Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is an American supplier of scientific instrumentation, reagents and consumables, and software services. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Fisher was formed through the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific in 2006. Thermo Fisher Scientific has acquired other reagent, consumable, instrumentation, and service providers, including: Life Technologies Corporation (2013), Alfa Aesar (2015), Affymetrix (2016), FEI Company (2016), BD Advanced Bioprocessing (2018), and PPD (2021). As of 2023, the company had a market capitalization of $214 billion and was a Fortune 500 company. Annual revenue in 2021 was US$39.21 billion. In March 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific received emergency use authorization from the FDA for a test for SARS-CoV-2 to help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. History Predecessors and merger Thermo Electron was co-founded in 1956 by George N. Hatsopoulos and Peter M Nomikos. Hatsopoulos received a PhD from MIT in mechanical engineering and Nomikos was a Harvard Business School graduate. The company focused on providing analytical and laboratory products, and had revenues of over $2 billion in 2004. Fisher Scientific was founded in 1902 by Chester G. Fisher from Pittsburgh. It focused on providing laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety, and education. On May 14, 2006, Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific announced that they would merge in a tax-free, stock-for-stock exchange; the merged company was named Thermo Fisher Scientific, and had about 30,000 employees, and reported US$9 billion in combined revenue. On November 9, 2006, the companies announced that the merger had been completed. However, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that this acquisition was anti-competitive regarding centrifugal evaporators, requiring Fisher to divest Genevac. In April 2007, Genevac was sold to Riverlake Partners LLC and the merger closed with FTC approval. Today, the company's products are sold under the brand names of Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific, and several other recognized brand names (e.g. Chromacol, Nalgene, Cellomics, Pierce Protein Research and Fermentas). According to company figures, 46% of its sales are in life sciences, 20% in healthcare, and 34% in industrial/environmental and safety. Thermo Fisher Scientific has offices and operations worldwide, notably in the U.S. and in Europe, and China having 5,000 employees and contributing over 10% of the company's revenue. Acquisition history In December 2010, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced its acquisition of Dionex for $2.1 billion. In May 2011, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. bought Phadia to expand into the testing of allergies and