What Polyplus-transfection does

Polyplus, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France, develops and commercializes nucleic acid delivery technologies and related services for the biopharmaceutical and life sciences research markets. Its core technology portfolio spans lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), PEI-based transfection reagents, and cationic polymer formulations used to deliver DNA, RNA, siRNA, and oligonucleotides into cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Flagship products include FectoVIR®-AAV and FectoVIR®-LV (transfection reagents for recombinant AAV and lentiviral vector manufacturing), PEIpro® (PEI-based viral vector production reagent), the in vivo-jetRNA®+ and in vivo-jetPEI® reagents, and the LipidBrick® proprietary cationic lipid library for LNP formulation. The company also offers nucleic acid and protein services—plasmid engineering, plasmid manufacturing (research, HQ, and GMP grades), protein manufacturing, whole-plasmid next-generation sequencing, and a free Design of Experiments (DoE) consulting service—acquired or built around the December 2022 acquisition of Xpress Biologics and the Bio Elpida manufacturing site.

The company serves four primary use-case segments: cell and gene therapy (viral vector production for CAR-T, TCR, and gene editing), RNA/DNA therapeutics (LNP formulation for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, including CRISPR delivery), protein production (CHO and HEK-293 transient expression for antibodies and proteins), and life sciences research (transfection reagents and the Easy Plasmid Service starting at $249). Customer logos span major bioprocessing names including Corning Life Sciences, Lonza, Genethon, MolMed, Vigene Biosciences, and Vivebiotech, alongside unnamed biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

Polyplus operates a hybrid revenue model combining one-time sales of transfection reagents and kits (quote-based pricing for GMP and large-scale items; fixed unit pricing for catalog and research products) with professional and managed services revenue from plasmid and protein manufacturing and sequencing. Distribution combines a direct enterprise salesforce with a global network of more than 100 distributor partners, supported by offices in France (Illkirch, Loos, Saint Priest), Belgium (Milmort, via Xpress Biologics), the United States (New York), and China (Shanghai). Since July 2023, Polyplus has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sartorius AG following the German bioprocessing group's €2.4 billion (~$2.6 billion) acquisition completed in March 2023.

Name

Polyplus-transfection

Legal name

Polyplus-Transfection SA

Website

https://polyplus-transfection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polyplus (part of Sartorius since July 2023) develops and commercializes nucleic acid delivery technologies—including lipid nanoparticles, PEI-based reagents, and cationic polymers—alongside plasmid and protein manufacturing services, serving biopharmaceutical and life-sciences customers in cell and gene therapy, RNA/DNA therapeutics, protein production, and research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transfection Reagents for Bioprocessing

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Gene Therapy CMC/Process Development Platforms (capsid engineering, producer cell lines, plasmids, upstream/downstream) (HLAAACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-viral Gene Delivery & Gene Therapy (LNP, polymers, electroporation, physical methods) (HLAAACAC), Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Transfection reagents
• Nucleic acid delivery
• Viral vector manufacturing
• Plasmid engineering services
• Lipid nanoparticle formulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Illkirch-graffenstaden

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transfection Reagents and Kits: Sale of transfection reagents including PEI-based products, lipid nanoparticles, and cationic polymers for nucleic acid delivery in research, process development, and GMP grades.
2. Plasmid Engineering Services: Custom plasmid design and manufacturing services for research, HQ, and GMP grades, providing integrated solutions from DNA plasmid design to analytical testing.
3. Plasmid Manufacturing Services: Contract manufacturing of plasmid DNA using unique processes for Research, HQ (High Quality), and GMP grades with full analytical testing.
4. Protein Manufacturing Services: Process development to manufacturing of proteins at Research, HQ and GMP grades, covering the full product lifecycle.
5. Sequencing and Analysis Services: Whole plasmid sequencing services using Next Generation Sequencing technology providing 100% coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Polyplus develops, manufactures, and sells transfection and nucleic acid delivery reagents — including PEI-based polymers, lipid nanoparticles, and cationic formulations — for delivery of DNA, RNA, siRNA, and oligonucleotides in research, bioproduction, and therapeutic applications. The portfolio is complemented by custom plasmid engineering, plasmid and protein contract manufacturing services, and whole-plasmid sequencing at research, HQ, and GMP grades.

Product overview

Polyplus, part of Sartorius, is a platform-plus-services company offering a broad portfolio of transfection/delivery reagents, nucleic acid services, and protein manufacturing. The core product portfolio centers on transfection reagents organized by application: viral vector production reagents (FectoVIR-AAV, FectoVIR-LV, PEIpro) for cell and gene therapy manufacturing; in vivo delivery reagents (in vivo-jetRNA+, in vivo-jetPEI, LipidBrick Library) for RNA/DNA therapeutics; and in vitro transfection reagents (jetOPTIMUS, jetPRIME, jetMESSENGER, jetPEI, PULSin, INTERFERin, FectoPRO, FectoCHO) for life sciences and protein production research. The services tier — added through the 2022 acquisition of Xpress Biologics — includes plasmid engineering, plasmid manufacturing (research to GMP), whole plasmid sequencing, and the Easy Plasmid Service. A protein manufacturing service and a Viral Vector DOE service bridge the reagent and service offerings. The portfolio is unified by its focus on nucleic acid delivery across the workflow: from research-grade in vitro transfection through viral vector production scale-up to GMP-grade in vivo delivery reagents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FectoVIR®: Transfection reagent for viral vector manufacturing (AAV and lentiviral vectors)
• PEIpro®
• in vivo-jetRNA®+
• LipidBrick®
• in vivo-jetPEI®
• FectoPRO®
• FectoCHO® Expression System
• jetOPTIMUS®
• jetPRIME®
• jetMESSENGER®
• jetPEI®
• PULSin®
• INTERFERin®
• pPLUS®
• Polyplus Database

