What Univercells Technologies does

Univercells Technologies is a Belgian bioprocess technology company that designs, manufactures, and commercializes intensified bioreactor systems and automated manufacturing platforms for viral vector, vaccine, and advanced therapy production. Operating as a subsidiary of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI) since a June 2023 acquisition, the company is headquartered at an Equipment Design and Production Center in Nivelles, Belgium, with administrative offices in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Its core product portfolio centers on the scale-X fixed-bed bioreactor family — nexo (mini, 0.5 m²), hydro (development/suspension), carbo (mid-scale GMP), nitro (large-scale, 200 and 600 m²), and the cell collect seed-train module — protected by US Patents 10,876,090, 11,680,237, and 11,827,873. The NevoLine Upstream platform integrates and automates upstream virus manufacturing in a compact footprint, with a specialized NevoLine sIPV variant delivering claimed output of up to 50 million inactivated polio vaccine doses per year for an estimated $20M capital cost.

Revenue is generated through three streams: capital equipment sales (scale-X and NevoLine systems), recurring consumables and disposables, and professional services including technical support, training, and application development. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales supplemented by channel partnerships with CDMOs (Exothera, OBiO, TFBS), training institutions (NIBRT Dublin, ACPHS CBET), and technology integrations (Repligen MAVEN). Primary customer segments are CGT-focused CDMOs and biomanufacturers, gene therapy developers, vaccine manufacturers targeting global health markets, and academic/research vector facilities. Named reference customers include VIVEBiotech, Exothera, King's College London, and the University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program, with a self-reported 92% customer satisfaction rate across 37 responses over 16 months.

The company traces its origins to Univercells SA (founded 2013), received $12M plus a $4M extension from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2016, 2019) for low-cost vaccine manufacturing, and was separately capitalized in 2019-2020 with up to EUR 50 million from KKR's Gamma Biosciences platform. Following the Donaldson acquisition, Univercells Technologies operates within Donaldson's broader Life Sciences portfolio alongside Solaris Biotech, Purilogics, Isolere Bio, BOFA International, Hy-Pro, and PAIS Industrial Services. Leadership includes CEO Mathias Garny (appointed March 2021) and CCO Florence Vicaire.

Name

Univercells Technologies

Legal name

Univercells Technologies SA

Website

https://univercellstech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Univercells Technologies designs intensified scale-X fixed-bed bioreactors and the automated NevoLine manufacturing platform for cost-effective viral vector, vaccine, and cell/gene therapy production, serving CDMOs, biomanufacturers, and academic gene therapy centers globally as a subsidiary of Donaldson Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioprocessing Equipment

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG), Automation, Controls & Manufacturing Execution for Bioprocessing (SCADA/DCS/PLC/MES) (HLAAAJAE), Continuous Bioprocessing Technologies (perfusion, continuous chromatography, integrated lines) (HLAAAJAH), Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up/Scale-Down Platforms (DoE, high-throughput, modeling) (HLAAAJAF)

Keywords

• Bioprocessing equipment
• Fixed-bed bioreactors
• Viral vector manufacturing
• Cell and gene therapy
• Biomanufacturing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bioprocessing Equipment and Bioreactor Systems: Sale of scale-X fixed-bed bioreactors (hydro, carbo, nitro, nexo) and the NevoLine upstream biomanufacturing platform. Equipment includes controllers and integrated systems sold as capital equipment to biomanufacturers and CDMOs.
2. Consumables and Disposables: Recurring revenue from single-use consumables and disposables for scale-X bioreactor systems. The patents page explicitly references consumables coverage alongside equipment patents.
3. Professional Services and Technical Support: Services including technical support, training, and application development. The company maintains a library of technical resources, user guides, and offers customer success support with a 92% satisfaction rate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Univercells Technologies designs, manufactures, and commercializes intensified fixed-bed bioreactor systems (the scale-X family: nexo, hydro, carbo, cell collect, nitro) and integrated automated biomanufacturing platforms (NevoLine Upstream and NevoLine sIPV) for cost-effective, scalable production of viral vectors, vaccines, and advanced therapies. The company also offers the Skaia vision application software for real-time cell growth estimation and process analytics.

