CMaT

What CMaT does

CMaT is an NSF Engineering Research Center established in 2017 and headquartered at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. It operates as a non-profit research consortium whose mission is to transform the manufacture of cell-based therapeutics from handcrafted, expensive production into a scalable, reproducible, lower-cost, quality-by-design engineered process suitable for broad industry and clinical use. CMaT structures its research around three Thrusts — Data Science and AI (Thrust 1), Rapid, Relevant, Realtime Analytics (Thrust 2), and Process Development and Automation (Thrust 3) — and three Test-Beds focused on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (Test-Bed 1), Engineered Immune Cells including CAR-T and NK cells (Testbed 2), and iPSC-derived Cells such as cardiomyocytes and CNS models (Testbed 3). Notable technical components include in-line multi-omics for feedback control, patient-specific potency chips, automated bioreactor systems designed to eliminate cleanroom requirements, and AI/ML models for predicting Critical Quality Attributes and Critical Process Parameters. The Marcus Center of Excellence for Cell Biomanufacturing at Georgia Tech, funded by a $40 million Marcus Foundation award, houses automated bioreactor development infrastructure alongside an existing GMP-like ISO 8 and ISO 7 facility.

CMaT serves cell therapy developers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers (49 industry members including Bristol Myers Squibb, Beckman Coulter, Thermo Fisher, Janssen, and Century Therapeutics), healthcare providers and patients who stand to benefit from lower-cost cell therapies, and a broader workforce development pipeline spanning K-12 teachers, undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. The center's business model is non-profit and grant-funded: the primary revenue streams are the NSF Engineering Research Center cooperative agreement ($20 million initial award) and the Marcus Foundation grant ($40 million total, $20 million principal investment), supplemented by undisclosed recurring membership fees from industry consortium members and training program revenue. CMaT is operated under the governance of Georgia Tech as lead institution, with core academic partners University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Georgia, and University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, plus affiliate partners including Emory, University of Pennsylvania, University of Oregon, Morgridge Institute for Research, and international affiliates Osaka University, NUI Galway/Curam, and CCRM. The center is governed through an Industry/Practitioner Advisory Board, Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board, and Workforce Development Advisory Board, and delivers training programs in partnership with the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT). Johnna Temenoff serves as Director following the 2025 transition from founding Director Krish Roy.

Name

CMaT

Legal name

NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies

Website

https://cellmanufacturingusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CMaT is an NSF Engineering Research Center at Georgia Tech developing scalable, lower-cost manufacturing technologies for cell-based therapeutics. It serves cell therapy developers, biopharmaceutical companies, and a 49-member industry consortium through three research thrusts and three cell-type testbeds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Therapy Biomanufacturing Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

CMC & Pharmaceutical Development (Formulation/Process/Analytical Development) (HLAIALAD)

Keywords

• Cell therapy manufacturing
• Biomanufacturing research
• Regenerative medicine
• Cell engineering
• Bioprocess automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NSF Engineering Research Center Funding: Primary funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an Engineering Research Center. The center receives substantial federal investment to advance cell manufacturing research and workforce development.
2. Foundation Grants: Marcus Foundation awarded $40 million (with $20M principal investment from Marcus Foundation) for cell therapy biomanufacturing research and the Marcus Center of Excellence for Cell Biomanufacturing.
3. Industry Membership Fees: 49 industry members pay membership fees to participate in the consortium, access research outputs, collaborate on projects, and engage with the workforce pipeline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CMaT is an NSF Engineering Research Center that operates as a research consortium developing scalable, reproducible, lower-cost manufacturing technologies for cell-based therapeutics. The center conducts convergence-science research across three Thrusts (Data Science/AI, Real-Time Analytics, Process Automation) and three Test-Beds (Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Engineered Immune Cells, iPSC-derived Cells), while delivering workforce development programs and providing industry members with research collaboration and talent pipeline access.

