What CellSystems does

CellSystems GmbH is a privately held German life science products distributor headquartered in Troisdorf, Germany, operating since approximately 1992 with 1-10 employees. The company functions as a specialty aggregator and reseller of research reagents, primary cells, culture media, tissue dissociation enzymes, matrix proteins, antibodies, and molecular biology products sourced from a portfolio of brand partners including Worthington Biochemical, Lifeline Cell Technology, Applied StemCell, Advanced BioMatrix, BioSurfaces, Minerva Biotechnologies, and Prolytix. Its own branded and co-marketed sub-brands include ActiCells™, TARGATT™, RatCol®, FibroLife®, Bio-Spun™, SCAT, NUCxyme™, AlphaSTEM®, and the PureCol® collagen product family, the latter cited in over 2,000 scientific publications.

The company's technical differentiation is concentrated in its iPSC research portfolio, built around a long-standing strategic partnership with Applied StemCell. This relationship gives CellSystems access to proprietary gene editing platforms (TARGATT™ site-specific large knock-in up to ≥50 kb at the H11 safe harbor locus, SSelect™, CRISPR-Cas9 RACE™ protocols, AccuBase base editing, and royalty-free MAD7), hypoimmunogenic hiPSC platforms (B2M/CIITA dual knockout derived from CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells), and fee-for-service iPSC generation (>95% efficiency), differentiation, and custom cell line development under ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 quality systems.

CellSystems operates a direct-to-consumer B2B e-commerce model through its website, with global shipping from Germany and a horizontal customer segmentation across academic researchers, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time catalog sales of research reagents and consumables at unit pricing, supplemented by professionally serviced iPSC projects quoted via contact form. Distribution is direct-only with no disclosed API, software integration, or third-party reseller channel, and the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors.

Name

CellSystems

Legal name

CellSystems GmbH

Website

https://cellsystems.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CellSystems GmbH is a German life science products distributor that sells research reagents, primary cells, culture media, enzymes, and iPSC research products and services to academic researchers, biotechnology firms, and pharmaceutical companies across Europe and globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Reagents and Consumables

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell Processing & Ancillary Materials (media, cytokines, beads, vectors, disposables) (HLAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL)

Keywords

• Life science reagents
• Cell culture products
• IPSC research supplies
• Tissue dissociation enzymes
• Collagen matrix proteins

Headquarters

HQ city

Troisdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Reagents and Consumables Sales: Sale of life science products including primary cells, culture media, enzymes, tissue dissociation reagents, matrix proteins, antibodies, and molecular biology products. Products sourced from multiple brand partners and sold through e-commerce platform.
2. iPSC Research Services: Fee-for-service offerings including iPSC generation, differentiation, genome editing, and custom cell line development. Services provided in collaboration with Applied StemCell. Includes GMP-compliant service options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CellSystems GmbH is a life science products distributor that supplies primary cells, cell culture media, tissue dissociation enzymes, collagen and matrix proteins, iPSC research products, molecular biology reagents, antibodies, and haemostasis research consumables to academic and commercial research customers. In addition to catalog reagent sales, the company offers specialized iPSC services (generation, differentiation, and gene editing) delivered in partnership with Applied StemCell, including proprietary platforms such as TARGATT™ large knock-in technology and hypoimmunogenic ActiCells™ hiPSC lines.

