What RareCyte does

RareCyte is a Seattle-based private life sciences tools company that develops and commercializes precision biology platforms spanning two complementary technology pillars: the Orion spatial proteomics platform, which performs 20-channel single-round multiplex immunofluorescence imaging on tissue samples, and the CyteFinder liquid biopsy platform, which uses automated fluorescent imaging with machine-learning-assisted scoring to detect and phenotype circulating tumor cells (CTCs) at single-cell sensitivity. The Orion platform is offered in two commercial configurations — the Orion HT, a 30-slide clinical-scale instrument designed for unattended 24/7 operation, and the Orion LE, an entry-level instrument for translational and panel-development work — and is supported by a catalog of more than 500 validated antibody conjugates spanning 200+ biomarkers, with planned expansion to 300+ by end of 2026. The CyteFinder platform is paired with the AccuCyte sample preparation system, which transfers nucleated cells from blood to slides with minimal cell loss and supports seven-day blood stability for global clinical trial logistics, and with RarePlex CTC assay kits (including AR/ARv7, HER2/ER, and PD-L1 panels) plus a Developer kit for custom biomarker addition. A more recent addition is the TrophoSeq assay for non-invasive isolation and sequencing of circulating trophoblasts from maternal blood, used in fetal growth restriction research.

RareCyte monetizes through a hybrid revenue model combining capital instrument sales (Orion HT, Orion LE, CyteFinder II, CyteFinder II HT), recurring consumables and reagent sales (RarePlex kits, Orion validated antibodies), subscription-style data management and analysis software (OMERO Plus integration, OrionQuantification), and Precision Biology Services — a CLIA-accredited, ISO 13485:2016-certified laboratory offering custom assay development, clinical trial testing, and biomarker research delivered from Seattle. Pricing is quote-based; published reference points include roughly $25-$30 per biomarker per slide for Orion reagents, with a 15-plex panel typically under $500 per slide. Customers span large biopharma (Eli Lilly, Agenus, Astellas, KSQ Therapeutics), elite academic medical centers (Harvard Medical School, Weill Cornell, Mass General, University of Washington, University of Sydney), and Contract Research Organizations (Navigate BioPharma, CellCarta, NeoGenomics, ICON plc), with the company stating it has supported 60+ clinical trials and developed 100+ custom assays across diverse indications.

The company sells directly in North America and through a network of regional distributors covering Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific (Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand). Leadership includes Joe Victor as President and CEO, Neil Kennedy as President (appointed April 2026 to lead commercial scaling), Stephen D. Reichenbach as CFO, and founder Ron Seubert, with Eric Kaldjian (SVP Clinical Research, previously CMO) and Tad George (SVP Biology R&D) overseeing clinical and R&D functions. Founded in 2006, RareCyte has raised approximately $74 million in disclosed equity financing across rounds in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024, plus a 2025 Gates Foundation grant.

Name

RareCyte

Legal name

RareCyte, Inc.

Website

https://rarecyte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RareCyte is a Seattle-based life sciences tools company that develops spatial proteomics (Orion, 20-channel multiplex imaging) and liquid biopsy (CyteFinder CTC) platforms, serving biopharma, academic medical centers, and CROs with instruments, reagents, and CLIA-accredited laboratory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Research Instruments

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Proteomics & Biomarker Analytical Testing (HLAGADAG)

Keywords

• Spatial biology instruments
• Liquid biopsy platforms
• Spatial proteomics
• Circulating tumor cells
• Biomarker development

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Spatial Biology Instruments: Sale of Orion and CyteFinder imaging instruments to biopharma, academic, and clinical research laboratories.
2. Reagents and Consumables: Sale of antibody conjugates, RarePlex CTC assay kits, and consumables for use with Orion and CyteFinder platforms. Over 500 products and 200+ biomarkers available.
3. Precision Biology Services: CLIA-accredited laboratory services including custom assay development, clinical trial testing, and biomarker research. Services performed under CLIA and ISO 13485 certifications.
4. Software Applications: Software products including OrionQuantification, OMERO Plus data management, and analysis tools for spatial biology data.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RareCyte develops and sells the Orion spatial proteomics platform and the CyteFinder liquid biopsy platform, along with associated reagents, consumables, and CLIA-accredited Precision Biology laboratory services. The company's offerings enable biopharma, academic medical research, and contract research customers to perform 20-channel single-round multiplex tissue imaging and ultra-sensitive circulating tumor cell analysis for biomarker development and clinical trial testing.

