Cellex
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Cellex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cellex
- Legal name
- Cellex Cell Professionals GmbH
- Website
- https://cellex.me
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cellex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell and Gene Therapy CDMO Services
- NAICS
- Blood and Organ Banks (621991)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell Therapy CDMO (Autologous/Allogeneic Manufacturing) (HLAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cell Therapy Manufacturing Services (GMP, autologous/allogeneic) (HLAAAKAC)
Keywords
Where Cellex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Cellex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Manufacturing Services (CDMO): Cellex generates revenue through contract manufacturing services as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). Services include manufacturing of ATMPs/CGT products for clinical trials and commercial use, process development and optimization, process validation, starting material collection, consulting and support from preclinical development to commercialization, GMP audits, and supply chain and logistics. Revenue is generated through long-term project contracts with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic institutions from preclinical stages through commercial production.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cellex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cellex is a full-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for cell and gene therapy products, providing GMP-compliant manufacturing of ATMPs/CGT products for clinical trials and commercial use. The company offers autologous and allogeneic cell collection from donors (Cell Community donor pool, apheresis center), process development, optimization, validation, genetic modification, fill & finish, cryopreservation, QP batch certification, temperature-controlled logistics via CMT, and regulatory consultancy including GMP audits for pharma, biotech, and academic clients.
Product overview
Cellex is a full-service CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) for cell and gene therapy products based in Germany. The company operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of: (1) Starting Material / Cell Products including the Cell Community donor pool and Apheresis Center for collecting leukopaks, mobilized blood stem cells, bone marrow, and whole blood; (2) Manufacturing of ATMPs/CGT Products with GMP-compliant facilities producing 4 final drug products (FDPs) and 7 cellular intermediates; (3) Supply Chain & Logistics (CMT) for temperature-controlled transport and tracking; (4) Consultancy & Audits for regulatory compliance and GMP processes; and (5) Supporting initiatives including the Cellex Foundation and annual Cellex Symposium. The company leverages over 10 years of experience and has been involved in manufacturing 3 commercially approved CAR-T therapies in Europe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cell Community: Donor pool database providing customized starting material for cell therapy development, research, clinical trials, and commercial use.
- Cellex Cell Manufacturing Plant (CCMP)
- Cellex Foundation
- Cellex Manufacturing Transports and Logistics (CMT)
Products and services
- Starting Material / Cell Products (with Cell Community donor pool and Apheresis Center) High-quality human starting materials for cell therapies including leukopaks, G-CSF mobilized blood stem cells, cord blood, bone marrow samples, and whole blood, collected under GxP conditions and customizable based on donor specifications (age, gender, BMI, HLA data, infectious disease markers). Used by pharma, biotech, academic, and transplant center clients for research, clinical trials, and commercial cell therapy production.
- Manufacturing of ATMPs/CGT Products GMP-compliant contract development and manufacturing of cell and gene therapy products (ATMPs/CGT) for clinical trials and commercial use. Includes process development and optimization, process validation, genetic modification using viral vectors or CRISPR/Cas9, cell expansion, fill & finish, cryopreservation, and Qualified Person (QP) batch certification. Cellex currently manufactures 4 final drug products (FDPs) and 7 cellular intermediates for clients.
- Supply Chain & Logistics (CMT) Central coordination through Cellex Manufacturing Transports and Logistics (CMT) provides product labeling, release documentation, archiving management, and temperature-controlled transport at ambient, +2 to +8°C, +15 to +25°C, -80°C, and -196°C with 24/7 shipment tracking, GDP/GxP compliance, and validated transport processes. Over 40,000 cell transport shipments have been completed.
- Consultancy & Audits Regulatory consulting and audit services covering GMP/GxP compliance, EMA and FDA guidelines, genetic manipulation with viral vectors and CRISPR/Cas9, audit services for apheresis centers, quality management system creation, and clinical trial planning support. Over 150 audits have been carried out by Cellex's consulting team.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 approved CAR-T therapies manufactured in Cellex facilities in Europe
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cellex
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cellex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cellex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Swarm OncologycoreCellex completed GMP technology transfer to Cellex Cell Professionals GmbH for Swarm Oncology, securing German Manufacturer's Authorisation enabling GMP-compliant clinical-grade drug product manufacturing. This partnership positions Swarm Oncology to initiate its first-in-human clinical study for T cell therapies targeting advanced solid cancers.
- Catalent (partnering with Cartherics)minorCatalent expanded its agreement with Cartherics for iPSC-derived CAR-NK cell therapies. While this partnership does not directly involve Cellex, it is noted as a key development in the broader cell and gene therapy CDMO market that Cellex operates within.
