What PL BioScience does

PL BioScience GmbH is a privately held German life sciences company founded in 2015 as a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, headquartered in Aachen and operating from a new 1,200 m² facility that supports up to 20,000 liters of annual production capacity. The company develops and manufactures Human Platelet Lysate (HPL) cell culture supplements under its ELAREM™ platform, positioning HPL as a xeno-free, animal-origin-free alternative to Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) for 2D and 3D cell culture. Its three product lines — ELAREM™ Prime (research/diagnostics), ELAREM™ Perform (pre-clinical/GMP), and ELAREM™ Ultimate (virus-inactivated, gamma-irradiated clinical grade) — are complemented by the ELAREM™ Matrix Kit hydrogel for 3D MSC culture and the recently announced artificial HPL (aHPL) developed with South Korea's DewCell Biotherapeutics.

The company's customer base spans academic research institutions (universities and hospitals), pre-clinical biotech companies, and cell therapy/regenerative medicine manufacturers (including CDMOs), with selected applications extending into biopharmaceutical and vaccine production. Revenue is generated through direct product sales across Research, GMP, and GMP-Clinical grades via an e-commerce storefront, direct enterprise sales for larger buyers, and exclusive regional distribution partners — Captivate BIO for North America and Summit Pharmaceuticals International (a Sumitomo Corporation subsidiary) for Japan. Pricing is unit-based with quote-based arrangements for larger orders and no publicly disclosed list prices.

PL BioScience has raised approximately €11.5 million across seed and Series A rounds (the latest being a €7.8M Series A in August 2024), is backed by AVANT BIO, Brightlands Venture Partners, TechVision Fund, BORN2GROW, LePure Biotech, b.value AG, and better ventures, and holds a global patent on gamma-irradiated HPL plus a worldwide sublicensable license under Macopharma's HPL patents. Its strategic differentiation rests on proprietary manufacturing IP (gamma irradiation, fibrinogen-depleted formulations, artificial platelet processing), regulatory milestones including the first PMDA Material Qualification Certificate for clinical-grade HPL in Japan, and partnerships that have built a global distribution footprint across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Name

PL BioScience

Legal name

PL BioScience GmbH

Website

https://pl-bioscience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PL BioScience GmbH, a 2015 RWTH Aachen University spin-off based in Germany, manufactures Human Platelet Lysate (HPL) cell culture supplements under the ELAREM™ platform as xeno-free alternatives to Fetal Bovine Serum for academic researchers, cell therapy developers, and biopharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Culture Supplements

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems) (HLAAAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) & Blood-Derived Orthobiologics (HLAMANAB)

Keywords

• Human platelet lysate
• Cell culture supplements
• Xeno-free media
• Regenerative medicine reagents
• GMP-grade biologics

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

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. HPL Product Sales: Sale of Human Platelet Lysate products across multiple safety grades including Research Grade, GMP Grade, and GMP-Clinical Grade. Product lines include ELAREM Prime (affordable option for academic research), ELAREM Perform (pre-clinical applications), and ELAREM Ultimate (virus-inactivated for therapeutic applications).
2. Online Shop Sales: Direct e-commerce sales through the company's website where customers can register accounts and purchase products directly. Pricing is quote-based for larger orders with shipment costs determined after order confirmation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PL BioScience develops, manufactures, and sells Human Platelet Lysate (HPL) cell culture supplements under the ELAREM platform as an animal-free, xeno-free alternative to Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). Products are offered in three tiers (Prime, Perform, Ultimate) across Research Grade, GMP Grade, and GMP-Clinical Grade specifications for academic, pre-clinical, cell therapy, and biopharmaceutical applications, complemented by an ELAREM Matrix Kit for 3D cell culture.

Product overview

PL BioScience offers the ELAREM™ platform, the broadest portfolio of Human Platelet Lysate (HPL) products globally. The platform is organized into three product lines addressing different stages of the cell culture journey: ELAREM™ Prime (entry-level for academic research and diagnostics), ELAREM™ Perform (mid-tier for pre-clinical research with enhanced performance), and ELAREM™ Ultimate (premium tier for cell therapy with virus-inactivated, gamma-irradiated formulations). Each product line offers multiple variants including fibrinogen-depleted (FD/FD PLUS), research grade, and GMP grade options. ELAREM™ Matrix Kit provides 3D cell culture support as a hydrogel-based add-on. The company also developed the world's first artificial HPL (aHPL) solution in partnership with DewCell Biotherapeutics, enabling scalable, animal-free cell culture supplements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELAREM™ Prime: Affordable Human Platelet Lysate tailored to academic research and diagnostics needs, serving as a xeno-free substitute for Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)
• ELAREM™ Perform
• ELAREM™ Ultimate
• ELAREM™ Matrix Kit

