Biocells

What Biocells does

Biocells Discoveries Internacional S.A., operating as Biocells, is an Ecuadorian private biotechnology company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Quito. The company provides umbilical cord blood stem cell banking services to expecting parents, with a direct-to-consumer model that includes a specialized collection kit, on-site coordination by Biocells personnel at the point of childbirth, transport to its Quito laboratory under a 24-hour processing window, and long-term cryopreservation at -196°C in liquid nitrogen tanks.

Biocells holds AABB international accreditation (a credential held by only 87 banks worldwide), U.S. FDA registration, ISBT 128 labeling compliance, and Ecuadorian INDOT accreditation. Its core technology stack is a physical cryopreservation infrastructure housed in an anti-seismic building with generator backup, 24-hour surveillance, and restricted access, with product extensions including the Cobertura 360° service that bundles free transplant access through its partnership with FamiCord (Europe's largest cord blood bank). Additional partnerships with Lifeforce Cryobanks (US) provide emergency backup and advisory, and Biocells clients gain access to Duke University's expanded access program for Cerebral Palsy and Autism.

The company's revenue model is a direct-to-consumer storage contract targeting expecting parents across all 24 provinces of Ecuador, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The model combines an upfront kit and processing fee with recurring long-term storage revenue, creating a recurring revenue annuity on an expanding installed base. Distribution is conducted through the company's website, WhatsApp, toll-free phone, and email newsletter channels, with no disclosed institutional or enterprise customer segments.

Name

Biocells

Legal name

Biocells Discoveries Internacional S.A.

Website

https://biocells.med.ec

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Biocells is an Ecuadorian private biotechnology company that provides direct-to-consumer umbilical cord blood stem cell collection, cryopreservation, and long-term storage services to expecting parents across Ecuador, operating an AABB-accredited laboratory in Quito and partnering with FamiCord and Lifeforce Cryobanks for international treatment and backup storage access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stem Cell Banking

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue) (HLAAAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cold Chain Storage & Cryopreservation Services (LN2/Ultra-low) (HLAGAGAK), Cryogenic Logistics (LN2 Dry Shippers, -150°C) (HLAGAMAB), Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies (HLAAAJAN)

Keywords

• Stem cell banking
• Cord blood storage
• Cryopreservation services
• Cell preservation
• Biotech services

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Biocells is an Ecuadorian stem cell banking company that collects, processes, cryopreserves and stores umbilical cord blood stem cells for expecting parents. The company operates an AABB-accredited laboratory in Quito, Ecuador and provides long-term cryogenic storage in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196°C. Customers receive a thermo-stable collection kit at delivery, with the unit transported to the Quito lab for processing and long-term storage, complemented by a transplant-coverage service (Cobertura 360°) through affiliated FamiCord and Lifeforce Cryobanks centers.

Product overview

Biocells is a stem cell banking company offering umbilical cord blood stem cell collection, processing, cryopreservation, and storage services. The core product is the stem cell banking service, supported by the Cobertura 360 add-on that includes complimentary transplant coverage. Additional offerings include specialized collection kits and laboratory processing services at their AABB-accredited facility in Quito, Ecuador.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biocells Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking

Quantifiable outcome

• For more than 80 FDA-approved diseases treatable with cord blood stem cells
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FamiCordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamiCord is Europe's largest cord blood bank and the fifth largest worldwide with over 420,000 units stored. They have 10 processing facilities across Poland, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, and Portugal, with partners in 20 European countries. Through this alliance, Biocells offers 'Cobertura 360°' including free transplant at affiliated FamiCord treatment centers and access to preserve units in Europe's FamiCord network if families relocate to Europe.
• Lifeforce CryobanksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeforce Cryobanks is one of the top 10 most important cord blood banks in the United States, specializing in cord blood stem cell collection, processing, and storage. They provide Biocells with advisory services and serve as a backup bank in case of emergencies related to natural disasters or civil disturbances.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuke University launched the first expanded access program with umbilical cord blood stem cells for Cerebral Palsy and Autism in October 2017. Through the FamiCord agreement, Biocells clients can access this treatment program. The expanded access protocol allows patients with serious diseases who have not found effective therapy to use a product that has been proven safe but not yet commercialized.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• StemCyte: US-based cord blood bank operating both private family banking and public registry services. Comparable AABB-accredited service offering with similar cryopreservation infrastructure; useful reference for hybrid public/private models Biocells could evolve toward.
• Vita 34: Germany-based stem cell bank offering cord blood and cord tissue storage across European markets. Comparable scale and service offering to Biocells with similar recurring-storage revenue model; useful regional comp for European pricing benchmarks.
• Cryo-Cell International: US publicly-traded cord blood bank offering collection, processing, and cryopreservation services for newborns and adults. Direct peer with similar AABB-grade service architecture, useful as a listed comparable for unit economics and valuation benchmarking.
• Lifeforce Cryobanks: Top-10 US cord blood bank and Biocells' backup storage partner. Provides advisory and emergency backup services to Biocells; operates an overlapping service offering in a different geography, making it both a peer and a partner.
• ViaCord: US-based cord blood and cord tissue banking service owned by Revvity. Operates an AABB-accredited processing and storage facility, comparable to Biocells in service scope and quality positioning though serving a different geography.
• FamiCord: Europe's largest cord blood bank and Biocells' core strategic partner. Operates 10 processing facilities across 7 European countries with 420,000+ units stored; the most directly comparable stem cell banking operator, though at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Cord Blood Registry (CBR): Largest US private cord blood bank, part of CooperCompanies. Offers collection, processing, and cryogenic storage of cord blood and cord tissue — directly comparable service offering at much larger scale, serving as a benchmark for product positioning.

Emerging players

• Cells for Cells (Regenero): Chilean-based biotechnology company focused on cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. Regional LatAm peer with overlapping themes of stem cell technology, though more focused on therapy development than banking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/biocellsec

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Biocells