Product overview

CMaT is an NSF Engineering Research Center that operates as a convergence-science-based strategic ecosystem for cell therapy manufacturing. The organization functions as an Innovation Hub offering multiple interconnected research programs and training initiatives. Its core research is structured around three Thrusts (Data Science/AI, Rapid Analytics, and Process Automation) and three Test-Beds focused on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Engineered Immune Cells, and iPSC-derived Cells. CMaT also operates the Marcus Center of Excellence for Cell Biomanufacturing at Georgia Tech, provides workforce development programs including REU and training partnerships with ISCT, and maintains a Members Only Portal for partners. The center's 10-year vision is to transform cell-based therapeutic manufacturing into a scalable, reproducible, lower-cost, and quality-by-design-driven engineered system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thrust 1: Data Science and AI in Cell Manufacturing A research program developing AI/ML models for Critical Quality Attributes and Critical Process Parameters, integrating multiple analytical platforms and computational models across heterogeneous data to enable supply chain and cost modeling for cell manufacturing. Available to industry consortium members.
• Thrust 2: Rapid, Relevant, Realtime Analytics (R3) of Process and Product Engineering reproducible, predictive measurement and assay technologies enabling batch and continuous monitoring of cell state and product, including sensors for In/At-line monitoring and rapid potency assays for real-time feedback control.
• Thrust 3: Process Development and Automation for QbD Develops new processes and bioreactors to improve cell quality, feedback control algorithms, and bioreactors based on integrated sensors for scalable and automated cell production.
• Test-Bed 1: Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) Closed-loop manufacturing system for MSCs addressing scaling challenges and identifying critical quality attributes for clinical potency, including image-based approaches for predicting manufacturing environment effects and microcarriers for scale-up and monitoring.
• Testbed 2: Engineered Immune Cells Full engineered system from patient cell procurement to product distribution spanning CAR T cells, NK cells, B cells, and macrophages, including supply chain models for patient health prioritization, patient-specific potency chips, and in-line multi-omics for feedback control.
• Testbed 3: iPSC-derived Cells Monitoring and control of cell differentiation state during manufacturing for iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, CNS models, extracellular vesicle therapeutics, and other iPSC-derived products.
• Marcus Center of Excellence for Cell Biomanufacturing Georgia Tech center developing automated bioreactor systems that eliminate the need for costly cleanrooms, advancing cell therapy biomanufacturing with a $40 million Marcus Foundation award.
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program Paid summer program funding undergraduate students to work in CMaT labs at Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Workforce Development in Biomanufacturing - ISCT & CMaT Partnership Joint training program with International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy covering four modules: Stem Cell & Immune Cell Engineering, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Framework, Cell Bioprocessing & Manufacturing, and Cell Product Characterization.
• Industry Consortium Membership Restricted membership for companies providing access to research outputs, collaboration on projects, workforce pipeline, and protected resources through the Members Only Portal. 49 industry members currently participate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published 190+ peer-reviewed manuscripts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National Cell Manufacturing ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership with the National Cell Manufacturing Consortium to advance cell manufacturing research and workforce development. NCMC provides roadmap and strategic direction for the industry.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for CMaT. Georgia Tech provides the administrative headquarters, Marcus Center of Excellence for Cell Biomanufacturing facility, and primary research infrastructure.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university contributing research in iPSC-derived cells, engineered immune cells, and real-time analytics. Home to Forward BIO Institute and Morgridge Institute for Research.
• University of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university with strong focus on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Regenerative Bioscience Center, and workforce development programs.
• University of Puerto Rico at MayagüezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university expanding access to cell manufacturing research in Puerto Rico, with focus on workforce development and international collaborations.
• Emory UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate university partner contributing to cell manufacturing research and healthcare applications.
• University of PennsylvaniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate university partner contributing research expertise in cell therapy and manufacturing.
• Osaka UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate partner in Japan for research exchanges and collaboration on cell manufacturing.
• CCRM (Canada)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate partner commercializing living therapies, providing commercialization expertise and international network.
• National University of Ireland GalwaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate partner contributing to cell therapy research and commercialization.
• Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH-funded partnership comprising UGA, Georgia Tech, Emory, and Morehouse School of Medicine advancing health therapeutics and translating research into practical solutions.
• International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership providing joint training program in biomanufacturing. Developed 4-module curriculum covering stem cell engineering, quality assurance, cell bioprocessing, and product characterization.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy: The Parker Institute is a multi-institutional research consortium focused on cancer immunotherapy, including cell-based therapies such as CAR-T. Like CMaT, it coordinates research across leading academic institutions and industry partners, and trains the next generation of cell therapy scientists and clinicians.
• National Cell Manufacturing Consortium (NCMC): NCMC is the industry-wide consortium that produced the national cell manufacturing roadmap and partners directly with CMaT. The two organizations share industry membership overlap, roadmap coordination, and a focus on standardization and workforce development for cell therapy manufacturing.
• Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine: Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Medicine runs translational cell therapy research programs with biomanufacturing capabilities, industry partnerships, and clinical translation pipelines. It is comparable to CMaT as an academic-driven cell therapy development and biomanufacturing platform with industry engagement.
• CCRM (Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine): CCRM is a Canadian regenerative medicine and cell therapy consortium that operates at the interface of academic research and commercial manufacturing — including cell therapy process development, automation, and commercialization. CMaT lists CCRM as an international affiliate, and the two organizations share a near-identical mission of bridging cell therapy research to industrial-scale manufacturing.

Broad incumbents

• CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine): CIRM is a state-funded California agency that funds stem cell and regenerative medicine research, training, and infrastructure at scale. It is comparable to CMaT as a publicly-funded cell therapy R&D funding and coordination body, but at the state-agency scale and with a stem-cell orientation rather than the manufacturing-focused scope CMaT pursues.
• Lonza Cell & Gene Technologies: Lonza is the largest contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for cell and gene therapies, providing commercial-scale manufacturing services. Lonza competes with CMaT's mission of making cell therapy manufacturing scalable and reproducible, but operates as a commercial service provider rather than a research consortium.
• ATCC (American Type Culture Collection): ATCC is a nonprofit biological resource center that standardizes and distributes cell lines, reagents, and reference materials used across cell therapy research and manufacturing. It shares CMaT's nonprofit, standardization-focused mission but operates in adjacent — rather than directly overlapping — cell therapy infrastructure.
• Catalent (Novo Holdings): Catalent is a major CDMO with significant cell therapy manufacturing capacity, including autologous and allogeneic platforms. It represents the commercial incumbent that CMaT's research outputs must either complement or displace as cell therapy manufacturing matures.

Regional players

• RoslinCT: RoslinCT is a UK-based cell therapy CDMO with academic roots (University of Edinburgh) that develops and manufactures cell therapies at clinical and commercial scale. It is comparable to the industrial output CMaT is working toward, but operates in a different geography and as a commercial manufacturer.

Emerging players

• Cellares: Cellares is a venture-backed automation company building closed, GMP-integrated cell therapy manufacturing platforms (Cell Shuttle). It pursues the same cleanroom-free, automated cell therapy manufacturing vision that CMaT's Marcus Center is researching, and competes for the same industry member attention and capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmat_erc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuUk9IfLeuFTx00MhLdQ0WA/featured?view_as=subscriber
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmatnsf
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmattrainee/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 CMaT