Products and services

• ELAREM Prime Affordable Human Platelet Lysate derived from reprocessed transfusion-approved platelets, designed as a xeno-free substitute for Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) for academic research and diagnostic applications. Available in Research Grade with fibrinogen-depleted variants (Prime-FD PLUS).
• ELAREM Perform High-performance Human Platelet Lysate product line supporting pre-clinical research in regenerative medicine and cell therapy development. Available in Research Grade and GMP Grade, with fibrinogen-depleted variants (Perform-FD, Perform-FD PLUS, Perform-FD PLUS X) for 2D and 3D cell culture applications.
• ELAREM Ultimate Virus-inactivated, gamma-irradiated Human Platelet Lysate meeting highest safety guidelines for therapeutic and clinical cell manufacturing. Available in GMP Grade variants (Ultimate-FD PLUS, Ultimate-FDi) with proven viral reduction for regenerative medicine programs.
• ELAREM Matrix Kit Flexible hydrogel-based matrix serving as a carrier structure and nutrient supplier for 3D cell cultivation and isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs).
• Artificial Human Platelet Lysate (aHPL) World's first artificial Human Platelet Lysate produced from lab-grown platelets (developed with DewCell Biotherapeutics), offering a scalable, safe, animal-free cell culture supplement alternative to FBS and donor-derived HPL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Superior MSC expansion with enhanced immunomodulatory properties compared to FBS-based media
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Summit Pharmaceuticals International (SPI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2026Exclusive distribution agreement for Japanese market. SPI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, serves as exclusive distributor for ELAREM™ platform products including ELAREM™ Ultimate-FD PLUS. SPI handles product supply, commercial support, and procurement for clinical applications.
• DewCell BiotherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Strategic partnership with South Korean biotech company DewCell Biotherapeutics to develop artificial Human Platelet Lysate (aHPL). DewCell is the first company to generate artificial platelets from stem cells in a reactor. PL BioScience produces the final aHPL product in Germany using raw materials from DewCell.
• Macopharma S.A.S.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 June 2023Patent License and Assignment Agreement regarding HPL cell culture supplements. PL BioScience received worldwide license under Macopharma's HPL patents with sublicensing rights for the license duration. Agreement also includes redirection of Macopharma's HPL customers to PL BioScience.
• Captivate BIOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2021Distribution partnership covering North America (US and Canada). Captivate BIO, a women-led scientific solutions provider in Massachusetts, distributes all ELAREM™ Human Platelet Lysate product lines to accelerate research and discovery in regenerative medicine.
• MedaceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Partnership with Medace, a biomedical co-workspace in Maastricht, Netherlands. PL BioScience established R&D and pilot production activities at Medace's facility, utilizing their research and cleanroom infrastructure for new product development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Compass Biomedical: Specializes in human platelet lysate production for regenerative medicine and cell therapy applications. Direct HPL competitor with overlapping MSC expansion and clinical cell manufacturing use cases.
• ZenBio: Supplier of human platelet lysate and primary cells for research and clinical applications. One of the few direct HPL competitors to PL BioScience, with comparable product positioning in the xeno-free supplement space.
• Stemcell Technologies: Specializes in cell culture media, reagents, and tools for stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Direct competitor in the academic and pre-clinical HPL-adjacent segment, with overlapping customer base in MSC and iPSC research.

Broad incumbents

• Corning Life Sciences: Supplies cell culture vessels, media, and supplements widely used in cell therapy manufacturing. Overlaps with PL BioScience's customer base in providing GMP-compatible raw materials for clinical cell expansion workflows.
• Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich): Supplies cell culture media and supplements under the Sigma-Aldrich and BioReliance brands, including FBS alternatives. Overlaps with PL BioScience in supplying xeno-free and GMP-grade inputs to cell therapy manufacturers.
• Bio-Techne: Supplies premium reagents and cell culture supplements including GMP-grade media through its R&D Systems and ProteinSimple brands. Comparable in serving cell therapy and regenerative medicine developers with high-quality biological inputs.
• Cytiva: Global bioprocessing leader offering FBS, cell culture media, and supplements to cell therapy manufacturers. Comparable as a cell culture supplement provider serving the same regenerative medicine and cell therapy customer base, though operating across a vastly broader portfolio.
• Sartorius: Major bioprocess equipment and cell culture media supplier with strong cell therapy customer footprint. Comparable in serving downstream GMP manufacturing needs for cell and gene therapy, though primarily via upstream processing rather than supplements.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life sciences supplier globally, including Gibco-branded FBS and serum-free media. Directly serves cell therapy and regenerative medicine customers with cell culture supplements, competing for the same procurement budgets as PL BioScience's ELAREM line.

Others

• Macopharma: Original HPL patent holder and former supplier whose patents PL BioScience now licenses. Both a licensor/partner and indirect competitor in the HPL space, with overlapping historical customer base that PL BioScience is now redirecting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 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 PL BioScience