Sphere Fluidics Secures $4.8M Funding to Advance High-Throughput Single-Cell Analysis Technology

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that on June 10 (UK time), biotechnology company Sphere Fluidics completed a $4.8 million financing round. The funds from this round will serve as working capital for the company’s Cyto-Mine single-cell analysis platform, expand the product’s market presence in the UK, and increase headcount by establishing a new sales office and demonstration laboratory in California, USA.

It is reported that this round of financing was led by Greenwood Way Capital, with 24 Haymarket participating as a follow-on investor.

Sphere Fluidics, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, is a biotechnology company dedicated to the research and development of single-cell analysis technologies.

Cells are a vital component of the human body responsible for producing various nutrients. Most diseases arise from cellular dysfunction, which impairs the normal production of substances required by the body. While cell research holds significant importance for medical diagnosis, cells are small in size and fragile once isolated from their biological environment. Therefore, how to efficiently study cellular properties while maintaining cell viability has become a key focus of attention within the industry.

Sphere Fluidics’ flagship product, Cyto-Mine, is an automated platform that integrates single-cell screening, sorting, dispensing, imaging, and clone verification. Capable of processing up to 40 million cells per day, it streamlines workflows by evaluating and isolating cells capable of producing specific antibodies or substances, thereby enhancing efficiency in biologics discovery and throughput in cell line development.

The above functionalities are achieved through the company’s proprietary microfluidics technology. This technology enables ultra-high-throughput analysis of isolated cells within miniaturized (pL to nL) droplets. The Cyto-Mine platform leverages microfluidics to facilitate faster, more cost-effective, and efficient sample screening and biological discovery. Currently, the Cyto-Mine platform is applicable across multiple fields, including antibody discovery, cell line development, synthetic biology, single-cell diagnostics, and predictive analytics. The company is also committed to extending this technology to critical areas such as precise genome editing and cell therapy.

Frank F. Craig, CEO of Sphere Fluidics, said, “We are delighted to have secured this funding, which will support the continued growth of our business and advance the development of our single-cell analysis instruments.”

Ian Leigh, Founder of Greenwood Way Capital, stated, “We are delighted to reinvest in Sphere Fluidics and introduce them to additional new investors. Single-cell analysis is an emerging technology, and we look forward to its broader application across various biological fields. We hope to collaborate with Sphere Fluidics to jointly create new shareholder value.”

Greenwood Way Capital, headquartered in the United Kingdom and formerly known as Haymarket Angel Investors, is an investment firm focused on investing in startups in the UK.

24 Haymarket, founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, UK, is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in startups. It has completed 56 investments to date. 24 Haymarket boasts an experienced investment team that, in addition to providing financial support, offers professional management expertise to help entrepreneurs manage their companies scientifically.

(Compiled by Liu Yujing)