Simultaneously Closes Strategic Growth Investment from Ampersand Capital to Create a Leading Provider of Genomic and Cell and Tissue Analysis Products and Services
2 May 2019, Munich - Canopy BiosciencesTM, LLC, a leading provider of gene editing and gene expression products and services, announced today that it has acquired Zellkraftwerk GmbH, a leader in multiplex cytometry and a spinoff of Hannover Medical School founded by Dr Christian Hennig, Dr Jan Detmers and Ascenion. Leveraging its innovative ChipCytometry platform, Zellkraftwerk offers complete workflow solutions - including both products and research services - for high-content cytometry on cells and tissues. The combination of Canopy and Zellkraftwerk creates a unique “multi-omics” company that boasts a powerful union of genomics expertise with cutting-edge cell and tissue analysis solutions to best support customers in drug development research and biomarker discovery. Concurrent with the acquisition, Canopy closed a strategic growth investment from Ampersand Capital Partners.
Edward Weinstein, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Canopy Biosciences, said “I am excited to complete the transformational acquisition of Zellkraftwerk and begin our partnership with Ampersand. Ampersand’s expertise and resources will benefit Canopy as we build a broader product and service offering for our customers, and the Zellkraftwerk acquisition provides a meaningful contribution to this strategy.” Weinstein continued, “Zellkraftwerk founders Jan Detmers and Christian Hennig have built a truly differentiated offering within the cell and tissue analysis market, and we’re excited to add their unique expertise and technology platform to Canopy Biosciences.”
Cofounder of Zellkraftwerk, Jan Detmers added, “As the scientific community continues to appreciate the roles and relationships between genotypes, phenotypes, and the environment, the need for “multi-omic” approaches to biomarker discovery and functional biology research has never been clearer. We are excited to partner with Canopy Biosciences and Ampersand to enhance our capabilities, scale, and geographic reach in the US, Europe, and Asia as we strive to best serve the evolving needs of our customers.”
Frank Witney, Ph.D., Operating Partner at Ampersand and incoming Chairman of Canopy, said, “Ampersand invests in high quality teams who manage rapidly growing businesses with established leadership positions in their specific markets, and Canopy is a great example. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Ed and the rest of the Canopy management team as they expand their gene editing and genomics analysis portfolio in combination with Zellkraftwerk’s unprecedented multiplex cytometry technology.” Canopy was formed in 2016 by BioGenerator, the funding arm of BioSTL in St. Louis, MO. Charlie Bolten, Senior Vice President of BioGenerator added “Canopy’s product portfolio is a result of a strategic approach to identify novel technologies and quickly commercialize products and services that will make an immediate impact on today’s biomedical research. BioGenerator is proud to have played a role in the founding of this company and is excited at Canopy’s continued growth prospects in partnership with Ampersand.”
About Ascenion GmbH
Ascenion is an independent technology transfer company focussing on the life sciences. It is partner to 28 research organizations, universities and university hospitals in Germany and Europe, including life-science institutes of the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, the Charité, the Hannover Medical School, the Medical University of Innsbruck and the University Medical Center Göttingen. Ascenion’s multidisciplinary, industry-experienced team works closely with its partners to tap the potential of their research by identifying promising results, obtaining patent protection, and turning pure science into applied technology. Particular strengths are spin-off support and project development, where early-stage projects are transformed into assets that attract potential investors and licensees. This has led to the founding of numerous new companies and the transfer of innovative medical approaches into approved drugs, changing the lives of thousands of patients. Profits from Ascenion’s operative business and exit proceeds flow via its parent company, the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research, to fund further translational research at its partner institutes.
Further information at www.ascenion.de
About the Hannover Medical School (MHH)
The Hannover Medical School (Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, MHH) is one of Germany‘s leading universities in research, patient care and teaching. With its concentrated support of specialized research areas, it is now one of the finest university clinics in the country. The outstanding research conducted here is reflected in a strong increase in external funding to 86.8 million euros in 2014, and the successes within the framework of the Excellence Initiative supported by the federal and state governments.
The REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence for regenerative medicine, for which the MHH is the coordinating institution,had its funding extended in 2012. Another Cluster of Excellence in which MHH is significantly involved, Hearing4all, has received funding since 2012. The Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Transplantation (IFB-Tx) also entered its second funding phase in 2013. The MHH is also involved in two German Centres for Health Care Research.
Further information at www.mh-hannover.de
About Canopy Biosciences
Canopy Biosciences was formed in 2016 and has rapidly built a comprehensive platform of products and services for gene editing, gene expression analysis and regulation, and bioprocessing. Canopy’s gene editing portfolio spans easy-to-use CRISPR kits, off-the-shelf cell lines, as well as full service custom cell line engineering. With the introduction of RareSeq, Canopy has added ultrasensitive DNA sequencing to its multi-omics platform including RNAseq, NanoString gene expression analysis, and multiplexed protein detection. Canopy Biosciences is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and serves researchers at universities, research institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.
Additional information is available at www.canopybiosciences.com.
About Zellkraftwerk GmbH
Zellkraftwerk GmbH, with its headquarters in Leipzig, manufactures ZellScanner™ ONE, the first device able to analyze more than 100 markers per cell based on the Chipcytometry technology. The device allows for deep insights into formerly unknown cell subpopulations and their state of activation, while its microfluidic chips can be additionally used for sample storage that guarantee biomarker stability for up to 24 months. Zellkraftwerk works closely with top biopharma, diagnostics, and academic scientists performing preclinical and clinical research to enhance their capabilities in sample preparation, biobanking, multiplexed protein and biomarker analysis, and data mining.
Additional information is available at www.zellkraftwerk.com.
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of our core healthcare sectors, including Brammer Bio, Avista Pharma, Confluent Medical, Genewiz, Genoptix, Talecris Biotherapeutics and Viracor-IBT Laboratories.
Additional information is available at www.ampersandcapital.com.
About BioGenerator
BioGenerator, the investment arm of BioSTL, produces a sustained pipeline of successful bioscience companies and entrepreneurs in St. Louis by creating, growing and investing in promising new enterprises.
Additional information is available at www.biogenerator.org.
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Contact
Stanislava Zollner, Corporate Communication, Ascenion GmbH
zollner(at)ascenion(dot)de, +49 89 3188140