Sphere Bio

Sphere Bio is a United Kingdom life-science technology brand associated with automated single-cell analysis and picodroplet-based microfluidics. The business originated as Sphere Fluidics, a Cambridge-based research and development company established in 2010 by Cambridge University chemistry professors Chris Abell and Wilhelm Huck, entrepreneur Frank F. Craig, and Cambridge University Enterprise executive Maher Khaled. Its work focused on applying microfluidic methods to the analysis and manipulation of individual cells, particularly in fields where large numbers of cells must be screened rapidly and where rare or high-performing biological variants need to be identified and recovered. The company developed an integrated technology platform built around picodroplets: very small aqueous compartments generated within an oil phase. These compartments can hold individual cells or biological reactions, allowing researchers to test, image, sort, and dispense cell-containing droplets at scale. The platform was aimed at applications including biopharmaceutical discovery and development, cell-therapy engineering, bioproduction, synthetic biology, and the analysis and isolation of valuable cell populations. In these workflows, single-cell processing can reduce the need to average results across a mixed population and can help researchers locate cells producing useful antibodies, enzymes, therapeutic proteins, or other biological products. Its best-known system was Cyto-Mine, a compact automated instrument designed to combine single-cell analysis, characterisation, sorting, imaging, and dispensing into microtiter plates. The system was positioned as a way to accelerate screening and recovery of individual cells for biologics development, cancer and inflammatory-disease research, vaccine-related work, and other laboratory applications. Sphere Fluidics also developed Cyto-Mine Chroma, biochips such as Pico-Gen, the Pico-Surf surfactant, and related specialist consumables and chemistry. The company reported a portfolio of approximately 25 patented products and technologies. Sphere Fluidics expanded its workflow proposition through partnerships. In 2019, it worked with Peak Analysis and Automation to introduce S-LAB integration for microplate handling alongside Cyto-Mine single-cell analysis. The combination was intended to reduce manual laboratory steps and connect single-cell screening with downstream plate-based processes. In 2021, Sphere Fluidics collaborated with ClexBio on a demonstration and giveaway involving CYTRIX microfluidic hydrogel kits, Pico-Surf surfactant, and Sphere Fluidics' Pico-Gen double-aqueous biochip. The collaboration highlighted applications in single-cell hydrogel encapsulation. The company raised significant private financing during its independent period. In November 2021, it announced a $40 million financing round led by Sofinnova Partners and Redmile Group. Reported cumulative funding by that point was approximately £46.7 million from investment rounds, loans, and grants. These funds supported the development and commercialization of its instruments, consumables, and applications in life-science research. In September 2025, the business and assets of Sphere Fluidics were acquired by Fluidic Sciences Ltd. Following that transaction, Sphere Bio became the brand associated with the acquired product portfolio and technologies. The transfer included the Cyto-Mine and Cyto-Mine Chroma instruments, biochips, specialist chemicals, and the wider reported patent portfolio. Sphere Bio therefore represents the continuing commercial identity of the technology and product assets under Fluidic Sciences rather than an entirely separate new research company. Its positioning is centered on automation, miniaturized biological experimentation, and the ability to connect high-throughput single-cell screening with practical downstream biopharmaceutical workflows.

Sphere Bio traces its origins to Sphere Fluidics, which was established in Cambridge in 2010. Its founding group combined academic expertise from Cambridge University with commercial and technology-transfer experience. The company concentrated on picodroplet microfluidics, a method in which tiny reaction compartments can be used to isolate individual cells and perform biological assays in parallel. The central commercial objective was to make single-cell experimentation more automated and scalable. Conventional cell-screening workflows can involve large numbers of manual steps and may obscure the performance of individual cells within a population. Sphere Fluidics' approach used microfluidic chips, surfactants, imaging, and automated dispensing to identify cells or droplets with desirable characteristics and recover them for subsequent analysis or development. Cyto-Mine became the principal expression of this strategy. It was designed as an integrated instrument capable of single-cell analysis, characterisation, sorting, imaging, and dispensing into microtiter plates. The platform was relevant to antibody discovery, cell-line development, bioproduction, synthetic biology, vaccine research, and the engineering of cells for therapeutic applications. Cyto-Mine Chroma extended the product family with additional analytical capability. The broader portfolio included disposable biochips and chemistry required to generate and stabilise picodroplets. The company developed its laboratory ecosystem through external collaborations. In 2019, it worked with Peak Analysis and Automation on S-LAB integration, linking Cyto-Mine with automated microplate handling and reducing friction between single-cell analysis and downstream plate workflows. In 2021, a collaboration with ClexBio demonstrated a combined system for single-cell encapsulation in hydrogels using CYTRIX hydrogel, Pico-Surf surfactant, and the Pico-Gen double-aqueous biochip. Sphere Fluidics attracted private investment as it moved from research and development toward commercial life-science instrumentation. A November 2021 round raised $40 million from investors led by Sofinnova Partners and Redmile Group. The company was also reported to have accumulated approximately £46.7 million in funding from investment, loans, and grants by that time. The business received recognition through several awards and rankings. It won an ACES Life Science Award in 2013, appeared among Real Business's UK top 50 disruptive small and medium-sized enterprises in 2015, received a European Product Innovation Award in 2017, and won a Queen's Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2020. In September 2025, Fluidic Sciences Ltd acquired Sphere Fluidics' business and assets. The transaction transferred the product and technology portfolio, including the Cyto-Mine family, biochips, specialist chemicals, and the reported patent portfolio. Sphere Bio became the brand used for the continuing portfolio under Fluidic Sciences. Its current identity is therefore that of a specialized life-science tools brand focused on automated single-cell analysis and picodroplet microfluidic workflows.

