What Wilson Wolf Corporation does

Wilson Wolf Corporation (legal entity: Wilson Wolf Manufacturing LLC) is a privately held Minnesota-based medical device manufacturer founded in 1998 that develops the G-Rex (Gas Permeable Rapid Expansion) line of mammalian cell culture devices. The G-Rex platform is built on a patented scientific insight that convection, rather than diffusion, governs nutrient transport to cells: a gas permeable membrane at the base of each device enables cells to sit beneath an unconventionally high column of medium, receiving oxygen and nutrients on demand without pumps, mixing, shaking, or perfusion. The product portfolio spans small-scale research plates (G-Rex24/6 Well) through mid-scale (G-Rex5M–100M) and large-scale (G-Rex500M) bioreactors, with closed-system (CS) variants for clinical and commercial GMP manufacturing, tumor fragment (TF) variants for TIL workflows, and the GatheRex automated harvest pump as a supporting instrument. The primary use cases are cell and gene therapy manufacturing — CAR-T, TCR, TIL, NK, Treg, CIK, and HSC therapies — where G-Rex competes against rocker bioreactors, hollow-fiber systems, and stirred-tank bioreactors with demonstrated cost, labor, and time advantages.

The company's revenue model combines direct unit sales of disposable G-Rex devices (ranging from approximately $108 per well plate to $8,050 per large-scale bioreactor pack) with participation in the ScaleReady joint venture, an equal partnership with Bio-Techne and Fresenius Kabi launched in 2021 that integrates G-Rex with GMP reagents and automated cell processing into an end-to-end CGT manufacturing platform. Wilson Wolf sells exclusively through direct channels (phone, email, fax) to enterprise CGT developers, academic medical centers, and CDMOs, with technical support routed through ScaleReady. The customer base exceeds 800 CGT entities globally. In March 2023, Bio-Techne invested $257 million for a 20% stake at a $1.285 billion post-money valuation after Wilson Wolf met a $55 million trailing 12-month EBITDA target, with a contingent $1 billion buyout option tied to $226 million revenue or $136 million EBITDA by December 31, 2027. Founder John Wilson additionally established CellReady, a G-Rex-centric CDMO, in 2023 to extend the platform into contract manufacturing services.

Name

Wilson Wolf Corporation

Legal name

Wilson Wolf Manufacturing LLC

Website

https://wilsonwolf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wilson Wolf Corporation is a privately held Minnesota manufacturer founded in 1998 that develops G-Rex, a patented gas-permeable cell culture platform used by more than 800 cell and gene therapy developers, academic centers, and CDMOs worldwide for CAR-T, TIL, NK, and other immune cell therapy manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Culture Bioreactor Devices

NAICS

Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies (HLAAAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Cell culture devices
• Bioreactor products
• Cell therapy manufacturing
• Gas permeable technology
• Mammalian cell expansion

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. G-Rex Cell Culture Device Sales: Wilson Wolf generates revenue through the sale of its G-Rex cell culture products — disposable, single-use devices ranging from small well plates (G-Rex24 Well, G-Rex6 Well) to large-scale bioreactors (G-Rex500M). Products are registered as Class I medical devices and sold directly to CGT developers, academic institutions, and CDMOs. Pricing ranges from ~$108 per unit for small well plates to ~$8,050 per 2-pack for large-scale bioreactors. The company has experienced an average annual sales growth rate of nearly 100% over the last 5 years (as of early 2023).
2. ScaleReady Joint Venture (Platform Royalties/Revenue Share): ScaleReady is a joint venture equally owned by Bio-Techne, Fresenius Kabi, and Wilson Wolf. It provides a G-Rex-centric CGT manufacturing platform combining Wilson Wolf's G-Rex technology, Bio-Techne's GMP proteins/reagents/media, and Fresenius Kabi's cell processing systems. ScaleReady generates revenue through sales, marketing, and application support for the integrated platform globally.
3. G-Rex Grant Program (Customer Adoption Support): ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, operates the G-Rex Grant program with over $40 million in commitments to facilitate customer adoption of the G-Rex platform. These are non-dilutive grants awarded to investigators and companies (e.g., Sonoma Biotherapeutics $300,000, Children's National Hospital $375,000 total, Sidra Medicine $100,000, Immuneel Therapeutics $150,000) to support their transition to or use of the G-Rex manufacturing platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wilson Wolf Corporation develops and manufactures the G-Rex (Gas Permeable Rapid Expansion) line of proprietary mammalian cell culture devices used in cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing. The G-Rex platform is based on gas permeable membrane technology that enables convection-driven nutrient transport to cells without pumps, mixing, or shaking. Products are sold as Class I medical devices directly to CGT developers, academic medical centers, and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs).