Product overview

RareCyte offers two integrated technology platforms — the Orion™ Spatial Proteomics platform and the CyteFinder® Rare Cell Detection platform — supported by a portfolio of consumable reagents and Precision Biology™ laboratory services. The Orion platform (including Orion HT and Orion LE instruments) provides high-plex spatial proteomics imaging with 20 channels in a single round, driven by validated reagent products (500+ antibody conjugates across 200+ biomarkers) and data analysis tools including OMERO Plus integration and Halo AI image analysis. The CyteFinder platform (CyteFinder II and CyteFinder II HT instruments) paired with AccuCyte® sample preparation and RarePlex® CTC assay kits (AR/ARv7, HER2/ER, PD-L1, and Developer kits) enables liquid biopsy workflows for circulating tumor cell detection. Both platforms feed into Precision Biology Services — a CLIA- and ISO 13485-certified laboratory service offering custom assay development, clinical trial testing, and biomarker research delivered from Seattle-based facilities. Recent additions include the TrophoSeq™ circulating trophoblast assay for maternal-fetal health research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orion™: High-plex spatial proteomics platform for clinical-scale biomarker development, featuring 20-channel single-round imaging technology.
• CyteFinder®
• AccuCyte®
• RarePlex®
• Precision Biology™
• TrophoSeq™

Products and services

• Orion Spatial Proteomics Platform High-plex spatial proteomics platform delivering 20-channel multiplex immunofluorescence imaging of tissue samples in a single round for biomarker development and clinical research.
• Orion HT High-capacity, clinical-scale spatial proteomics instrument with 30-slide automation, 24/7 unattended operation, 20-channel single-round whole-slide scanning, sub-micron resolution, and barcode-driven sample chain-of-custody. Designed for large cohort biomarker programs and multi-user environments.
• Orion LE Affordable and streamlined spatial proteomics instrument for biomarker panel development, assay optimization, and translational studies, complementing the high-throughput Orion HT system.
• CyteFinder Rare Cell Detection Platform Automated fluorescent imaging platform with integrated machine learning for high-sensitivity detection and phenotyping of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and other rare cells from liquid biopsy samples.
• CyteFinder II CyteFinder instrument with CytePicker retrieval module for single-cell or tissue micro-region isolation and molecular analysis, 6-channel immunofluorescence and brightfield imaging, sub-cellular resolution.
• CyteFinder II HT High-capacity CyteFinder instrument with 80-slide capacity for 24/7 unattended scanning, barcode workflow, immunofluorescence and brightfield imaging modes, 6 channels, and ML-based CTC scoring.
• AccuCyte Sample Preparation System Sample preparation system that transfers nucleated cells from blood to slides with virtually no cell loss, enabling 7-day blood stability for global shipment and 3-year slide stability for sample banking and batch testing.
• RarePlex CTC Assays Comprehensive suite of circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection and phenotyping assays for liquid biopsy, covering prostate, breast, lung, melanoma, and immuno-oncology applications with up to 5-plex customizable panels.
• RarePlex AR/ARv7 CTC Panel Kit Panel kit for prostate cancer CTC analysis detecting androgen receptor (AR) and androgen receptor splice variant 7 (ARv7) biomarker expression on CTCs, suitable for multi-center clinical trials.
• RarePlex HER2/ER CTC Panel Kit Panel kit for breast cancer CTC analysis detecting HER2 and ER biomarker expression on CTCs, suitable for large multi-center clinical trials.
• RarePlex PD-L1 CTC Panel Kit Panel kit for immuno-oncology applications detecting PD-L1 expression on CTCs for measuring biomarker response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies in clinical trials.
• RarePlex Developer Kit Developer technology enabling users to add up to two custom biomarkers to RarePlex CTC assays, using 405 or 488 channel chemistry, for maximum flexibility in custom assay development.
• TrophoSeq Assay Liquid biopsy assay for non-invasive isolation and sequencing of circulating trophoblasts (circTBs) from maternal blood, providing a molecular window into placental physiology for fetal growth restriction research.
• Precision Biology Services End-to-end laboratory services including custom assay development, clinical trial testing, and biomarker research powered by Orion and CyteFinder platforms, delivered from CLIA-accredited and ISO 13485-certified Seattle-based labs.
• Orion Validated Reagents and Panels Portfolio of over 500 validated antibody conjugates spanning 200+ biomarkers for the Orion platform, all validated for single-round multiplex compatibility with a single antigen retrieval condition, enabling rapid custom panel assembly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% CTC recovery rate in validation studies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Cape Town (UCT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025Partnership with Prof. Mushi Matjila and Dr. Nadia Ikumi at UCT to conduct fetal growth restriction research. Study will enroll pregnant women at Groote Schuur Hospital in South Africa, generating cellular and transcriptomic profiles of circulating trophoblasts.
• Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2024Collaboration to provide enhanced spatial biology capabilities using the Orion platform. Navigate offers multiplex spatial biology assay services for rapid, whole-slide imaging and analysis at subcellular resolution, featuring ready-to-run assay panels and customization for studies across multiple drug targets and therapeutic areas.
• CellCartaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2024Qualified Service Provider offering validated Orion and CyteFinder workflows, trained and certified directly by RareCyte.
• NeoGenomicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2024Qualified Service Provider offering validated Orion and CyteFinder workflows, trained and certified directly by RareCyte.
• ICON plcminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2024Qualified Service Provider offering validated Orion and CyteFinder workflows, trained and certified directly by RareCyte.
• Agenus Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2024Botensilimab/Balstilimab breakthrough data presented at ASCO-GI using Orion spatial biomarker analysis, demonstrating significant tumor-shrinking activity in MSS colorectal cancer.
• Astellas Pharma Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 June 2023Astellas established TME iLab open innovation hub using Orion spatial biology platform in Mitsui Fudosan's research facility in Japan for tumor microenvironment research.
• Wellcome LeapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2022Selected for the $50M In Utero program to create scalable capacity to measure, model and predict gestational development. RareCyte utilizes its rare cell platform for non-invasive characterization of the placenta using AccuCyte/CyteFinder technology to isolate circulating trophoblasts.
• GastroIntestinal Research Foundation (GIRF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2022Funded for CA CURE initiative to test gastrointestinal cancer patient samples within clinical trials to determine CTC burden and selected biomarker analysis.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Peter K. Sorger and Dr. Sandro Santagata's team published Nature Cancer study identifying spatial signatures predictive of survival/recurrence in colorectal cancer patients using Orion platform, analyzing over 100 million cells from 74 patients.
• Weill Cornell MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Pashtoon Kasi led study published in Nature Oncogene demonstrating neoadjuvant immunotherapy response in MSS CRC using Orion spatial biology platform.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 10x Genomics: 10x Genomics' Visium HD and Xenium in situ platforms are direct competitors to RareCyte's Orion spatial biology platform, serving the same biopharma and academic translational research customers with multiplex spatial omics offerings.
• NanoString Technologies (Bruker Spatial Biology): NanoString's GeoMx DSP and CosMx SMI spatial biology platforms directly compete with RareCyte's Orion — both offering high-plex spatial proteomics/transcriptomics for biopharma biomarker programs and clinical research.
• Akoya Biosciences: Akoya's PhenoCycler-Fusion (formerly CODEX) and PhenoImager HT spatial proteomics platforms directly compete with RareCyte's Orion, targeting immuno-oncology and tumor microenvironment research at biopharma and academic customers.
• Menarini Silicon Biosystems: Menarini's CELLSEARCH is the established circulating tumor cell (CTC) platform and a direct competitor to RareCyte's CyteFinder in clinical trial CTC enumeration and monitoring for oncology drug development.

