Xellera Therapeutics

What Xellera Therapeutics does

Xellera Therapeutics is a Hong Kong-based Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in cell and gene therapy (CGT) products. Founded in 2018, the company operates Hong Kong's first current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility for cell and gene therapies, located across Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin and Millennium City 5 in Kwun Tong, with over 8,500 ft² of manufacturing space and 15,000 ft² of R&D and office space. Its manufacturing facility includes a Grade B cleanroom dedicated to Advanced Therapy Products (ATP) open processes and Grade A-in-B multi-product clean spaces, compliant with US FDA, EMA, PIC/S, and Hong Kong Department of Health standards. The company holds the first CAR-T manufacturing license issued in Hong Kong.

Xellera's service portfolio spans the full CGT manufacturing value chain: process development, custom GMP manufacturing (CAR-T, NK cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, virus-specific T cells, and dendritic cells), bioanalytical and quality control/release testing, and cryostorage. The company deploys the Miltenyi Biotec CliniMAC Prodigy platform for automated CAR-T production, the G-Rex platform (via a ScaleReady grant) for feeder-free, xeno-free, closed-system NK cell manufacturing, and operates an in-house quality control laboratory with flow cytometry, qPCR, ELISA, and functional assays. It also maintains Southeast Asia's first clinical-grade human iPSC haplobank for the Southern Chinese population, developed with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, University of Edinburgh, Hong Kong Red Cross, Queen Mary Hospital, and HKU.

The business model is B2B project-based CDMO services, priced by quote against project scope and regulatory requirements, targeting pharmaceutical and biotech companies developing CGT products and hospitals requiring local advanced therapy manufacturing. Revenue mechanics are professional services driven, with go-to-market executed through direct enterprise field sales across the Asia-Pacific region, supported by academic and consortium partnerships (including the Global Alliance for iPSC Therapies). Reported customers are concentrated in Hong Kong public hospitals, including Hong Kong Children's Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital's Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The company is privately held, founder-controlled, with no external private equity or venture capital parent identified, and has historically been capitalized through government grants (notably a HK$30M+ ITC grant for the iPSC haplobank) and significant owner investment in facility build-out (over HK$150M).

Name

Xellera Therapeutics

Legal name

Xellera Therapeutics Asia Limited

Website

https://xelleratherapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Xellera Therapeutics is a Hong Kong-based CDMO operating the city's first cGMP facility for cell and gene therapy products, providing process development, GMP manufacturing (CAR-T, NK, iPSC, MSC, VST, dendritic cells), bioanalytical testing, and cryostorage to pharmaceutical, biotech, and hospital clients across Asia-Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell and Gene Therapy CDMO Services

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell Therapy CDMO (HLAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO (HLAGABAK), Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ), Gene Therapy CDMO (Viral Vector Manufacturing) (HLAGAGAB), Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)

Keywords

• Cell therapy CDMO
• Gene therapy manufacturing
• CAR-T production
• CGMP biomanufacturing
• IPSC haplobank services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CDMO Manufacturing Services: Contract development and manufacturing organization providing end-to-end services from process development to GMP manufacturing and bioanalytical testing for cell and gene therapy products. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with pharmaceutical and biotech companies for clinical trial materials and commercial manufacturing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Xellera Therapeutics is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides one-stop cell and gene therapy services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and hospital clients. Services span process development, cGMP manufacturing of CAR-T, NK, iPSC, MSC, virus-specific T cell (VST), and dendritic cell products, plus bioanalytical testing, release testing, and cryostorage. Operations are anchored in Hong Kong's first cGMP facility, compliant with US FDA, EMA, PIC/S, and Hong Kong Department of Health standards.