Product overview

Univercells Technologies, a Donaldson Life Sciences business, delivers next-generation bioprocess technologies through process intensification and chaining. The product portfolio centers on the scale-X bioreactor family—comprising the nexo (mini), hydro (development/suspension), carbo (mid-scale GMP), and nitro (large-scale 200-600 m²) models—using intensified fixed-bed technology for cost-effective viral vector production. The NevoLine Upstream platform provides integrated, automated biomanufacturing, while the NevoLine sIPV platform targets polio vaccine production. Skaia vision software enables real-time monitoring and cell growth estimation. These products address the full development-to-commercial lifecycle for viral vectors, vaccines, and advanced therapies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• scale-X: Intensified fixed-bed bioreactor technology for cost-effective and scalable viral production
• NevoLine
• Skaia Vision

Products and services

• scale-X nexo Mini bioreactor with 0.5 m² growth surface designed for efficient cell culture process development across multiple modalities. Offers a cost-efficient, scalable solution for process development.
• scale-X hydro
• scale-X carbo Mid-scale fixed-bed bioreactor for GMP viral vector operations. Features intensified technology for cost-effective and scalable viral production. Covered by U.S. Patents 11,680,237 and 11,827,873.
• scale-X cell collect Benchtop seed train system designed to overcome bottlenecks in advanced therapy large-scale manufacture. Reduces aseptic risk, costs, footprint, and operational time with high reproducibility. Patents pending.
• scale-X nitro Large-scale fixed-bed bioreactor available in 200 m² and 600 m² configurations. The new controller offers a cost-effective, low-footprint solution for large-scale viral and advanced therapy manufacturing. Covered by U.S. Patents 10,876,090, 11,680,237, and 11,827,873.
• NevoLine Upstream Integrated and automated solution for intensified virus manufacturing. Automated bioproduction system facilitating safer, faster, and closed bioprocessing in a small footprint through intensification and chaining of unit steps.
• NevoLine sIPV Self-contained bioproduction platform for inactivated polio vaccine (sIPV) manufacturing. Delivers up to 50 million sIPV doses per year in a 6m² footprint for approximately $20M capital cost.
• Skaia vision Application software for data analysis and cell growth estimation. Processes monitoring data from scale-X bioreactors for accurate bioprocess optimization and real-time metabolic insights.