Product overview

Wilson Wolf Corporation offers the G-Rex (Gas Permeable Rapid Expansion) line of cell culture devices, a unified platform of disposable, single-use bioreactors for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. The portfolio spans from small-scale research devices (24 Well Plates, 6 Well Plates, 5M, 10, 10M) to clinical and commercial-scale systems (100, 100M, 500M), with closed system variants (CS series) featuring semi-automated liquid handling, and tumor fragment models (TF series) for TIL therapy. The G-Rex platform uses a proprietary gas permeable membrane technology that allows cells to receive oxygen and nutrients on demand without perfusion, mixing, or shaking. Accessories include the GatheRex Cell Harvest Pump for automated cell concentration and G-Rex Processing Bags. The company operates through ScaleReady, a joint venture with Bio-Techne and Fresenius Kabi, providing an integrated CGT manufacturing platform combining G-Rex cell culture with cell activation, gene editing, and cell processing technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• G-Rex 24 Well Plate Gas permeable cell culture device with 2cm² membrane and 8mL media capacity, designed to expand 1 million cells into 40-80 million cells in about 12 days with two medium exchanges. Targeted at research-scale applications.
• G-Rex 6 Well Plate Gas permeable cell culture device with 10cm² membrane and 40mL media capacity, designed to expand 5 million cells into 200-400 million cells in about 12 days with two medium exchanges. For research-scale applications.
• G-Rex 6M Well Plates High cell density gas permeable multi-well plates (2cm², 5cm², and 10cm² variants) using optimized 10mL/cm² media-to-surface ratio, enabling cell expansion without medium exchange in approximately 10 days.
• G-Rex 5M Gas permeable rapid expansion device with 5cm² membrane and 50mL media capacity; expands 2.5 million cells into 100-200 million cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 10 Gas permeable rapid expansion device with 10cm² membrane and 40mL media capacity; expands 5 million cells into 200-400 million cells in about 12 days with two medium exchanges.
• G-Rex 10M High cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 10cm² membrane and 100mL media capacity using optimal 10mL/cm² ratio; expands 5 million cells into 200-400 million cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 10M-CS (Closed System) Closed system gas permeable rapid expansion device with 10cm² membrane and 100mL media capacity, featuring semi-automated liquid handling for clinical-grade cell expansion.
• G-Rex 50M High cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 50cm² membrane and 500mL media capacity; expands 25 million cells into 1-2 billion cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 50M-CS (Closed System) Closed system high cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 50cm² membrane and 500mL media capacity, featuring semi-automated liquid handling for large-scale clinical cell expansion.
• G-Rex 50M-TF (Tumor Fragment Closed System) Closed system gas permeable rapid expansion device with 50cm² membrane and 500mL media capacity, featuring a removable cap designed for tumor fragment addition for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy applications.
• G-Rex 100 Gas permeable rapid expansion device with 100cm² membrane and 450mL media capacity; expands 50 million cells into 2-4 billion cells in about 12 days with two medium exchanges.
• G-Rex 100M High cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 100cm² membrane and 1000mL media capacity; expands 50 million cells into 2-4 billion cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 100M-CS (Closed System) Closed system high cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 100cm² membrane and 1000mL media capacity, featuring semi-automated liquid handling for commercial-scale clinical cell expansion. The G-Rex100M-CS provides 2-4 billion cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 500M High cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 500cm² membrane and 5000mL media capacity; expands 250 million cells into 10-20 billion cells in about 10 days with no medium exchange.
• G-Rex 500M-CS (Closed System) Closed system high cell density gas permeable rapid expansion device with 500cm² membrane and 5000mL media capacity, featuring semi-automated liquid handling for large-scale commercial cell therapy manufacturing.
• G-Rex 500M-TF (Tumor Fragment Closed System) Closed system gas permeable rapid expansion device with 500cm² membrane and 5000mL media capacity, featuring removable cap for tumor fragment addition and semi-automated cell harvest with GatheRex Pump for TIL therapy manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Can turn 300 million cells into 100 billion cells in just 11 days (shortest possible production cycle for T-cell therapies)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CellReadycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023CellReady is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) founded by John Wilson, who is also the founder and CEO of Wilson Wolf Corporation and Marker Therapeutics Co-Founder and Board Member. CellReady acquired certain cell manufacturing assets from Marker Therapeutics for approximately $19 million in cash (transaction closed June 26, 2023) and employs Marker's manufacturing, development, quality, and regulatory affairs personnel. CellReady enters into long-term service agreements with Marker to perform R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory activities. CellReady's mission is to radically improve the CGT business model by providing a standard G-Rex-centric cell manufacturing platform, manufacturing protocols, quality management system, and CMC section sanctioned by the FDA.
• ScaleReady (Bio-Techne + Fresenius Kabi + Wilson Wolf)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2020ScaleReady is a joint venture equally owned by Bio-Techne Corporation, Fresenius Kabi, and Wilson Wolf Manufacturing. Announced January 2020 (formation) and formally launched January 2021, ScaleReady integrates the partners' complementary technologies — Wilson Wolf's G-Rex cell culture, Fresenius Kabi's Lovo and upcoming Cue cell processing systems, and Bio-Techne's GMP proteins, reagents, media, and gene editing technologies — into a unified CGT manufacturing platform covering the full spectrum from R&D to commercial drug product manufacturing. The platform is designed to be the most simple, scalable, and versatile in the industry, enabling CGT companies to save at least 2 years of time and millions of dollars.
• Fresenius KabicoreTechnology or Integration · 21 January 2020Fresenius Kabi is one of the three equal co-owners of the ScaleReady joint venture alongside Bio-Techne and Wilson Wolf. Fresenius Kabi contributes its Lovo cell processing system (washes, concentrates, and harvests cells at clinical and commercial scale) and its upcoming Cue cell processing system to the ScaleReady platform. Fresenius Kabi brings expertise in automated cell processing and closed-system development to the partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cytiva: Global life-science tools leader (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences) offering Xuri cell expansion systems, rocking-motion bioreactors, and single-use cell culture consumables used in CGT manufacturing. Comparable to Wilson Wolf as an upstream supplier of bioreactor systems, but with a much broader portfolio across modalities.
• Sartorius: Major bioprocessing supplier of single-use bioreactors (e.g., Biostat RM, Biostat B) and cell therapy process solutions. Comparable as a CGT manufacturing equipment incumbent competing for the same cell-expansion workflow dollars.
• Lonza: Global CDMO and bioprocessing technology provider offering cell therapy manufacturing services and equipment (Cocoon, Modulus). Comparable as both a CGT process technology provider and a CDMO customer of upstream cell culture platforms.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gibco Cell Culture): Supplies Gibco cell culture media, sera, and consumables as well as the CTS Rotea counterflow centrifugation system for cell therapy. Comparable as a critical CGT upstream supplier competing for share of the cell and gene therapy manufacturing workflow.

