Cell Applications, Inc.
Cell Applications, Inc. is a privately held San Diego-based life-science tools company founded in 1994 that supplies primary cells, cell type-specific media, and proprietary iPSC-derived 3D organoid platforms (DISCUS™) to academic researchers, biopharmaceutical companies, and CROs across more than 40 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cell Applications, Inc. does
Cell Applications, Inc. is a privately held life-science tools company founded in 1994 and headquartered in San Diego, California, specializing in the isolation, characterization, and commercial supply of primary cells and supporting reagents for biomedical research. The company operates a cGMP-certified manufacturing facility and offers a catalog of more than 190 characterized primary cell types spanning eight species (human, rat, mouse, canine, porcine, bovine, rabbit, chicken) across roughly 30 tissue categories, including specialized cellular disease models for asthma, COPD, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, and IBD. Its proprietary technology platform, DISCUS™, generates iPSC-derived 3D organoids — notably i-HH hepatocytes with sustained CYP3A4 metabolic activity and i-HAEpC2 alveolar epithelial cells — designed to address limitations of traditional 2D cultures and immortalized cell lines for chronic toxicity testing and disease modeling.
The company's product portfolio is organized around four core lines: Primary Cells, Media & Reagents (including over 30 cell type-specific optimized formulations), Cell Biology Products (antibodies, ELISA kits, growth factors, transfection reagents, RNA), and Organoids. Cell Applications generates revenue primarily through one-time catalog sales via its e-commerce website, with prices ranging from approximately $24 for basal media to $998 for individual cryovials of specialized cells such as human dendritic cells. Custom services — including primary cell isolation, cell-based assays, and 3D tissue/organoid development — are quoted on a per-project basis, and bulk media production in the cGMP facility is available in standard bottles or flexible bags for larger commercial customers.
Cell Applications serves three primary customer segments: academic and government research laboratories, biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (for drug discovery, DILI screening, and preclinical safety testing), and contract research organizations, with products distributed directly via the company website and through international distributor partnerships to researchers in over 40 countries. The company's offerings are cited in more than 4,000 peer-reviewed publications, supporting credibility with both academic buyers and pharmaceutical R&D procurement. Leadership comprises Dave Yu as Vice President of Business Development and Anna Wakeland as Director of Technical Sales; no additional management team data is publicly disclosed.
Cell Applications, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cell Applications, Inc.
- Legal name
- Cell Applications, Inc.
- Website
- https://cellapplications.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cell Applications, Inc. is a privately held San Diego-based life-science tools company founded in 1994 that supplies primary cells, cell type-specific media, and proprietary iPSC-derived 3D organoid platforms (DISCUS™) to academic researchers, biopharmaceutical companies, and CROs across more than 40 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cell Applications, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Biology Reagents
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems) (HLAAAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models) (HLAAAGAD), Cell Processing & Ancillary Materials (media, cytokines, beads, vectors, disposables) (HLAAABAH), Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE)
Keywords
Where Cell Applications, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cell Applications, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Primary Cell Sales: One-time sale of cryopreserved primary cells including human, animal (rat, mouse, canine, porcine, bovine, rabbit, chicken), and iPSC-derived cells. Cells are sold as cryovials, kits, proliferating cells in flasks, or multi-well plate formats. Revenue is generated per transaction with no recurring component.
- Media and Reagent Sales: Sale of cell type-specific growth media, basal media, supplements, freezing media, and subculture reagents. Products sold in various sizes (50ml, 100ml, 500ml) with kit options and individual component purchases. Supports ongoing research requiring consistent media supply.
- Cell Biology Products: Sale of supplementary products including antibodies, ELISA kits, growth factors, cytokines, transfection reagents, cell RNA, and tissue RNA for cell biology research applications.
- Custom Services: Primary cell isolation services, cell-based assays, and 3D tissue/organoid custom solutions for specific research requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cryopreserved Cells - Individual Cryovials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Complete Cell Culture Kits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cell Media Products |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom and Bulk Orders |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cell Applications, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cell Applications, Inc. isolates, purifies, and supplies high-purity, low-passage primary cells from human and animal tissues, along with cell type-specific optimized growth media, culture reagents, and iPSC-derived 3D organoid products built on the proprietary DISCUS™ platform for life science research and pharmaceutical drug discovery. The company also provides custom services including primary cell isolation, cell-based assays, media formulation, and 3D tissue/organoid services, all produced in a cGMP-certified facility in San Diego, California.
Product overview
Cell Applications, Inc. is a recognized global leader in isolation and purification of Primary Cells and their culture in optimized, cell type-specific media. The company operates a cGMP-certified facility and offers a comprehensive portfolio organized around four core product lines: (1) Primary Cells — high purity, low passage human and animal cells from diverse tissues; (2) Media & Reagents — cell type-specific optimized culture media, freezing media, and culture reagents; (3) Cell Biology Products — antibodies, ELISA kits, growth factors, cytokines, transfection reagents, and RNA products; and (4) Organoids — iPSC-derived 3D tissue models using the proprietary DISCUS 3D technology platform. The portfolio also includes Cellular Disease Models for research applications and custom services for cell isolation, assay development, and media formulation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Primary Cells High-purity, low-passage primary cells isolated from a cGMP facility across human, rat, mouse, canine, porcine, bovine, rabbit, and chicken species, organized by cell type, tissue, species, and application for use in neuroscience, cardiovascular, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine research.