Product overview

CellSystems® is a life science products distributor and supplier offering a comprehensive portfolio across nine major product categories: Primary Cells & Culture Media, Tissue Dissociation, Matrix Proteins/Bioprinting, iPSC Research, Cell Signaling, Molecular Biology, Antibodies, and Haemostasis & Thrombosis. The company distributes its own branded products alongside offerings from established supplier brands including Worthington Biochemical, Lifeline Cell Technology, Applied StemCell, Advanced BioMatrix, BioSurfaces, Minerva Biotechnologies, and Prolytix (formerly Haematologic Technologies). Their iPSC research portfolio is particularly extensive, featuring engineered cell lines (ActiCells™, AlphaSTEM® Naïve iPSCs), proprietary gene editing technologies (TARGATT™, SSelect™, AccuBase, MAD7, CRISPR-Cas9), and comprehensive services including iPSC generation, differentiation, and custom cell line development. The company also offers extensive molecular biology reagents, collagen-based matrix proteins, and specialized blood collection tubes for coagulation research. CellSystems operates exclusively as a product supplier without any API or software integration capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ActiCells™: Hypoimmunogenic hiPSC platforms for allogeneic research
• TARGATT™
• RatCol®
• FibroLife®
• Bio-Spun™
• SCAT
• NUCxyme™
• AlphaSTEM®
• AdipoLife™
• StemLife MSC
• BronchiaLife™
• Cytus™
• PureCol®
• VitroCol®
• TeloCol™
• Vasculife
• TrypKit™
• Lifeline®
• ChondroLife™
• ReproLife™
• FibroLife S2
• iMGLs

Products and services

• Primary Cells & Culture Media Catalog of primary human cells and matched serum-free growth, differentiation, and subculture media for routine and specialized cell culture workflows, sold to academic and commercial life science laboratories.
• Tissue Dissociation Enzymes & Kits Enzymes and complete tissue dissociation kits for releasing cells from tissues, sourced from Worthington Biochemical and other suppliers, for primary cell isolation and cell biology research.
• Matrix Proteins & Bioprinting Supplies Extracellular matrix proteins, collagen variants, and 3D scaffolds for 3D cell culture, hydrogel formation, and bioprinting research, distributed from Advanced BioMatrix and BioSurfaces.
• iPSC Research Products & Gene Editing Platforms Comprehensive iPSC research product range covering engineered cell lines, differentiation kits, feeder cells, media, and proprietary site-specific genome editing platforms for iPSC engineering and cell therapy research.
• Cell Signaling Reagents Cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, neurotrophins, and CD antigens for cell signaling and stem cell research applications.
• Molecular Biology Reagents Molecular biology enzymes and reagents including nucleases (DNase, RNase, NUCxyme™), proteases (Proteinase K), reverse transcriptase, alkaline phosphatase, and other enzymes for nucleic acid research.
• Research Antibodies Research antibodies for coagulation, immunology, and cell biology applications.
• Haemostasis & Thrombosis Research Products Coagulation proteins, factor-deficient plasmas, bone-related proteins, fluorogenic substrates/inhibitors, and custom SCAT blood collection tubes (SCAT-1, SCAT-2, SCAT-875B, CTI, ACT) for haemostasis and thrombosis research, distributed from Prolytix.
• ActiCells™ Hypoimmunogenic hiPSC Platform Transgene-free, well-characterized hypoimmunogenic human iPSC line with B2M/CIITA dual knockout, plus a matched TARGATT™ knock-in kit, designed for allogeneic cell therapy and gene editing research.
• TARGATT™ Large Knock-in Technology & Kits Proprietary integrase-mediated site-specific genome editing platform and ready-to-use kits (Female hiPSC Knock-in Kit, GMP-Matching RUO Knock-in Kit, Hypo hiPSC Knock-in Kit) for stable single-copy transgene insertion at the H11 safe harbor in mammalian genomes.
• Bio-Spun™ 3D Scaffolds Animal-free electrospun nanofibrous 3D scaffolds mimicking extracellular matrix for advanced tissue and organ model applications, available in multiple polymer formats and well-plate insert sizes.
• iPSC Generation Services Custom iPSC generation from PBMCs, fibroblasts, HSCs, MSCs, CD34+ cord blood, or urine cells using multiple reprogramming methods, delivered by Applied StemCell with 15+ years of expertise.
• iPSC Differentiation Services Custom iPSC differentiation into multiple lineages for disease modeling, drug discovery, and cell therapy research, delivered with non-integrating protocols.
• CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Services Custom CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing services for knock-out, knock-in, and point mutations in iPSCs, delivered with optimized RACE™ protocols by Applied StemCell.
• TARGATT™ Master Cell Line Generation Service Custom contract service for generating master cell lines with site-specific gene insertion via TARGATT™ technology in mammalian cells (human, mouse, rat, other).

