KOLIBRI

What KOLIBRI does

Kolibri SAS is a Paris-based biotechnology company founded in 2021 that develops acoustic-controlled bioreactor hardware for mammalian cell applications, with a specific focus on gene and cell therapy manufacturing. Its core platform leverages acoustophoresis — the use of sound waves to suspend and manipulate cells in media without physical contact — to control cell density in real time, concentrate cells into approximately 10x smaller working volumes, and achieve low-shear manipulation within 15 minutes. The company's primary commercial product is the AcousticTransfectionunit, an acoustic-based transfection device designed to increase viral vector titers and improve scalability of gene therapy production, with demonstrated proof of concept on HEK293 adherent and suspension cell lines.

The company monetizes through hardware sales to biomanufacturing companies, contract manufacturers, and cell and gene therapy developers, using a direct enterprise sales motion with demo booking and curated early-access partnerships rather than publicly disclosed pricing. Total disclosed funding is approximately €3.1 million across a $300,000 pre-seed in 2021 and a €2.8 million seed round in early 2023, backed by Creative Ventures, SOSV, Joyance Partners, Fondation CentraleSupélec, and BPI France. The team is small (1-10 employees) and comprises PhD-level specialists in acoustics, bioprocess engineering, electrical engineering, and cell biology, supplemented by advisors with CMC/GMP and medical-device product development experience. Kolibri is privately held, headquartered in Paris, and currently operates within Western Europe while positioning to serve global cell and gene therapy developers.

Name

KOLIBRI

Legal name

Kolibri SAS

Website

https://kolibrilab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kolibri SAS is a Paris-based biotechnology company that develops acoustic-controlled bioreactor hardware for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, using acoustophoresis to manipulate mammalian cells without physical contact and to increase viral vector yields for therapy developers and biomanufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell and Gene Therapy Biomanufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Upstream Bioprocessing Systems & Equipment (cell culture/fermentation, bioreactors, feeds/media) (HLAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Acoustic bioreactors
• Cell therapy manufacturing
• Gene therapy bioprocessing
• Acoustophoresis technology
• Viral vector production

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Acoustic Bioreactor Technology: Kolibri generates revenue through the sale and commercialization of their acoustic-controlled bioreactor technology for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. The company is developing and commercializing their innovative platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KOLIBRI develops and commercializes an acoustic-based bioreactor device (the AcousticTransfectionunit) that uses acoustophoresis — controlled sound waves — to suspend, position, and manipulate mammalian cells in culture media without physical contact. The platform is built for gene and cell therapy manufacturing, concentrating cells into 10x smaller working volumes to improve transfection efficiency and viral vector titers while integrating into existing bioprocesses without major disruption.

Product overview

KOLIBRI is a biotechnology company that offers a single unified product—the AcousticTransfectionunit—an acoustic-controlled bioreactor designed for mammalian cell applications with a specific focus on gene and cell therapy manufacturing. The AcousticTransfectionunit leverages acoustophoresis technology (sound waves) to suspend and manipulate mammalian cells in media without physical contact, enabling real-time control over cell density. By concentrating cells into 10x smaller working volumes and applying controlled acoustic shear stress, the device improves transfection efficiency and increases viral vector titers. KOLIBRI's technology is cell-agnostic and has demonstrated proof of concept on both adherent and suspension HEK293 cell lines, showing improved transfection efficiency against standard methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AcousticTransfectionunit

Quantifiable outcome

• Concentrates cells into 10x smaller working volumes
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FloDesign Sonics (acquired by MilliporeSigma / Merck KGaA): Pioneered acoustic cell processing for bioprocessing and was acquired by MilliporeSigma, the bioprocessing arm of Merck KGaA. Most directly comparable peer as a developer of acoustic-based cell manipulation technology applied to biomanufacturing — the same upstream niche Kolibri is targeting.
• PBS Biotech: Develops single-use, scalable bioreactors specifically targeting cell and gene therapy manufacturing. Comparable in target customer (cell/gene therapy manufacturers) and in offering a purpose-built upstream bioprocessing platform for advanced therapies.
• Applikon Biotechnology (acquired by Getinge): Specialist bioreactor manufacturer now owned by Getinge, focused on upstream bioprocessing systems for pharma and biotech R&D and production. Highly comparable in product category (cell-culture bioreactors) and customer base (biomanufacturing developers).

Emerging players

• Cellexus: Smaller, emerging player developing novel single-use bioreactor technology (CellBags) for cell culture and bioprocessing. Comparable as an emerging challenger offering differentiated upstream cell-culture hardware for advanced therapy and biologics manufacturing.
• CellGenix: Supplier of GMP-grade raw materials, cell processing reagents, and manufacturing tools for cell and gene therapy developers. Comparable as a specialized supplier in the cell/gene therapy manufacturing ecosystem addressing similar bioprocess workflow pain points.

Broad incumbents

• Sartorius: Global bioprocessing incumbent offering a broad portfolio of bioreactors, single-use systems, and upstream/downstream bioprocess solutions. Comparable as a competing supplier of upstream cell-culture hardware to gene/cell therapy manufacturers, though it does not specialize in acoustic technology.
• Cytiva (Danaher): Major bioprocessing platform within Danaher offering bioreactors, single-use systems, and process development tools used widely in gene therapy and viral vector manufacturing. Comparable as an incumbent supplier of upstream bioprocessing equipment to Kolibri's target customers.
• Eppendorf: Established manufacturer of bioreactors and cell-culture systems used across R&D and bioprocessing. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering competing upstream cell-culture hardware to biomanufacturing customers.
• Miltenyi Biotec: Specialist in cell processing, cell therapy manufacturing tools, and bioreactors for advanced therapies. Comparable in serving cell/gene therapy developers with cell-handling and manufacturing equipment, with overlapping customer relationships in viral vector and cell therapy production.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bioproduction): Large incumbent with a dedicated bioproduction division offering bioreactors, single-use systems, and viral vector manufacturing services. Comparable as a broad-portfolio supplier of upstream bioprocessing tools to gene/cell therapy manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolibrilab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors9 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 KOLIBRI