Univercells
Univercells is a Belgian life sciences company providing end-to-end, low-cost biomanufacturing solutions for vaccines and RNA-based therapies, serving vaccine manufacturers and RNA therapy developers through its scale-X bioreactor and Quantoom RNA platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersGosselies, Belgium
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Univercells does
Univercells is a Belgian life sciences company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Gosselies, Belgium, that provides end-to-end, low-cost biomanufacturing solutions for vaccines and advanced therapies. The company operates through two core subsidiaries: Univercells Technologies, which develops miniature and single-use bioreactor systems (including the scale-X bioreactor line, now operating under Donaldson), and Quantoom Biosciences, which focuses on RNA-based vaccine and therapy production platforms. Its primary value proposition is reducing the cost and infrastructure footprint of biomanufacturing through continuous processing, single-use technologies, and miniaturized form factors, targeting vaccine manufacturers and RNA therapy developers globally.
The company's product portfolio spans the scale-X bioreactor family for cell culture process development and the Quantoom RNA platform for RNA-based vaccine and therapy development. Recent strategic activity includes the launch of the scale-X Nexo miniaturized bioreactor (October 2024), the acquisition of SynHelix (January 2022), and major international partnerships with Fiocruz for RNA manufacturing in Brazil (December 2024) and with the Serum Institute of India for cancer vaccine development (June 2025). The company has raised approximately €44 million in its most recent Series D round (October 2022) and has secured cumulative funding of roughly $260 million across multiple prior rounds from investors including KKR, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Adjuvant Capital, and SFPI-FPIM.
Univercells' business model combines capital equipment sales (bioreactor hardware) with platform and process licensing in RNA manufacturing, structured around strategic partnerships with tier-1 vaccine manufacturers and public-health institutions. It serves pharmaceutical and biotech companies developing vaccines — including mRNA-based vaccines and cancer immunotherapies — as well as organizations requiring advanced RNA production capabilities. With 251-500 employees, the company operates across Europe and, through its partnerships, extends into Latin America and South Asia.
Univercells firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Univercells
- Website
- https://univercells.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Univercells is a Belgian life sciences company providing end-to-end, low-cost biomanufacturing solutions for vaccines and RNA-based therapies, serving vaccine manufacturers and RNA therapy developers through its scale-X bioreactor and Quantoom RNA platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Univercells industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bioprocessing Equipment and Biomanufacturing Platforms
- NAICS
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cell Therapy Manufacturing Platforms & Automation (closed systems, bioreactors, fill-finish) (HLAAABAG)
Keywords
Where Univercells is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gosselies
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Univercells business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Univercells product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Univercells delivers high-density, low-cost biomanufacturing end-to-end solutions for vaccine and advanced therapy developers, including the scale-X Nexo miniaturized bioreactor for cell culture process development and an RNA-based vaccines and therapies production platform offered through its Quantoom Biosciences subsidiary. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotech organizations needing cost-effective, scalable manufacturing infrastructure.
Product overview
Univercells is a life sciences company offering bioscience platforms and laboratory equipment for vaccine and therapy development. The company operates through its subsidiary Univercells Technologies (now part of Donaldson) which produces the scale-X bioreactor product line, and through its Quantoom Biosciences subsidiary which focuses on RNA-based vaccine and therapy technologies. The product portfolio includes miniaturized bioreactors for cell culture process development and RNA vaccine platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- scale-X Nexo: Miniaturized bioreactor for cell culture process development
Products and services
- scale-X Nexo Bioreactor A miniaturized bioreactor designed to accelerate cell culture process development, offered to pharmaceutical and biotech organizations by Univercells Technologies for vaccine and advanced therapy manufacturing.
- RNA-based Vaccines and Therapies Platform An RNA-based vaccine and therapy development platform delivered through the Quantoom Biosciences subsidiary, enabling cost-effective and scalable RNA manufacturing for vaccine developers and public health institutes.
