmaceutical companies can afford them. Moreover, the expenses associated with servicing, calibration, and technical support are also quite a burden. The high price limits the uptake of Cryo-EM technology to small labs and emerging markets and slows the growth of the complete market while preventing a broader reach.

Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Segmentation Insights

By Offerings

The instruments/hardware segment dominated the cryo electron microscopy market share with 74.3% in 2024, due to the requirement for high-cost, high-specialization equipment to allow cryo electron microscopy market analysis. Cryo-EM systems, such as state-of-the-art electron microscopes, sample preparation equipment, and detectors, constitute the most fundamental building block of any cryo-EM facility. The considerable revenue share of this segment is propelled by the need for high initial investment in purchasing and installing such advanced hardware. In addition to this, continuous progress in the field of electron optics, automation, and resolution increased the use of the latest generation instruments in academic, research, and pharmaceutical sectors, further emphasizing the dominance of this segment.

The services segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate throughout the forecast period due to the increasing familiarity of researchers without sourcing complex cryo-EM procedures to specialized services providers. Some research institutions and biotech firms choose to tap contract research organizations (CROs) and academic collaborations for access to state-of-the-art cryo-EM equipment and technical expertise without having to subject themselves to large capital-intensive investments. Furthermore, the growth of core facilities that provide cryo-EM as a service and the growth of cryo-EM in structural biology are expected to give additional momentum to the growth of this segment.

By Technique

In 2024, the cryo-electron tomography segment dominated the cryo-electron microscopy market with a 78.43% market share, owing to its unmatched capacity to produce three-dimensional (3D) imaging of biological specimens close to their native state. Cryo-ET is specifically important for work on structures where crystallization may not be possible and interactions between proteins within complex cellular environments, making it a key approach in the fields of structural and cellular biology. The strong adoption in academic and pharmaceutical research institutions due to its applications in virology, neurobiology, and cancer research has established its lead in the market.

The other segment is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast years. As drug discovery workflows increasingly adopt novel cryo-EM techniques integrated with other methods, a particular rise of adoption of MicroED, going from nano-sized crystals to high-resolution protein structures, is driving this growth. The segment is progressing at a faster pace due to these solutions are flexible, require low sample, and are also cost-effective, which is attracting researchers from wider scientific disciplines.

By Application

In 2024, the cryo-electron microscopy market was dominated by the structural biology segment, with 58.19% market share due to the key information that is needed for determining a detailed architecture of biomolecules at close to atomic resolution. Cryo-EM enables the imaging of protein complexes, organelles, and other structures within cells in an uncrystallized state in native-like environments, and thus, even at sub-molecular levels, especially when using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). It has therefore become one of the essential tools in academic and research institutions that study molecular biology and virology biochemistry, where the structure-function relationship of biomolecules is vital.

The drug discovery segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the forecast period as a result of rising pharmaceutical and biotech investment into structure-based drug design. This method can quickly visualize target proteins with potential therapeutic compounds, increasing efficiency early in the drug development process. Drug developers increasingly adopt cryo-EM due to rising demand for precision medicine, coupled with the need for high-throughput, cost-effective discovery pipelines, spurring segmental accelerated growth.

By End User

The academic & research institutes segment accounted for 66.50% market share of the cryo-electron microscopy in 2024. These institutions were some of the first to adopt cryo-EM and utilize it with high resolution to study complex biological macromolecules and cellular systems, and processes. The power of its overall adoption and a number of structural data publications are fed by significant government and academic investments that have established dedicated cryo-EM facilities in numerous universities and research centers, which has continued the cycle of academic demand and domination within this domain.

The pharma & biotech companies segment is the fastest-growing segment in the cryo-electron microscopy market, due to the ascribed to the increasing incorporation of cryo-EM in the drug discovery pipeline by pharma and biotech companies. Visualizing interactions between drugs and their targets at an atomic level through cryo-EM provides us with a key advantage for designing neuronal drugs with higher precision. With the pharmaceutical industry transitioning to more targeted therapies and biologics, the need for superior imaging methods, such as cryo-EM, is growing, resulting in increased investments from commercial R&D teams and collaborations with structural biology laboratories to expedite innovation right at the interface.

Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Regional Outlook

The cryo electron microscopy market is dominated by North America with a 39.6% market share in 2024, owing to the high development of advanced research in structural biology, molecular imaging, and drug discovery in the region. It is also an area with some of the premier research institutions, academic centers, and pharmaceutical companies that invest heavily in high-resolution imaging technologies. Moreover, the proximity of influential players, such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and JEOL USA, contributes to technology adoption and ongoing innovation, coupled with robust government and private funding, establishes North America as the center for Cryo-EM development and use.

Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the cryo-electron microscopy market with a 12.51% market share over the forecast period due to the growing investments in life sciences research, expansion of academic and research facilities, and government initiatives in support of biotechnology. The full implementation of Cryo-EM in Virology, Oncology, and Protein Structures is growing rapidly in various Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and South Korea. An increasing number of partnerships with global technology providers at the dawn of precision medicine are also furthering cryo-EM growth in high-speed across the Asia Pacific region.

The cryo-electron microscopy in Europe is showing considerable growth due to high investment in research infrastructure and technology. Germany, the U.K., and France are taking the lead in this expansion, backed up by solid academic institutions and government levels that operate scientific research funding bodies. The continued growth of Cryo-EM in the region is primarily due to the strong emphasis on studying biological structures and mechanisms, and new advances in applying Cryo-EM material science and nanotechnology.

Academic-industry partnerships are also contributing to the growing cryo-EM ecosystem in diverse application areas. Such collaborations are expanding research facilities and stimulating innovation in microscopy methodologies. The growth of the European Cryo-Em market is also being supported by initiatives from the European Union to fund scientific research and develop optimal policy.

The cryo-electron microscopy market in LAMEA and MEA regions is growing moderately due to the growing investments in research infrastructure and the growing awareness about advanced imaging technologies in these regions.

Latin America has also started gradually adopting Cryo-EM, supported by increasing research activities for nanotechnology and biotechnology in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Steady development of health care infrastructure and collaborative agreements between educational organizations and business players are driving the market growth in the region. CenterWell Senior Primary Care, a division of Humana, Inc., operates more than 250 clinics nationwide that offer Medicare recipients comprehensive primary care treatment, which has aided in market growth in the region.

The increase in Cryo-EM market growth in the MEA region is due to developments in nanotechnology research and the solutions with advanced services offered. For example, Cryo-EM technology adoption is promoting investments, research, and developmental activities by countries, such as Saudi Arabia and South Africa. But the growth rate in these geographies may slow down due to challenges such as high cost of equipment and lack of local manufacturing capabilities.

Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Key Players

The Key cryo electron microscopy companies are Thermo Fisher Scientific, JEOL Ltd., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss AG, Gatan Inc., Oxford Instruments plc, TESCAN ORSAY HOLDING, Bruker Corporation, Nikon Instruments Inc., and other players.

Recent Developments in the Cryo Electron Microscopy Market

  • April 2025 – Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, launched the Thermo Scientific Krios 5 Cryo-TEM, a groundbreaking next-generation atomic-resolution cryo-transmission electron microscope. The new platform brings together improved optics and AI-facilitated automation to allow researchers to investigate molecular structures and interactions at record levels of throughput and fidelity.

  • May 28, 2024 – Hitachi High-Tech Corporation is releasing its SU3900SE and SU3800SE High-Resolution Schottky Scanning Electron Microscopes. The new systems are designed for precise and effective nano-level observation of large and heavy samples, enabling advanced research applications.

  • June 2023 – JEOL Ltd. installed two state-of-the-art Transmission Electron Microscopes—JEOL CRYO ARM 200 and CRYO ARM 300—at Generate: Biomedicines. These instruments enable structural biology research, imaging proteins at atomic resolution to propel drug discovery in oncology, immunology, and infectious diseases with the help of AI and machine learning technologies.

    Cryo Electron Microscopy Market Report Scope:
    Report Attributes Details
    Market Size in 2024 USD 1.40 Billion 
    Market Size by 2032 USD 3.40 Billion 
    CAGR CAGR of 11.65% From 2025 to 2032
    Base Year 2024
    Forecast Period 2025-2032
    Historical Data 2021-2023
    Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook
    Key Segments • By Offerings (Instruments/Hardware, Software, Services)
    • By Technique (Cryo-Electron Tomography [cryo-ET], Micro Electron Diffraction [MicroED], Others)
    • By Application (Structural Biology, Virology, Cell Biology, Drug Discovery, Others)
    • By End User (Academic & Research Institutes, Pharma and Biotech Companies, Others [Hospitals and CROs])
    Regional Analysis/Coverage North America (US, Canada, Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific), Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)
    Company Profiles Thermo Fisher Scientific, JEOL Ltd., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss AG, Gatan Inc., Oxford Instruments plc, TESCAN ORSAY HOLDING, Bruker Corporation, Nikon Instruments Inc., and other players.