Product overview

Xellera Therapeutics operates as a one-stop Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with state-of-the-art cGMP facilities. The company offers an integrated platform spanning process development, GMP manufacturing (CAR-T, NK cells, iPSC haplobank, MSC, VST, dendritic cells), bioanalytical testing, quality control/release testing, and cryostorage. Manufacturing is conducted in Hong Kong's first multi-product cGMP facility with Grade B cleanrooms following US FDA, EMA, PIC/S, and Hong Kong Department of Health standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAR-T Cell Manufacturing Services Contract manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapies using the automated Miltenyi Biotec CliniMAC Prodigy platform. Designed for pharmaceutical, biotech, and hospital clients developing CAR-T therapies for hematological and non-hematological malignancies. Xellera is the first company licensed to manufacture clinical-grade CAR-T cells in Hong Kong.
• NK Cell Manufacturing Platform GMP-compliant contract manufacturing of natural killer (NK) cell therapies using the G-Rex platform for scalable allogeneic immunotherapies targeting solid tumors, hematologic malignancies, and viral infections. Features feeder-free, xeno-free, closed-system production scalable to billions of cells within days.
• iPSC Haplobank Clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) haplobank providing immunologically-matched cell sources for regenerative medicine and cell therapies. Established by Xellera in collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and University of Edinburgh as part of the Global Alliance for iPSC Therapies (GAiT).
• Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) Manufacturing Contract manufacturing of clinical-grade mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from umbilical cord, bone marrow, and adipose tissue sources for regenerative medicine, tissue repair, and immunomodulatory therapies including GVHD and autoimmune diseases.
• Virus-Specific T Cell (VST) Manufacturing Contract GMP manufacturing of virus-specific T cells (VSTs) for adoptive immunotherapy to treat or prevent severe viral infections (CMV, EBV, adenovirus, BK virus) in immunocompromised patients, including HSCT and solid organ transplant recipients.
• Dendritic Cell Manufacturing Contract GMP manufacturing of dendritic cells for immunotherapy applications as part of Xellera's flexible and scalable manufacturing solutions, supporting both autologous and allogeneic cell therapy programs.
• Process Development Services End-to-end upstream and downstream process development for translating laboratory findings to clinical trials and scaling up production for commercialization, spanning early process development through manufacturing scale-up for cell and gene therapy products.
• Bioanalytical Testing Services Comprehensive bioanalytical testing services including flow cytometry (FACS), PCR, ELISA, sterility testing, RCV testing, mycoplasma testing, endotoxin testing, potency assays, stability studies, and vector characterization to support characterization, safety, purity, and functional testing of cell and gene therapy products.
• Quality Control and Release Testing Complete bioanalytical and quality compliance testing throughout development and manufacturing to ensure safety, purity, and potency of cell therapy products and to enable fast and efficient product release.
• Cryostorage Services Cryogenic storage capabilities for cell and gene therapy products as part of Xellera's end-to-end CDMO service offerings, supporting both manufacturing intermediates and final product storage.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ScaleReadycoreTechnology or Integration · 6 August 2025ScaleReady awarded Xellera a US$150,000 G-Rex Grant to establish a cGMP-compliant NK cell manufacturing platform. The G-Rex platform enables feeder-free, xeno-free, closed-system NK cell production scalable to billions of cells within days for allogeneic immunotherapies.
• Wilson Wolf ManufacturingcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 August 2025Provider of G-Rex technology used in cell and gene therapy research, process development, and manufacturing. G-Rex technology is used globally from basic research to commercial drug production.
• Bio-Techne CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 August 2025Global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for research and clinical diagnostics. Partnered with Wilson Wolf to create products specifically tailored to G-Rex Bioreactors.
• CellReady LLCcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 August 2025World's first and only G-Rex-centric CDMO specializing in G-Rex-based cell and gene-modified cell therapy development and manufacturing.
• Cell Therapies Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Strategic partnership via MoU to accelerate development and accessibility of cell and gene therapies across Asia-Pacific. Focus on expanding CGT access in Australia and Hong Kong through combined GMP manufacturing capabilities and clinical trial expertise.
• Scottish National Blood Transfusion ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2021Collaborating partner for establishing the first clinical-grade human iPSC haplobank for Southern Chinese population in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2021Academic partner in iPSC haplobank project collaboration for clinical-grade human induced pluripotent stem cell banking.
• Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2021Collaborating partner in iPSC haplobank project for establishing clinical-grade stem cell bank for Southern Chinese population.
• Queen Mary HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2021Clinical partner in iPSC haplobank project through Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
• University of Hong KongcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2021Academic partner in iPSC haplobank project collaboration for regenerative medicine and cell therapy development.
• Miltenyi BioteccoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing CliniMAC Prodigy platform for automated and standardized CAR-T cell production.
• Global Alliance for iPSC Therapies (GAiT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of organizations including New York Stem Cell Foundation, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, supporting implementation and clinical application of iPSC therapies globally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lonza: Global leader in cell and gene therapy CDMO services with multi-site cGMP capacity. Directly comparable as a one-stop CDMO for ATMPs, though operating at vastly larger scale and global footprint than Xellera.
• Catalent: Large global CDMO with cell therapy capabilities through its Paragon gene therapy platform. Comparable service bundle (process dev, GMP manufacturing, release testing) though broader and more diversified than Xellera's HK-focused offering.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO/CDMO with cell and gene therapy manufacturing and bioanalytical services. Comparable end-to-end CDMO + testing model, though Charles River serves a much wider portfolio of modalities and geographies.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon): Global pharma services/CDMO including viral vector and cell therapy manufacturing. Comparable as a one-stop CDMO with broad cGMP compliance, though serving far larger enterprise pharma clients than Xellera.

Direct peers

• WuXi Advanced Therapies (WuXi AppTec): Major Asia-based cell and gene therapy CDMO offering process development, GMP manufacturing and testing. Direct peer given overlapping modalities (CAR-T, iPSC, MSC) and APAC customer overlap with Xellera's GBA strategy.
• AGC Biologics: Global CDMO with growing cell therapy manufacturing capacity. Comparable as a multi-modality ATMP CDMO serving biotech and pharma clients with similar process development-to-release service bundles.
• Cell Therapies Pty Ltd: Australia-based cell therapy manufacturer and CDMO partner (recent MoU with Xellera). Highly comparable given overlapping CAR-T and ATMP manufacturing focus and shared APAC/ANZ service footprint.
• GenScript ProBio: APAC-focused cell and gene therapy CDMO offering viral vector, cell therapy and plasmid manufacturing. Comparable as a regional competitor pursuing the same APAC CGT CDMO opportunity as Xellera.

Emerging players

• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult: UK-based cell and gene therapy accelerator with manufacturing and clinical infrastructure. Comparable as a translational/ATMP manufacturing hub, and a partner-adjacent peer given Xellera's GAiT/SNBTS network.
• Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM): Canadian regenerative medicine accelerator with cGMP cell and gene therapy manufacturing capabilities. Comparable as a translational CDMO/accelerator hybrid and a GAiT network partner to Xellera.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xellera-therapeutics

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Xellera Therapeutics