Companies that use Univercells
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Univercells technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Univercells partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Serum Institute of IndiamajorStrategic partnership in cancer vaccine development with Univercells, as part of broader industry collaborations in India's vaccine market. Serum Institute is scaling production of various vaccine types including viral, subunit, and inactivated vaccines.
- FiocruzmajorCollaboration between Quantoom (Univercells subsidiary), Univercells, and Fiocruz to bolster RNA-based vaccine and therapy development in Brazil and beyond. The partnership was announced in the presence of Belgian royalty and aims to strengthen RNA manufacturing capabilities in Latin America.
- Quantoom BiosciencescoreSubsidiary of Univercells focused on RNA-based vaccine and therapy production platforms, integral to the Fiocruz collaboration for advancing RNA manufacturing capabilities in Brazil.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Univercells competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sartorius AG: Global leader in bioprocessing equipment and consumables (including bioreactors and single-use systems) used by vaccine and biologics manufacturers; directly comparable as a supplier of cell-culture process platforms to Univercells' scale-X line.
- Cytiva (Danaher): Major bioprocessing platform provider offering bioreactors, single-use technologies, and process development tools for vaccines and advanced therapies; competes head-to-head with Univercells' equipment offering and supports similar end-customers.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Diversified life-sciences tools and bioproduction supplier (via Patheon CDMO and bioprocessing products); comparable to Univercells in biomanufacturing equipment and services for vaccine and biologics developers.
- Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma): Life-science tools and bioprocessing supplier (single-use systems, process development services, CDMO); broad incumbent comparable to Univercells across both equipment and biomanufacturing services.
- Lonza Group: Leading biopharmaceutical CDMO with significant vaccine, mRNA, and cell-and-gene therapy manufacturing capacity; comparable to Univercells on the biomanufacturing-services and vaccine-platform side.
- Catalent: Large CDMO offering biologics, vaccine, and RNA manufacturing services; directly comparable to Quantoom's RNA production platform and a potential competitor for the same customers.
Direct peers
- Eppendorf: Manufacturer of bioreactors (including single-use and bench-scale systems) and cell-culture process instruments; directly comparable to Univercells Technologies' scale-X bioreactor product line in form factor and end-user.
- PBS Biotech: Specialist in single-use, scale-down bioreactors for cell therapy and bioprocess development; closely comparable to Univercells' scale-X miniaturized, single-use bioreactor strategy.
- ABEC: Designer and manufacturer of bioreactors and bioprocess systems for vaccines, gene therapy and cell therapy; directly comparable large-scale bioreactor competitor to Univercells.
Emerging players
- Cellexus: Smaller specialist in single-use, airlift bioreactor systems for cell culture and bioprocessing; an emerging niche peer comparable to Univercells Technologies' scale-X approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Univercells social profiles
Digital presenceUnivercells financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Univercells leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Univercells subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Univercells funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors19 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Univercells M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Univercells
What does Univercells do?
Univercells delivers high-density, low-cost biomanufacturing end-to-end solutions for vaccine and advanced therapy developers, including the scale-X Nexo miniaturized bioreactor for cell culture process development and an RNA-based vaccines and therapies production platform offered through its Quantoom Biosciences subsidiary. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotech organizations needing cost-effective, scalable manufacturing infrastructure.
Is Univercells a public or private company?
Univercells is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Univercells founded?
Univercells was founded in 2013. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Univercells based?
Univercells is headquartered in Gosselies, Belgium, in the Europe region.
Who are Univercells's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sartorius AG, Cytiva (Danaher), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma), Lonza Group and Catalent. Direct peers are Eppendorf, PBS Biotech and ABEC. Cellexus is listed as an emerging player.
Does Univercells have an API?
No public API is recorded for Univercells.
What industry is Univercells in?
Univercells's product category is Bioprocessing Equipment and Biomanufacturing Platforms. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAG, Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers), with a secondary code of HLAAABAG, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Platforms & Automation (closed systems, bioreactors, fill-finish). Its NAICS code is 3391 and its SIC code is 3841.