Automatic Shelf Registration Statement (Form S-3ASR)

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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2026

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

BRUKER CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

40 Manning Road

Billerica, MA 01821

(978) 663-3660

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

J. Brent Alldredge

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Bruker Corporation

40 Manning Road

Billerica, MA 01821

(978) 663-3660

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Laurie A. Cerveny, Esq.

Celia A. Soehner, Esq.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

One Federal Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

(617) 341-7700

(Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.)

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐

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PROSPECTUS

Bruker Corporation

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

Depositary Shares

Subscription Rights

Purchase Contracts

From time to time, we may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or in combination, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. Selling stockholders to be named in a supplement to this prospectus may also from time to time offer and sell shares of our common stock, in one or more offerings.

We may also offer securities as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, repurchase, exchange or exercise of any securities registered hereunder, including any applicable anti-dilution provisions. We or any selling stockholder may sell the securities to or through underwriters and also to other purchasers or through agents, on a continuous or delayed basis. The names of any underwriters or agents, and any fees, conversions, or discount arrangements will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds that we or the selling stockholders expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement. Unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by selling stockholders.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. We will provide the specific terms of these offerings in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before buying any of the securities being offered.

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This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

Our shares of common stock and Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbols "BRKR" and "BRKRP", respectively. On June 11, 2026, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $55.18 per share.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in this prospectus beginning on page 4 and any applicable prospectus supplement and in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is June 12, 2026.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of an automatic registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") using a "shelf" registration process as a "well-known seasoned issuer" as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Under this shelf registration process, we may sell common stock, preferred stock, various series of debt securities, warrants, units, depositary shares, subscription rights and purchase contracts, either individually or in combination with other securities described in this prospectus, in one or more offerings from time to time. Selling stockholders may offer and sell, in one or more offerings, shares of our common stock as described in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement. There is no limit on the aggregate amount of the securities that we or selling stockholders may offer pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we, and the common stock selling stockholders, may offer.

Each time we sell any type or series of securities, or selling stockholders offer common stock, under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will include more specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relating to the applicable offering. Before buying any of the securities being offered, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, together with the additional information incorporated herein by reference as described under the heading "Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference."

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information we have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representation. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. You should assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information we have incorporated herein by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security.

The information appearing in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, the prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or the time of any sale of a security.

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

This prospectus includes summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information."

Unless otherwise stated, all references to "we," "us," "our," "Bruker," the "Company" and similar designations refer to Bruker Corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 40 Manning Road, Billerica, Massachusetts 01821, and our telephone number is (978) 663-3660.

BRUKER CORPORATION

We are a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of high-performance scientific instruments and analytical and diagnostic solutions that enable our customers to explore life and

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materials at microscopic, molecular and cellular levels. Many of our products are used to detect, measure and visualize structural characteristics of chemical, biological and industrial material samples. Our products and solutions address the rapidly evolving needs of a diverse array of customers in life and materials science research, biopharmaceuticals, applied markets, microbiology, in-vitro diagnostics, nanotechnology, and the semiconductor industry. Our technology platforms include magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography, X-ray, microscopy, metrology, and molecular spectroscopy technologies. We are enabling innovation, improved productivity, and customer success in post-genomic life science molecular and cell biology research and offer differentiated, high value life science and diagnostics systems and solutions in preclinical imaging, clinical phenomics research, proteomics and multiomics, spatial and single-cell biology, functional structural and condensate biology, clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostics, as well as in the semiconductor industry. Our corporate headquarters are located in Billerica, Massachusetts. We maintain major technical and manufacturing centers in Europe and North America and have sales offices located throughout the world.

