STEMCELL Technologies Announces Acquisition of Cellular Highways

Business Wire

02-06-2025

VANCOUVER, British Columbia & CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STEMCELL Technologies, Canada's largest biotechnology company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Cellular Highways Ltd from TTP Group Ltd. Cellular Highways is a biotechnology company based near Cambridge, United Kingdom, that specializes in advanced cell sorting technologies with applications in cell and gene therapy, drug discovery, and general cell research, especially where cells are fragile.
The acquisition includes the revolutionary Highway1 instrument, which uses Cellular Highways' proprietary VACS™ (Vortex-Actuated Cell Sorting) technology. VACS™ gently and precisely sorts cells and enables high-speed cell sorting in a closed, sterile system through microfluidic vortices. VACS™ uniquely avoids traditional non-sterile droplet-based and electrostatic sorting methods, which can degrade cell health and viability. Highway1 enables researchers and cell therapy developers to process cells more efficiently while maintaining high cell integrity for sensitive applications in research and therapeutic development. This significantly reduces the timelines and costs for research and development.
'Since entering the market in 2024, Highway1 has proven to be the fastest GMP-ready cell sorter available and is designed and manufactured under ISO 13485 certification. We are pleased to welcome this powerful instrument, along with the entire Cellular Highways platform, to STEMCELL's portfolio of advanced cell processing instruments," said Dr. Allen Eaves, President and CEO, STEMCELL. 'With this new complement to our existing cell isolation and culture product lines, we look forward to further supporting scientists with the tools they need to accelerate innovation in the development of life-changing cell and gene therapies.'
Current Highway1 customers will receive continued technical support from STEMCELL's dedicated team of Product and Scientific Support specialists.
'Cellular Highways customers are in great hands with STEMCELL—a major player in the global biotechnology industry with a stellar reputation for its best-in-class products and customer service,' said Dr. Alex Jones on behalf of Cellular Highways. 'With STEMCELL's global reach, we are excited that this acquisition will help introduce Highway1 to even more labs around the world.'
'The acquisition is a testament to Cellular Highways' exceptional team and innovation. With STEMCELL's reputation and global reach, it is ideally positioned to thrive in the rapidly growing research and cell therapy manufacturing markets,' said Dr. Sam Hyde, CEO of TTP. 'For TTP Group, this demonstrates our unique ability to build and nurture businesses that deliver breakthrough technologies, transform them into market-leading products, and create significant value.'
'This acquisition aligns with STEMCELL's strategic growth in the cell therapy space,' said Dr. Eaves. 'With this enhanced ability to support cutting-edge research and biomanufacturing workflows, we will continue to help the scientific community advance research and make discoveries with greater speed and accuracy.'
About STEMCELL Technologies
STEMCELL Technologies supports life sciences research with more than 2,500 specialized reagents, tools, and services. STEMCELL offers high-quality cell culture media, cell separation technologies, instruments, accessory products, educational resources, and contract assay services that are used by scientists performing stem cell, immunology, cancer, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapy research globally.
About TTP Group
TTP Group is an independent technology company where scientists and engineers collaborate to invent, design, and engineer breakthrough technologies and products. Working across sectors including healthcare, life sciences, communications, and industrials, TTP combines deep technical expertise with commercial insight to deliver innovations that drive progress and create value. Founded in 1987, TTP Group develops technologies and products for clients worldwide and nurtures high-impact venture businesses.
About Cellular Highways
Cellular Highways was founded to take fluorescence-based cell sorting into new therapy development and research applications, requiring fast, gentle, sterile, scalable cell sorting, using the unique potential of the VACS™ technology. Cellular Highways span out from TTP Group.