- Media & Reagents Cell type-specific optimized growth media, basal media, supplements, freezing media, subculture reagents, and media kits including serum-free, xeno-free, and animal-free options, available in 50ml, 100ml, and 500ml sizes.
- Cell Biology Products Supporting research products including antibodies, cell analysis tools, ELISA kits, growth factors, cytokines, and tissue RNA for cell biology research.
- Cellular Disease Models Pre-diseased and diseased primary cell models for Asthma, COPD, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, IBD, Type 2 Diabetes, and Plaque Psoriasis research applications.
- Organoids iPSC-derived 3D organoid models including i-HH hepatocytes and i-HAEpC2 alveolar epithelial cells using DISCUS 3D technology, producing polarized structures with bile canaliculi and supporting multiweek functional culture for chronic toxicity testing.
- Transfection Reagents Transfection reagents including the Cytofect Epithelial Cell Transfection Kit for efficient gene delivery into primary cells.
- Stem Cells and iPSCs Human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSC) and iPSC-derived differentiated cells including hepatocytes, cardiac cells, neural stem cells, and brown fat preadipocytes for regenerative medicine and disease modeling.
- Cell RNA Total RNA prepared from various primary cell types for molecular biology research applications.
- DISCUS 3D System Proprietary 3D cell culture technology platform for generating organoids with polarized structures capable of multiweek culture, addressing challenges of anoxia and diffusion limits in 3D tissue engineering; offered as a kit (e.g., DISCUS 111 i-HH Gel Kit).
- Primary Cell Services Custom services including human and animal primary cell isolation, cell-based assays, and 3D tissue and organoid services tailored to specific research requirements.
- Cell Media Services Media formulation and optimization services plus large-scale media production in the cGMP facility, available in standard bottles and flexible bags for commercial quantities.
Quantifiable outcome
- i-HH organoids maintain functional CYP3A4 activity and Phase I/II enzymes over multi-week culture windows, enabling chronic repeated-dose toxicity testing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cell Applications, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cell Applications, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cell Applications, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cell Applications, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PromoCell: German-based supplier of human primary cells, optimized media, and stem cell products with a comparable horizontal catalog spanning multiple tissue types and species — a direct alternative to Cell Applications' core catalog.
- ATCC: Global biological resource repository supplying primary cells, cell lines, and reagents to academic and pharma researchers; competes with Cell Applications in primary cell catalog depth and global distribution reach.
- STEMCELL Technologies: Specializes in primary cells, stem cells, iPSC-derived products, and cell culture media with a research-tools catalog closely overlapping Cell Applications' horizontal offering.
- ZenBio: Supplier of primary cells (adipocytes, hepatocytes, etc.) and cell-based assays for metabolic and dermatology research — a focused direct peer competing on primary cell catalog and custom services.
Broad incumbents
- Lonza: Large-scale cell therapy manufacturing, primary cells, and media; competes with Cell Applications on cell products, media supply, and now 3D/organoid services, but as part of a much broader CDMO portfolio.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gibco): Gibco-branded primary cells, media, and reagents from Thermo Fisher — a much larger incumbent whose bundled procurement and global logistics compete directly with Cell Applications' primary cell and media offerings.
- Corning Life Sciences: Major supplier of cell culture media, sera, and plasticware; competes with Cell Applications' media/reagent catalog as part of a much broader lab-consumables portfolio.
- Bio-Techne (R&D Systems): Supplies primary cells, iPSC-derived cells, media, and complementary reagents (growth factors, cytokines) — overlaps with Cell Applications across both cells and reagents.
Emerging players
- iXCells Biotechnologies: Provides primary cells, iPSC-derived cells, and custom cell-based assay services for drug discovery, overlapping with Cell Applications in primary cell supply and iPSC-based disease models.
- CellGenix: GMP-manufactured cell culture reagents, media, and cytokines for cell therapy developers; comparable to Cell Applications' media and ancillary materials business with a stronger cell-therapy orientation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cell Applications, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceCell Applications, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cell Applications, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cell Applications, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cell Applications, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cell Applications, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cell Applications, Inc.
What does Cell Applications, Inc. do?
Cell Applications, Inc. isolates, purifies, and supplies high-purity, low-passage primary cells from human and animal tissues, along with cell type-specific optimized growth media, culture reagents, and iPSC-derived 3D organoid products built on the proprietary DISCUS™ platform for life science research and pharmaceutical drug discovery. The company also provides custom services including primary cell isolation, cell-based assays, media formulation, and 3D tissue/organoid services, all produced in a cGMP-certified facility in San Diego, California.
Is Cell Applications, Inc. a public or private company?
Cell Applications, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cell Applications, Inc. founded?
Cell Applications, Inc. was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cell Applications, Inc. based?
Cell Applications, Inc. is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cell Applications, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Primary Cell Sales are the primary driver. The others are media and Reagent Sales, cell Biology Products and custom Services.
Who are Cell Applications, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PromoCell, ATCC, STEMCELL Technologies and ZenBio. Broad incumbents are Lonza, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gibco), Corning Life Sciences and Bio-Techne (R&D Systems). Emerging players are iXCells Biotechnologies and CellGenix.
Does Cell Applications, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cell Applications, Inc..
What industry is Cell Applications, Inc. in?
Cell Applications, Inc.'s product category is Cell Biology Reagents. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAJ, In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems), with a secondary code of HLAAAGAD, Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.