Our principal executive offices are located at 40 Manning Road, Billerica, MA 01821, and our telephone number is (978) 663-3660. Information about Bruker Corporation is available at www.bruker.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus or incorporated into by reference in this prospectus or any other filings we make with the SEC, and you should not consider them to be a part of this prospectus.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the occurrence of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described herein and in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, each on file with the SEC and any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, all of which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein include statements that express our opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "seek," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," or, in each case, their negatives or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places throughout this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the impact of supply chain challenges on our business and operations, expectations regarding the global economy, inflation, the potential for recession and geopolitical tensions and any resulting sanctions, or wars, our intentions regarding our intellectual property, the impact of government contracts and government regulation, the uncertainties with respect to tariffs that have been imposed and the related impact, the impact of government funding decisions, our cost saving initiatives, our working capital requirements and sufficiency of cash to fund our operations and investment activities, our competition, the seasonality of our business, the sufficiency of our facilities, our employee relations and ability to attract, hire, and retain qualified employees, the impact of legal or intellectual property proceedings, the impact of changes to tax and accounting rules and changes in law, our anticipated income tax rate, our expectations regarding cash dividends, share repurchases, interest expense, cross currency swap agreements, expenses and capital expenditures, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates and changes in commodity prices, the impact of our restructuring initiatives, our ability to successfully complete significant acquisitions on a timely basis, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of required conditions to the completion of prospective acquisitions, and our expectations regarding backlog and revenue.

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The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to continued volatility in the capital markets, the impact of increased interest rates, our ability to raise capital to support our operations on favorable terms, product development and market acceptance of our products, competition, rapidly changing technologies and product obsolescence, the effects of climate change, including natural disasters, catastrophic events and other events beyond our control.

The above is not a complete list of factors or events that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations are more fully described in our other filings with the SEC, including in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, each of which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in the "Risk Factors" section in the applicable prospectus supplement. Please see the section of this prospectus titled "Where You Can Find More Information" for more information.

Although we base these forward-looking statements on assumptions that we believe are reasonable when made, we caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement that we make in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein speaks only as of the date of such statement, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of those statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as described in any applicable prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectuses we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by us hereunder, if any, for general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include repayment of debt, additions to working capital, capital expenditures, investments in our subsidiaries, possible acquisitions, and the repurchase, redemption or retirement of securities, including our common stock. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from the sale of the securities offered by us hereunder. We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus our intended use for the net proceeds received from the sale of any securities sold pursuant to the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus.

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Shares of our common stock may be offered by selling stockholders under an applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus. Unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, we will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of shares of our common stock sold by selling stockholders in any offering by them.

THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

We may offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, units, depositary shares, subscription rights, purchase contracts or any combination thereof, and any selling stockholder may offer shares of our common stock, from time to time in one or more offerings under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we and any selling stockholder may offer. Each time we or any selling stockholder offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, or both, that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description is a summary and does not purport to be complete. It is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (our "Certificate of Incorporation") and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (our "Bylaws"), each of which are incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of which this prospectus is a part. The terms of these securities also may be affected by Delaware law.

General

We are authorized to issue 260,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $.01 per share.

Common Stock

Subject to any preferential rights that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting for the election of directors. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends that may be declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available and are entitled to receive, pro rata, all of our assets available for distribution to such holders upon liquidation. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription or redemption rights and no right to convert their common stock into any other securities.

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The outstanding shares of our common stock are legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Additional shares of authorized common stock may be issued, as authorized by our Board of Directors from time to time, without stockholder approval, except as may be required by applicable stock exchange requirements.

Preferred Stock

General

Under our Certificate of Incorporation, our Board of Directors has the authority, without further action by stockholders, to designate up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications and restrictions granted to or imposed upon the preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption, liquidation preference and sinking fund terms, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of the common stock.

Delaware law provides that the holders of preferred stock will have the right to vote separately as a class on any proposal involving fundamental changes in the rights of holders of that preferred stock. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the applicable certificate of designation.

6.375% Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A

The following is a summary of the material terms of our 6.375% Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock") as contained in the Certificate of Designations of 6.375% Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Certificate of Designations") that we filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 8, 2025. The following summary of the terms of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the provisions of the Certificate of Designations and our Certificate of Incorporation, a copy of each which has been filed with the SEC.