Products and services

• FectoVIR®-AAV Transfection reagent designed for large-scale recombinant AAV (rAAV) manufacturing. Available at research and GMP grade for production at any scale from benchtop to 2000L bioreactor, targeting improved process economics for gene therapy vector production.
• FectoVIR®-LV Lentiviral vector (LV) transfection reagent designed to improve lentiviral titers in HEK-293 suspension cell systems. Offers cost-effective LV production for both small and large scale suspension systems, reducing DNA requirements while boosting productivity.
• PEIpro® PEI-based DNA transfection reagent positioned as the #1 leader for small to large scale viral vector manufacturing. Offers flexibility and scalability for process development through commercial production of viral vectors.
• in vivo-jetRNA®+ Ready-to-use lipid-based nanoparticle transfection reagent specifically developed for in vivo mRNA delivery. Enables targeted delivery of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines using pre-formed LNPs.
• LipidBrick® Library Novel range of proprietary cationic lipids dedicated to the formulation of LNPs (lipid nanoparticles) for development of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics. Supports expansion of LNP delivery beyond liver targeting.
• in vivo-jetPEI® Ready-to-use cationic polymer reagent recommended for in vivo transfection of DNA, siRNA, miRNA, shRNA, and other oligonucleotides. Established as a gold standard for in vivo nucleic acid delivery in research applications.
• FectoPRO® Transfection reagent specifically optimized for transient protein and antibody expression in CHO and HEK293 cells. Supports high-yield protein production for biopharmaceutical research and development.
• FectoCHO® Expression System Expression system optimized for culture and transient protein expression in all CHO cell types. Designed to enhance functional protein and antibody production in mammalian expression systems.
• jetOPTIMUS® Innovative cationic nanotechnology developed to improve DNA transfection efficiency in hard-to-transfect cells. Marketed as a best-in-class DNA transfection reagent for challenging cell types.
• jetPRIME®

Quantifiable outcome

• 48-hour turnaround for scientific support inquiries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Xpress BiologicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2022Polyplus completed the acquisition of Xpress Biologics in December 2022 to expand its plasmid DNA capabilities. The acquisition strengthens Polyplus's ability to provide integrated solutions from plasmid design through transfection reagents to manufacturing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mirus Bio: Mirus Bio develops TransIT®-brand transfection reagents for nucleic acid delivery in research and bioprocessing, directly competing with Polyplus's jet-series and FectoVIR product lines.
• Aldevron (Danaher): Aldevron supplies GMP-grade plasmid DNA, mRNA, and proteins to cell and gene therapy developers, directly competing with Polyplus's plasmid manufacturing and protein manufacturing services.
• Cobra Biologics (Charles River): Cobra Biologics provides GMP plasmid and viral vector manufacturing services for gene therapy and DNA vaccine developers, directly competing with Polyplus's plasmid manufacturing services.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher's Lipofectamine and broader bioproduction portfolio compete with Polyplus transfection reagents and plasmid/CDMO services across both research and GMP manufacturing.
• Merck KGaA (Life Science): Merck offers FuGENE® transfection reagents and BioReliance® bioproduction services, overlapping with Polyplus's reagent and GMP manufacturing offerings within a far broader portfolio.
• Lonza: Lonza is a leading CDMO offering plasmid, viral vector, and bioprocess services to the same biopharma customers Polyplus serves, and is also a featured partner in Polyplus's customer base.
• Catalent: Catalent provides plasmid, viral vector, and cell therapy manufacturing services with a broad biopharma customer base, competing with Polyplus's upstream plasmid and process services offerings.
• Cytiva: Cytiva supplies bioprocessing equipment, resins, and consumables used alongside Polyplus reagents in upstream biologics and viral vector manufacturing workflows within Sartorius's broader competitive landscape.

Emerging players

• MaxCyte: MaxCyte provides electroporation-based flow transfection technology and licensing for cell therapy developers, an adjacent non-viral nucleic acid delivery approach overlapping with Polyplus's reagent-based delivery solutions.
• GenScript: GenScript offers plasmid services, gene synthesis, and cell therapy products, providing overlapping nucleic acid and protein services relevant to Polyplus's reagent and plasmid manufacturing portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polyplus_transf
• Facebookfacebook.com/141082789288008
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polyplus-transfection-s.a.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polyplus-transfection