Quantifiable outcome

• scale-X Nexo reduces costs by up to 60% compared to traditional bioreactor methods
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Repligen CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 9 July 2025Collaboration to integrate Repligen's MAVEN Real Time Glucose Control Platform with Univercells Technologies' scale-X bioreactors for real-time monitoring of glucose and lactate in adherent cell culture processes. The MAVEN system monitors and controls glucose and lactate every 2 minutes (up to 720 data points per day) without removing media from the bioreactor, feeding data into the Skaia Vision application software for enhanced cell growth estimation.
• University of Pennsylvania (Gene Therapy Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Donaldson Company, Inc. through its Univercells Technologies business expanded its relationship with the Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania to evaluate scale-X bioreactors for scalable gene therapy production. GTP is renowned for pioneering work in gene therapy and seeks to make gene therapies for rare diseases accessible worldwide.
• BIONETmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2024BIONET and Univercells Technologies' collaboration to propel mass production of exosomes using scale-X hydro bioreactor integration. BIONET aims to enhance production of extracellular vesicles produced by Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) for clinical use, advancing mass production of standardized cell and gene therapies.
• ESGCTminorOthers · 24 October 2023Univercells Technologies participated as an exhibitor and presenter at the ESGCT 2023 (European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy) Congress.
• OBiO TechnologymajorTechnology or Integration · 27 June 2023OBiO Technology added both scale-X and NevoLine Upstream platforms from Univercells Technologies in OBiO's recently expanded GMP facility in Shanghai to accelerate gene therapy manufacturing for the China market.
• BIO International ConventionminorOthers · 5 June 2023Univercells Technologies exhibited at the BIO International Convention 2023 held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
• ASGCTminorOthers · 16 May 2023Univercells Technologies exhibited at the ASGCT (American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy) 2023 Annual Meeting held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
• TFBS BiosciencesmajorTechnology or Integration · 14 July 2022TFBS Biosciences partnered to develop GMP mid-scale processes using the scale-X carbo bioreactor for viral vector operations at TFBS's expanding state-of-the-art GMP facility in Taipei.
• ACPHS Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 June 2022ACPHS CBET became the first US-based training partner for Univercells Technologies. The partnership provides opportunities to prepare ACPHS students for successful careers in cell and gene therapy, expanding the talent pipeline for the industry.
• VectorBuildermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2021Worldwide strategic partnership to develop and optimize platform processes using best-in-class technologies for the production of custom viral vectors. Combines Univercells' manufacturing expertise with VectorBuilder's viral vector capabilities.
• NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 18 May 2021NIBRT added the scale-X carbo system at its Dublin facility for upstream viral manufacturing demonstrations and training. The system enables biopharma industry researchers and personnel to gain hands-on experience with next-generation enabling biomanufacturing technologies.
• RoosterBiomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2021Partnership to optimize manufacturing of extracellular vesicles (EVs) using scalable and continuous bioprocessing technologies to propel the commercialization of regenerative therapies at affordable costs. The collaboration combines RoosterBio's MSC (Mesenchymal Stem Cell) expertise with Univercells Technologies' scalable bioreactor systems.
• ExytemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2020Global partnership for optimized construction of modular standardized and flexible GMP manufacturing facilities for vaccines. The collaboration enables rapid deployment of vaccine production facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by combining Univercells' manufacturing technologies with Exyte's prefab facility construction expertise.
• Batavia BiosciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2019Consortium partner with Univercells for the Gates Foundation-funded sIPV vaccine manufacturing platform. Batavia Biosciences was responsible for the polio manufacturing process and contributed to the development of the NevoLine sIPV platform. The first NevoLine system was installed at Batavia's Biosafety Level 3 Facility in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lonza Group: Lonza is both a leading CDMO customer of viral vector manufacturing equipment and a developer of its own bioprocessing solutions, providing broad-incumbent context for the cell-and-gene-therapy biomanufacturing market Univercells serves.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher supplies single-use bioreactors and bioprocessing consumables for cell and gene therapy, vaccines, and viral vectors as part of a much broader life-sciences and CDMO portfolio.
• MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA Life Science): MilliporeSigma's Mobius bioreactor and broader bioprocessing portfolio overlaps with scale-X and NevoLine, though it serves as a broad incumbent across many biopharma verticals beyond CGT specialty.

Direct peers

• Sartorius AG: Sartorius' ambr and BIOSTAT bioreactor families target the same upstream bioprocessing customers (CDMOs and biomanufacturers) for cell and gene therapy, vaccines, and viral vector production, with overlapping single-use and process-control capabilities.
• Eppendorf SE: Eppendorf's DASbox and DASGIP parallel bioreactor systems compete with scale-X nexo in process development and small-scale viral vector production for cell therapy manufacturing.
• Cytiva (Danaher): Cytiva supplies Xuri cell expansion systems and a broad single-use bioprocessing portfolio directly competing with scale-X and NevoLine platforms for cell therapy and viral vector manufacturing, with a much larger global installed base.
• Repligen Corporation: Repligen is both a technology partner (MAVEN PAT integration with scale-X) and a peer in bioprocess analytics and single-use components for viral vector and gene therapy manufacturing, serving many of the same customers.
• Pall Corporation: Pall's iCELLis fixed-bed bioreactor system is the closest direct competitor to Univercells' scale-X platform, serving the same viral vector and cell-and-gene-therapy CDMO and biomanufacturer customer base with packed-bed bioreactor technology.

Emerging players

• Cellexus Holdings: Cellexus develops single-use, airlift-driven bioreactor technology focused on cell and gene therapy bioprocessing, representing an emerging niche player competing for the same CDMO and biotech manufacturing customers as Univercells' scale-X line.
• Xcell Biosciences: Xcell Biosciences offers cell and gene therapy manufacturing and process development platforms, with partial overlap with Univercells' process-intensification value proposition for emerging CGT developers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/univercells-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Univercells Technologies