Alpaqua Engineering

Olaf Stelling

Founder

Olaf discovered his passion for lab automation while working for a small Biotech startup in the foothills of the Alps in southern Bavaria. In his next role he helped automate high-throughput fungicide and herbicide spray booths for a large German chemical company, based on the Packard MultiProbe 2. After a stint at Packard headquarters near Chicago he took over as head of the applications group at newly acquired Carl Creative Systems turned CCS Packard in Torrance, California. Some of the PlateTrak machines he programmed were used in the late-stage Human Genome Project at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass. Out of this emerged Agencourt Bioscience, the first commercial outfit offering Sequencing-as-a-Service, along with magnetic-bead-based cleanup kits. Olaf joined Agencourt in 2001 to build the automated sequencing pipeline and quickly homed in on the Beckman Biomek FX platform. After Beckman bought Agencourt in 2005, Olaf started Alpaqua in 2006 as an automation consultant for Biomek robots. The focus soon shifted towards automation accessories, especially the highly successful magnet plate product line. Today, Alpaqua magnet plates are trusted by all major Liquid Handling companies and recommended in many reagent kits.

Olaf holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany.

Christoph Brandenberger

Chief Commercial Officer

Christoph began his career in banking in Boston, where he honed his financial expertise before transitioning to a multinational distribution company in Europe. Over the years, he advanced into various leadership roles, spearheading the expansion of the product portfolio with private label offerings and establishing sales offices across Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2011, Christoph returned to the United States, bringing his wealth of international experience to several investment banks, focusing on the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors. His career trajectory reflects a commitment to driving growth and innovation.

In 2025, Christoph joined Alpaqua as Chief Commercial Officer, taking charge of all sales activities and leveraging his diverse background to deliver exceptional results.

Christoph holds an MBA from the University of Vienna, Austria.

Nicholas Koen

Operations

After graduating from high school, Nick went on to study liberal arts at the University of Utah for two years. He joined Alpaqua in 2024, concentrating on operations and manufacturing. Bringing a thoughtful and disciplined approach to his work, Nick builds some of the nicest magnet plates you will ever see.

About Our Name

The name Alpaqua was originally chosen for a potential product, a bulk reagent dispenser for the liquid handler deck. “ALP” is an acronym in the Biomek world, meaning Automated Labware Positioner, and Aqua of course is water. The product never came to be, but the name stuck.