Under the Certificate of Designations, we designated 2,760,000 shares of preferred stock as the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock. Each share of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock has an initial liquidation preference of $250.00 per share, for an aggregate initial liquidation preference of $690,000,000.

Holders of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock do not have preemptive or preferential rights to purchase or subscribe for any class of our stock, obligations, warrants or other securities.

The Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to dividend rights and distribution of assets upon liquidation, winding-up or dissolution:

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Dividends on the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock are payable on a cumulative basis when, as and if declared by our board of directors, or an authorized committee thereof, at an annual rate of 6.375% on the liquidation preference of $250.00 per share of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, and may be paid in cash or, subject to certain limitations, in shares of common stock or, subject to certain limitations, any combination of cash and shares of common stock. If declared, dividends on the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock are payable quarterly on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1 of each year to, and including, September 1, 2028, having commenced on December 1, 2025.

Unless converted earlier in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Designations, each share of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock will automatically convert on the mandatory conversion date, which is expected to be September 1, 2028, into between 6.9534 shares and 8.5179 shares of common stock, in each case, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments described in the Certificate of Designations. The number of shares of common stock issuable upon mandatory conversion will be determined based on the average volume weighted average price per share of common stock over the 20 consecutive trading day period beginning on, and including, the 21st scheduled trading day immediately prior to September 1, 2028.

Upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, winding-up or dissolution, each holder of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive a liquidation preference in the amount of $250.00 per share of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accumulated and unpaid dividends on such shares, whether or not declared, to, but excluding, the date fixed for liquidation, winding-up or dissolution, such amount to be paid out of our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders after satisfaction of debt and other liabilities owed to the our creditors and holders of shares of its stock ranking senior to the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock and before any payment or distribution is made to holders of any stock ranking junior to the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, including, without limitation, common stock.

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Holders of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock do not have any voting rights or powers other than those set forth in Section 7 of the Certificate of Designations, except as specifically required by Delaware law or by our Certificate of Incorporation from time to time.

Anti-Takeover Effects of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions that may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control or an unsolicited acquisition proposal that a stockholder might consider favorable, including a proposal that might result in the payment of a premium over the market price for the shares held by stockholders. These provisions are summarized in the following paragraphs.

Classified Board of Directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for our Board of Directors to be divided into three classes of directors serving staggered, three-year terms. The classification of our Board of Directors has the effect of requiring at least two annual stockholder meetings, instead of one, to replace a majority of the members of our Board of Directors.

Authorized but Unissued or Undesignated Capital Stock. Our authorized capital stock consists of 260,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The authorized but unissued (and in the case of preferred stock, undesignated) stock may be issued by our Board of Directors in one or more transactions. In this regard, our Certificate of Incorporation grants our Board of Directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock pursuant to our Board of Directors' authority described above could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of common stock and adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of such holders and may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control. Our Board of Directors does not currently intend to seek stockholder approval prior to any issuance of preferred stock, unless otherwise required by law.

Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our Bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by our President, the Chairman of the Board, or by the Board of Directors. In addition, the President or Secretary shall call a special meeting if requested by a majority of our directors.

Notice Procedures. Our Bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to all stockholder proposals to be brought before meetings of our stockholders, including proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors, the removal of directors and amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws. These procedures provide that notice of such stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our Secretary prior to the meeting. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices no later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date set forth in our Bylaws for the annual meeting. The notice must contain certain information specified in our Bylaws.

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Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock and Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. (formerly known as American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC). The address for Equiniti Trust Company, LLC is 28 Liberty Street, 53rd Floor, New York, NY 10005.

Listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market

Our shares of common stock and Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbols "BRKR" and "BRKRP", respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following is a general description of the terms of debt securities we may issue from time to time unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. Particular terms of any debt securities we offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities.