Direct peers

• Miltenyi Biotec: Provides the Prodigy and CliniMACS cell processing and expansion systems used across CGT manufacturing. Directly comparable to G-Rex as a workflow anchor for T-cell, CAR-T, and gene-edited cell therapy production.
• Terumo BCT: Provides the Quantum Cell Expansion System and Finia fill/finish system used in cell therapy manufacturing. Directly comparable to G-Rex as a cell expansion platform serving similar CAR-T and stem cell therapy customers.
• StemCell Technologies: Supplies cell culture media, reagents, and instruments for stem cell and immune cell workflows used in CGT R&D and manufacturing. Comparable to Wilson Wolf as a supplier into cell therapy laboratories with overlapping customer segments.

Emerging players

• Cellares: Emerging automated cell therapy manufacturing platform (Cell Shuttle) targeting integrated, high-throughput CAR-T production. Comparable to G-Rex as a next-generation CGT manufacturing platform, with a stronger automation thesis.
• Ori Biotech: Develops an automated, closed-system cell and gene therapy manufacturing platform (Iro) targeting scalable CGT production. Comparable to G-Rex as a workflow competitor, with a more automation-heavy approach.

Others

• Bio-Techne: Strategic minority investor and ScaleReady JV partner providing GMP proteins, reagents, media, and gene editing tools for CGT. Comparable as a co-developer of the integrated ScaleReady platform and a proxy for how a strategic acquirer would value G-Rex.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilson-wolf-corporation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Wilson Wolf Corporation