Quantifiable outcome

• >95% iPSC generation efficiency
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Applied StemCellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership for iPSC generation, differentiation, genome editing, and custom cell line development services. Applied StemCell provides ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified services including TARGATT™, CRISPR-Cas9, SSelect™, AccuBase, and MAD7 gene editing technologies. They have developed over 1,800 unique engineered cell line models.
• Advanced BioMatrixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Advanced BioMatrix collagen products including PureCol®, VitroCol®, TeloCol®, and related matrix proteins. Products include collagen-coated plates and 3D hydrogel products. Co-exhibited together at TERMIS 2025.
• Prolytix (formerly Haematologic Technologies)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for SCAT (Sample Collection/Anticoagulant Tubes) blood collection tubes for clinical research applications. Includes custom tube manufacturing and OEM contract manufacturing capabilities.
• Minerva BiotechnologiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for AlphaSTEM® Naïve hPSC products including culture media, differentiation inducers, and iPSC cell lines derived from various sources.
• Worthington BiochemicalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing distribution partner for Worthington enzyme products including collagenase, dispase, DNase, RNase, protease, and other molecular biology enzymes. Major brand portfolio including CLS-2 Collagenase Type 2 and Proteinase K.
• Lifeline Cell TechnologycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Lifeline® cell culture products including Trypsin/EDTA solutions, xeno-free reagents, growth media, and cell culture supplements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sartorius AG: Major German bioprocessing supplier offering cell line development, cell culture media, and cell therapy manufacturing solutions. Comparable end markets and German hub, but a much broader and manufacturer-led portfolio than CellSystems' specialized reagent distribution.
• Bio-Techne: US-based broad life science tools supplier covering proteins, antibodies, cell culture reagents, and iPSC/gene editing tools. Overlaps with CellSystems' catalog across cell signaling, matrix proteins, and iPSC product lines, but at much larger scale and with majority manufacturer-direct reach.

Regional players

• Tebu-Bio: France-based specialist life science distributor supplying reagents, antibodies, cell biology kits, and OEM/custom services across Europe. Same niche distribution positioning as CellSystems but with primary geographic emphasis on France/Benelux rather than Germany.

Emerging players

• CellGenix GmbH: German supplier of GMP-manufactured cytokines, growth factors, and cell culture reagents for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. Comparable cell-therapy-adjacent reagent catalog and German-based; complements rather than mirrors CellSystems' research-grade emphasis.
• Axol Bioscience (combined with bit.bio): Supplier of iPSC-derived cell lines (neurons, cardiomyocytes, microglia) and iPSC reprogramming services — directly comparable to CellSystems' iPSC-derived cells (iMGLs, cardiomyocytes, NK cells, RPE) and Applied StemCell-enabled differentiation services.

Direct peers

• Carl Roth GmbH + Co. KG: German specialist distributor of chemicals, reagents, and life science consumables serving academic and industrial research customers. Highly comparable business model: curated multi-brand catalog, e-commerce storefront, and concentration on the German/European research market.
• STEMCELL Technologies: Canada-headquartered specialist in cell culture media, primary cells, iPSC reagents, and cell separation products — a direct overlap with CellSystems' primary cells, iPSC research, and cell culture media categories, though STEMCELL is significantly larger and manufacturer-led.
• Reprocell: Japan-based supplier of iPSC and stem cell products, reagents, and services — directly comparable to CellSystems' iPSC research portfolio (AlphaSTEM/ActiCells lines and Applied StemCell gene editing services). Competes in the same translational iPSC category.
• Dunn Labortechnik GmbH & Co. KG: German distributor specializing in laboratory reagents and life science consumables for academic and biotech customers. Closely mirrors CellSystems' positioning as a small German specialist with multi-brand reagent portfolio and direct e-commerce sales.
• Th. Geyer GmbH & Co. KG: German distributor of laboratory chemicals, life science reagents, and diagnostic products with a multi-brand catalog model very similar to CellSystems. Comparable mix of own-label lines and third-party principal brands distributed through direct sales and e-commerce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CellSystems_EU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/cellsystems
• Facebookfacebook.com/CellSystemsGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cellsystems
• Instagraminstagram.com/cellsystems_gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CellSystems