As required by U.S. federal law for all bonds and notes of companies that are publicly offered, any debt securities we issue will be governed by a document called an "indenture." the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We have summarized the general features of the debt securities to be governed by the indenture. The summary is not complete. An indenture is a contract between us and a financial institution acting as trustee on behalf of the holders of the debt securities and is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce holders' rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on holders' behalf, described in the second paragraph under "Description of Debt Securities- Events of Default." Second, the trustee performs certain administrative duties, such as sending interest and principal payments to holders.

We will issue any senior or subordinated debt securities under a senior or subordinated indenture, as applicable, that we will enter into with the trustee named in the subordinated indenture. We have filed a form of senior indenture and a form of subordinated indenture as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC. The indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.

Because this section is a summary, it does not describe every aspect of any debt securities we may issue or the indenture governing any such debt securities. Particular terms of any debt securities we offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, and we urge you to read the applicable executed indenture, which will be filed with the SEC at the

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time of any offering of debt securities, because it, and not this description, will define the rights of holders of such debt securities.

A prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of any series of debt securities we may issue, including some or all of the following:

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The debt securities may be secured or unsecured obligations. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, principal, interest and premium, if any, will be paid by us in immediately available funds.

General

The indenture may provide that any debt securities proposed to be sold under this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities ("offered debt securities") and any debt securities issuable upon conversion or exchange of other offered securities ("underlying debt securities") may be issued under the indenture in one or more series.

For purposes of this prospectus, any reference to the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, debt securities will include additional amounts if required by the terms of the debt securities.

Debt securities issued under an indenture, when a single trustee is acting for all debt securities issued under the indenture, are called the "indenture securities." The indenture may also provide that there may be more than one trustee thereunder, each with respect to one or more different series of securities issued thereunder. See "Description of Debt Securities-Resignation of Trustee" below. At a time when two or more trustees are acting under an indenture, each with respect to only certain series, the term "indenture securities" means the one or more series of debt securities with respect to which each respective trustee is acting. In the event that there is more than one trustee under an indenture, the powers and trust obligations of each trustee described in this prospectus will extend only to the one or more series of indenture securities for which it is trustee. If two or more trustees are acting under an indenture, then the indenture securities for which each trustee is acting would be treated as if issued under separate indentures.

We refer you to the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any debt securities we may issue from time to time for information with respect to any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default or covenants that are described below, including any addition

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of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection, that will be applicable with respect to such debt securities.

We have the ability to issue indenture securities with terms different from those of indenture securities previously issued and, without the consent of the holders thereof, to reopen a previous issue of a series of indenture securities and issue additional indenture securities of that series unless the reopening was restricted when that series was created.

Conversion and Exchange

If any debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for other securities, the related prospectus supplement will explain the terms and conditions of the conversion or exchange, including the conversion price or exchange ratio (or the calculation method), the conversion or exchange period (or how the period will be determined), if conversion or exchange will be mandatory or at the option of the holder or us, provisions for adjusting the conversion price or the exchange ratio and provisions affecting conversion or exchange in the event of the redemption of the underlying debt securities. These terms may also include provisions under which the number or amount of other securities to be received by the holders of the debt securities upon conversion or exchange would be calculated according to the market price of the other securities as of a time stated in the prospectus supplement.

Payment and Paying Agents

We will pay interest to the person listed in the applicable trustee's records as the owner of the debt security at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if that person no longer owns the debt security on the interest due date. That day, often approximately two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the "record date." Because we will pay all the interest for an interest period to the holders on the record date, holders buying and selling debt securities must work out between themselves the appropriate purchase price. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the debt securities to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller based on their respective ownership periods within the particular interest period. This prorated interest amount is called "accrued interest."

Events of Default

Holders of debt securities of any series will have rights if an Event of Default occurs in respect of the debt securities of such series and is not cured, as described later in this subsection. The term "Event of Default" in respect of the debt securities of any series means any of the following:

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An Event of Default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an Event of Default for any other series of debt securities issued under the same or any other indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any default, except in the payment of principal, premium or interest, if it considers the withholding of notice to be in the best interests of the holders.

Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs

If an Event of Default has occurred and has not been cured or waived, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and immediately payable. This is called a declaration of acceleration of maturity. A declaration of acceleration of maturity may be canceled by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series if the default is cured or waived and certain other conditions are satisfied.

Except in cases of default, where the trustee has some special duties, the trustee typically is not required to take any action under an indenture at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from expenses and liability (called an "indemnity"). If reasonable indemnity is provided, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the relevant series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. The trustee may refuse to follow those directions in certain circumstances.

Before a holder is allowed to bypass the trustee and bring its own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce its rights or protect its interests relating to any debt securities, the following must occur:

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However, a holder is entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on its debt securities on or after the due date. Each year, we will furnish to each trustee a written statement of certain of our officers certifying that to their knowledge we are in compliance with the indenture and the debt securities, or else specifying any default.

Waiver of Default

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the relevant series of debt securities may waive a default for all such series of debt securities. If this happens, the default will be treated as if it had not occurred. No one can waive a payment default on a holder's debt security, however, without the holder's approval.

Merger or Consolidation

Under the terms of an indenture, we may be permitted to consolidate or merge with another entity. We may also be permitted to sell all or substantially all of our assets to another entity. However, typically we may not take any of these actions unless all the following conditions are met:

Modification or Waiver

There are three types of changes we may make to an indenture and the debt securities issued thereunder.

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Changes Requiring Approval

First, there are changes that we cannot make to debt securities without specific approval of all of the holders. The following is a list of the types of changes that may require specific approval:

Changes Not Requiring Approval

The second type of change does not require any vote by the holders of the debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications and certain other changes that would not adversely affect holders of the outstanding debt securities in any material respect, including the addition of covenants and guarantees. We also do not need any approval to make any change that affects only debt securities to be issued under the indenture after the change takes effect.

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Changes Requiring Majority Approval

Any other change to the indenture and the debt securities may require the following approval:

The holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the series of debt securities issued under an indenture, voting together as one class for this purpose, may waive our compliance obligations with respect to some of our covenants in that indenture. However, we cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default or of any of the matters covered by the bullet points included above under "Description of Debt Securities-Modification or Waiver- Changes Requiring Approval."

Further Details Concerning Voting

When taking a vote on proposed changes to the indenture and the debt securities, we expect to use the following rules to decide how much principal to attribute to a debt security:

Debt securities will not be considered outstanding, and therefore not eligible to vote, if we have deposited or set aside in trust money for their payment or redemption. Debt securities will also not be eligible to vote if they have been fully defeased as described later under "Description of Debt Securities-Defeasance-Legal Defeasance."

We generally will be entitled to set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the holders of outstanding indenture securities that are entitled to vote or take other action under the indenture. If we set a record date for a vote, or other action to be taken by holders of one or more series, that vote or action may be taken only by persons who are holders of outstanding indenture securities of those series on the record date and must be taken within 11 months following the record date.

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Book-entry and other indirect holders will need to consult their banks or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied if we seek to change the indenture or the debt securities or request a waiver.

Defeasance

The following provisions will be applicable to each series of debt securities unless we state in the applicable prospectus supplement that the provisions of covenant defeasance and legal defeasance will not be applicable to that series.

Covenant Defeasance

We can make the deposit described below and be released from some of the restrictive covenants in the indenture under which the particular series was issued. This is called "covenant defeasance." In that event, the holders would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants but would gain the protection of having money and government securities set aside in trust to repay holders' debt securities. If applicable, a holder also would be released from the subordination provisions described under "Description of Debt Securities-Indenture Provisions-Subordination" below. In order to achieve covenant defeasance, we must do the following:

If we accomplish covenant defeasance, holders can still look to us for repayment of the debt securities if there were a shortfall in the trust deposit or the trustee is prevented from making payment. In fact, if one of the remaining Events of Default occurred (such as our bankruptcy) and the debt securities became immediately due and payable, there might be a shortfall. Depending on the event causing the default, holders may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.