- Oxford Biomedica (partnering with Bristol Myers Squibb)minorOxford Biomedica entered a multi-year supply agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb for lentiviral vectors for CAR-T programs. This is noted as a key development in the broader cell and gene therapy CDMO market context.
- AvenCell TherapeuticsflagshipAvenCell Therapeutics was co-founded in 2021 by Blackstone Life Sciences, Cellex Cell Professionals, and Intellia Therapeutics, with registered offices in Boston, USA and Dresden, Germany. The company focuses on the development of allogeneic universal CAR-T cell therapies for immuno-oncology. Cellex participates as a manufacturing and strategic partner in this joint venture.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cellex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lonza: Lonza is one of the world's largest CDMOs with a substantial cell and gene therapy manufacturing offering, including autologous and allogeneic capabilities. It is a direct competitor for Cellex's commercial and clinical-scale cell therapy manufacturing business, with broader geographic reach and significantly larger capacity.
- Catalent: Catalent (acquired by Novo Holdings in 2024 for ~$16.5B) is a major global CDMO with dedicated cell therapy manufacturing services. It competes head-to-head with Cellex for CAR-T and other cell therapy sponsors, and was specifically cited as a comparable market participant in Cellex's competitive landscape.
- Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies: Fujifilm Diosynth is a large global CDMO that has invested in cell and gene therapy manufacturing capacity, including viral vector and cell therapy services. It competes with Cellex for large pharma cell therapy manufacturing contracts.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon): Thermo Fisher's pharma services division (including legacy Patheon) offers cell therapy and viral vector CDMO capabilities. As one of the largest life sciences tools and services providers, it competes with Cellex on integrated cell therapy offerings, particularly for clinical and commercial-scale programs.
- Charles River Laboratories: Charles River provides cell and gene therapy CDMO services through its Biologics Solutions segment. It serves similar biotech and pharma customers developing advanced therapies, including starting material and manufacturing services comparable to Cellex's offerings.
- WuXi Advanced Therapies: WuXi AppTec's Advanced Therapies unit is a major cell and gene therapy CDMO with large-scale manufacturing capabilities. It competes with Cellex for global cell therapy programs, though geopolitical considerations may limit overlap with certain Western sponsors.
Direct peers
- Oxford Biomedica: Oxford Biomedica is a UK-based cell and gene therapy CDMO specializing in lentiviral vector manufacturing and has signed multi-year supply agreements (e.g., with Bristol Myers Squibb for CAR-T). It is one of the closest European peers to Cellex, operating in the same niche with similar CAR-T focus.
- AGC Biologics: AGC Biologics is a global CDMO with cell and gene therapy manufacturing capabilities, including autologous and allogeneic services. It serves as a direct mid-sized competitor to Cellex in the European and global cell therapy CDMO market.
- Rentschler Biopharma: Rentschler Biopharma is a German/European CDMO with cell and gene therapy capabilities, including viral vector manufacturing. It is a geographically and operationally similar mid-sized European peer to Cellex.
- Minaris Regenerative Medicine: Minaris (formerly Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions) is a dedicated cell therapy CDMO focused on autologous and allogeneic cell therapy manufacturing. It is a closely comparable mid-sized specialist peer to Cellex.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cellex social profiles
Digital presenceCellex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cellex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Cellex subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Cellex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cellex 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 Cellex
What does Cellex do?
Cellex is a full-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for cell and gene therapy products, providing GMP-compliant manufacturing of ATMPs/CGT products for clinical trials and commercial use. The company offers autologous and allogeneic cell collection from donors (Cell Community donor pool, apheresis center), process development, optimization, validation, genetic modification, fill & finish, cryopreservation, QP batch certification, temperature-controlled logistics via CMT, and regulatory consultancy including GMP audits for pharma, biotech, and academic clients.
Is Cellex a public or private company?
Cellex is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cellex founded?
Cellex was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cellex based?
Cellex is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Cellex make money?
One revenue line is on record: contract Manufacturing Services (CDMO).
Who are Cellex's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lonza, Catalent, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon), Charles River Laboratories and WuXi Advanced Therapies. Direct peers are Oxford Biomedica, AGC Biologics, Rentschler Biopharma and Minaris Regenerative Medicine.
Does Cellex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cellex.
What industry is Cellex in?
Cellex's product category is Cell and Gene Therapy CDMO Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAGAA, Cell Therapy CDMO (Autologous/Allogeneic Manufacturing), with a secondary code of HLAAAKAC, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Services (GMP, autologous/allogeneic). Its NAICS code is 621991 and its SIC code is 8731.