Emerging players

• Stellaromics: Stellaromics is a recent spatial biology entrant that, like RareCyte, has been highlighted as a driver of innovation and funding momentum in the high-plex spatial omics market — an emerging peer for spatial biology programs.
• Curio Bioscience: Curio offers spatial transcriptomics via its Curio Seeker platform for tissue profiling. RareCyte's newly appointed President (Neil Kennedy) was previously CCO of Curio before its acquisition by Takara Bio, indicating operational overlap and competitor reference.

Broad incumbents

• Standard BioTools (formerly Fluidigm): Standard BioTools' Hyperion Imaging Mass Cytometry (tissue and Imaging Mass Cytometry) provides an alternative high-plex spatial biology approach serving translational research customers similar to RareCyte's Orion platform.
• Bruker Corporation: Bruker acquired NanoString in 2024 and now bundles spatial biology with broader mass spectrometry and proteomics instrumentation. As a larger incumbent, Bruker can bundle spatial workflow solutions that compete with RareCyte's Orion + services offering.
• Bio-Techne: Bio-Techne's spatial biology reagents (RNAscope in situ hybridization, Eclipse antibody conjugates) and broader proteomics catalog serve overlapping translational research customers, with reagent bundling strategies that can compete with RareCyte's 500+ reagent/200+ biomarker offerings.

Others

• NeoGenomics: NeoGenomics is both a partner (certified CRO service provider for Orion/CyteFinder workflows) and adjacent competitor — its own oncology-focused clinical lab services and spatial biology capabilities place it as ecosystem-relevant compared with RareCyte's Precision Biology Services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rarecyte
• Xx.com/RareCyte

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RareCyte