Legal Defeasance

As described below, we can legally release ourselves from all payment and other obligations on the debt securities of a particular series (called "legal defeasance"), (1) if there is a change in U.S. federal tax law that allows us to effect the release without causing the holders to be

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taxed any differently than if the release had not occurred, and (2) if we put in place the following other arrangements for holders to be repaid:

If we ever accomplished legal defeasance, as described above, holders would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the debt securities. Holders could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent. If applicable, holders would also be released from the subordination provisions described later under "Description of Debt Securities-Indenture Provisions-Subordination."

Resignation of Trustee

Each trustee may resign or be removed with respect to one or more series of indenture securities provided that a successor trustee is appointed to act with respect to such series. In the event that two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of indenture securities under the indenture, each of the trustees will be a trustee of a trust separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee.

Indenture Provisions-Subordination

Upon any distribution of our assets upon our dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on any indenture securities denominated as subordinated debt securities is to be subordinated to the extent provided in the indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness (defined below), but our obligation to holders to make payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such subordinated debt securities will not otherwise be affected. In addition, no payment on account of principal (or premium, if any), interest or sinking fund, if any, may be made on such subordinated debt securities at any time unless full payment of all amounts due in respect

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of the principal (and premium, if any), interest and sinking fund, if any, on Senior Indebtedness has been made or duly provided for in money or money's worth.

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment from us is received by the trustee in respect of subordinated debt securities or by the holders of any of such subordinated debt securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, the payment or distribution must be paid over to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness or on their behalf for application to the payment of all the Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness. Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the holders of such subordinated debt securities will be subrogated to the rights of the holders of the Senior Indebtedness to the extent of payments made to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness out of the distributive share of such subordinated debt securities.

By reason of this subordination, in the event of a distribution of our assets upon our insolvency, certain of our senior creditors may recover more, ratably, than holders of any subordinated debt securities. The related indenture will provide that these subordination provisions will not apply to money and securities held in trust under the defeasance provisions of the indenture.

"Senior Indebtedness" will be defined in an applicable indenture as the principal of (and premium, if any) and unpaid interest on:

The prospectus supplement accompanying any series of indenture securities denominated as subordinated debt securities will set forth the approximate amount of our Senior Indebtedness outstanding as of a recent date.

Trustee

We intend to name the indenture trustee for each series of indenture securities in the related prospectus supplement.

Certain Considerations Relating to Foreign Currencies

Debt securities denominated or payable in foreign currencies may entail significant risks. These risks include the possibility of significant fluctuations in the foreign currency markets, the imposition or modification of foreign exchange controls and potential illiquidity in the secondary market. These risks will vary depending upon the currency or currencies involved and will be more fully described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock, depositary shares, or debt securities. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the warrants and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the warrants so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Warrants may be issued independently or together with other securities and may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not have any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

A copy of the forms of the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate relating to any particular issue of warrants will be filed with the SEC each time we issue warrants, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the warrant agreement and the related warrant certificate, see "Where You Can Find More Information."

Stock Warrants

The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock, or depositary shares will describe the terms of the common share warrants and preferred share warrants, including the following:

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Debt Warrants

The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue debt securities will describe the terms of those warrants, including the following:

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Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the number of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, depositary shares, or the principal amount of debt securities being offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants are void. Holders may exercise warrants as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered.

Until a holder exercises the warrants to purchase our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, depositary shares or debt securities, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, depositary shares or debt securities, as the case may be, by virtue of ownership of warrants.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue, in one or more series, units consisting of one or more securities registered hereby, including shares of common stock or preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, depositary shares, subscription rights or purchase contracts or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. Treasury securities, in any combination, which may or may not be separable from one another. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreement that contains the terms of the units. We will file as exhibits to the

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registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units.

Units may be issued under a unit agreement that we enter into with a unit agent. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of units being offered.

The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

We may, at our option, elect to offer depositary shares rather than full shares of preferred stock. In the event such option is exercised, each of the depositary shares will represent ownership of and entitlement to all rights and preferences of a fraction of a share of preferred stock of a specified series (including dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights). The applicable fraction will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares will be deposited with a depositary named in the applicable prospectus supplement, under a deposit agreement among us, the depositary and the holders of the certificates evidencing depositary shares, or depositary receipts. Depositary receipts will be delivered to those persons purchasing depositary shares in the offering. The depositary will be the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for the depositary shares. Holders of depositary receipts agree to be bound by the deposit agreement, which requires holders to take certain actions such as filing proof of residence and paying certain charges.

The summary of terms of the depositary shares contained in this prospectus does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the deposit agreement and the form of the certificate of designation for the applicable series of preferred stock, which will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

The following description of the subscription rights and terms of the subscription rights agreement is a summary. It summarizes only those aspects of the subscription rights and those portions of the subscription rights agreement which we believe will be most important to your decision to invest in our subscription rights. There may be other provisions in the subscription rights agreement and the subscription certificate relating to the subscription rights which are also important to you. You should read these documents for a full description of the terms of the

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subscription rights. The forms of the subscription rights agreement and the subscription certificate will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other security and may or may not be transferable. As part of the rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement under which the underwriters or any other person would purchase any securities that are not purchased in such rights offering. If we issue subscription rights, they may be governed by a separate subscription rights agreement that we will sign with a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent and will not assume any obligation to any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.

In general, a right entitles the holder to purchase for cash a specific number of shares of equity securities or other securities at a specified exercise price. The rights are normally issued to stockholders as of a specific record date, may be exercised only for a limited period of time and become void following the expiration of such period. If we determine to issue subscription rights, we will accompany this prospectus with a prospectus supplement that will describe, among other things:

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If fewer than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue purchase contracts, representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, depositary shares or debt securities described in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement at a future date or dates. The price per security may be fixed at the time the share purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the share purchase contracts. The purchase contracts may be issued separately or as a part of units consisting of a purchase contract and either shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. Treasury securities, any other security described in the applicable prospectus supplement, or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holder's obligations to purchase the securities under the share purchase contracts.

The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of units or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations thereunder in a specified manner. In certain circumstances, we may deliver newly issued prepaid purchase contracts upon release to a holder of any collateral securing the holder's obligations under the original purchase contract.

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the purchase contracts. The description in the prospectus supplement will only be a summary, and you should read the purchase contracts, and, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements, relating to the purchase contracts. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase contracts will also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement.

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

Selling stockholders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired or will from time to time acquire from us, our securities. If the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is used by any selling stockholder for the resale of any shares of our common stock registered thereunder, information about such selling stockholder, its beneficial ownership of our securities and its relationship with us will be set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, or in one or more documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also disclose whether any of the selling stockholders has held any position or office with us, has been employed by us or otherwise has had a material relationship with us during the three years prior to the date of the applicable prospectus supplement.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We and any selling stockholder may sell our securities from time to time:

We or selling stockholders may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. In any applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering, we will name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions that we or selling stockholders must pay to any such agent. Any such agent will be acting on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The distribution of our securities stock may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:

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Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.

A prospectus supplement or supplements (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you with respect to a particular offering) will describe the terms of the offering of our securities, including the following:

If any underwriters or agents are used in the sale of our securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we or selling stockholders will enter into an underwriting agreement, sales agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

We may offer the securities, and selling stockholders may sell shares of our common stock, to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. In connection with the offering of securities, we or selling stockholders may grant to the underwriters an option to purchase additional securities with an additional underwriting commission, as may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we, a selling stockholder, or an underwriter will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer, who may be deemed to be an "underwriter" as that term is defined in the Securities Act, may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

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We or selling stockholders may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to those liabilities.

Selling stockholders may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act in connection with the common stock they resell and any profits on the sales may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we or selling stockholders will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us or selling stockholders pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:

Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with their remarketing of offered securities.

Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates, may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or selling stockholders or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

In order to facilitate the offering of our securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may over allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of our securities through a syndicate

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of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The anticipated date of delivery of offered securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to each offer.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities being offered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of those securities may be passed upon for Bruker by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, and for any underwriters or agents by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains a paragraph relating to the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting due to the exclusion of Biocrates Life Sciences GmbH, Ridom GmbH, RECIPE Chemicals + Instruments GmbH, and Molzym GmbH &Co. KG because they were acquired by

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the Company in purchase business combinations during 2025) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance with the Exchange Act, file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC's electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system, or EDGAR, via electronic means, including the SEC's home page on the Internet (http://www.sec.gov). Our corporate website address is www.bruker.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus, other than the documents we has filed with the SEC that are expressly incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete, and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" into this prospectus information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information in documents that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, except for information "furnished" under Items 2.02, 7.01 or 9.01 on Form 8-K or other information "furnished" to the SEC which is not deemed filed and not incorporated in this prospectus, until the termination of the offering of securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement. We hereby incorporate by reference the following documents:

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You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Secretary

Bruker Corporation

40 Manning Road

Billerica, MA 01821

(978) 663-3660

Copies of these filings are also available, without charge, on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on our website at www.bruker.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with the SEC. The information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus.

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Bruker Corporation

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

Depositary Shares

Subscription Rights

Purchase Contracts

PROSPECTUS

June 12, 2026

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the various expenses payable by us, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered.

* In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act, we are deferring payment of the SEC registration fee for the securities offered by this registration statement.

** These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and the amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

We are governed by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the "DGCL"). Section 145 of the DGCL provides as follows:

A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person's conduct was unlawful.

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A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

As permitted by the DGCL, we have included in our Certificate of Incorporation a provision to eliminate the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages for breach of our fiduciary duties as directors, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that we are required to indemnify our officers and directors under certain circumstances, including those circumstances in which indemnification would otherwise be discretionary, and we are required to advance expenses to our officers and directors as incurred in connection with proceedings against them for which they may be indemnified.

Article 10 of our Bylaws requires indemnification to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law of any person who is or was our director or officer who is or was involved or threatened to be made so involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was serving as our director, officer, employee or agent or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other enterprise.

Reference is made to Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, which enables a corporation in its original certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director for violations of the director's fiduciary duty, except (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, which provides for liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends of unlawful stock purchase or redemptions or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit. Article Tenth of our Certificate of Incorporation eliminates the personal liability of directors to the extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers. These agreements provide broader indemnity rights than those provided under the DGCL and our Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Bylaws. The indemnification agreements are not intended to deny or otherwise limit third-party or derivative suits against us or our directors or officers, but to the extent a director or officer were entitled to indemnity or contribution under the

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indemnification agreement, the financial burden of a third-party suit would be borne by us, and we would not benefit from derivative recoveries against the director or officer. Such recoveries would accrue to our benefit but would be offset by our obligations to the director or officer under the indemnification agreement.

We also maintain director and officer liability insurance that covers certain liabilities of its directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

The above discussion of our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, indemnification agreements, and Section 145 of the DGCL is not intended to be exhaustive and is respectively qualified in its entirety by such Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, indemnification agreements, and applicable statutes.

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Item 16. Exhibits.

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Item 17. Undertakings.

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Billerica, Commonwealth of Massachusetts on June 12, 2026.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of Bruker Corporation, hereby severally constitute and appoint Frank H. Laukien and Gerald N. Herman, and each of them singly (with full power to each of them to act alone), our true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as full to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on the dates indicated.

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