• 2025

  Sphere Bio becomes the post-acquisition brand

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  Fluidic Sciences Ltd acquired the business and assets of Sphere Fluidics, with the transferred portfolio continuing under the Sphere Bio brand.

• 2021

  Major financing round

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  Sphere Fluidics raised $40 million in a financing round led by Sofinnova Partners and Redmile Group.

• 2020

  Queen's Award for Enterprise for Innovation

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  The company received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

• 2019

  S-LAB integration announced

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  Sphere Fluidics and Peak Analysis and Automation introduced integration of S-LAB microplate handling with Cyto-Mine single-cell analysis.

• 2017

  European Product Innovation Award

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  Sphere Fluidics received a European Product Innovation Award.

• 2015

  Named among the UK's disruptive SMEs

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  The company was included in Real Business's list of the UK's top 50 disruptive small and medium-sized enterprises.

• 2013

  ACES Life Science Award

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  Sphere Fluidics received an ACES Life Science Award.

• 2010

  Sphere Fluidics established in Cambridge

  [1]Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org

  The original company was founded by Chris Abell, Wilhelm Huck, Frank F. Craig, and Maher Khaled as a Cambridge-based life-science research and development business.

A specialist life-science tools brand focused on automated picodroplet microfluidics, single-cell screening, cell isolation, and biopharmaceutical discovery workflows.

• Automated single-cell analysis instrument

  Cyto-Mine

  Cyto-Mine is an integrated picodroplet-based system for analysing and characterising individual cells. It is designed to automate several stages of a single-cell workflow, including droplet processing, imaging, selection or sorting, and dispensing into microtiter plates. The system has been positioned for antibody discovery, biopharmaceutical development, cell-line engineering, vaccine research, and synthetic-biology applications where researchers need to identify and recover rare or high-performing cells.

• Single-cell analysis instrument

  Cyto-Mine Chroma

  Cyto-Mine Chroma is a member of the Cyto-Mine instrument family and extends the brand's automated single-cell screening platform. It is associated with optical and analytical workflows used to evaluate individual cells or picodroplets and select candidates for downstream recovery. Detailed launch specifications and current availability are not established in the supplied reference material.

• Microfluidic biochip

  Pico-Gen

  Pico-Gen is a Sphere Fluidics microfluidic biochip used in picodroplet and double-aqueous droplet workflows. It was promoted as part of systems for encapsulating individual cells or biological reactions in controlled microfluidic compartments. The biochip is used with associated surfactants and reagents rather than as a standalone general-purpose laboratory instrument.

• Microfluidic surfactant

  Pico-Surf

  Pico-Surf is a specialist surfactant used to support the generation and stabilisation of aqueous picodroplets in oil-based microfluidic systems. It formed part of Sphere Fluidics' consumables portfolio and was promoted in combination with Pico-Gen biochips and cell-encapsulation workflows.

• Laboratory automation integration · 2019

  S-LAB integration

  S-LAB was introduced through a partnership with Peak Analysis and Automation to connect automated microplate handling with Cyto-Mine single-cell analysis. The integration was intended to streamline the movement from cell screening and selection into plate-based collection and downstream laboratory processes.

• 2021World Science Day CYTRIX demonstration and giveaway

  International

  Sphere Fluidics and ClexBio marked World Science Day for Peace and Development by distributing ten CYTRIX microfluidic hydrogel kits. The kits combined CYTRIX hydrogel, Pico-Surf surfactant, and Sphere Fluidics' Pico-Gen double-aqueous biochip to demonstrate a ready-to-use approach to single-cell hydrogel encapsulation.

  Outcome. The activity supported awareness of microfluidic single-cell encapsulation and promoted interoperability between the two companies' technologies.

  Source

• 2025

  Transfer the Sphere Fluidics business and assets to Fluidic SciencesM&A

  Background

  The transaction provided a new corporate home for Sphere Fluidics' instruments, consumables, and intellectual-property portfolio.

  Action taken

  Fluidic Sciences Ltd acquired the business and assets of Sphere Fluidics in September 2025, after which the portfolio became associated with Sphere Bio.

  Aftermath

  Sphere Bio became the continuing brand identity for the acquired technology portfolio, including Cyto-Mine, Cyto-Mine Chroma, biochips, specialist chemicals, and reported patented products.

  Source

• 2021

  Raise growth capital for the microfluidics platformOther

  Background

  Sphere Fluidics was expanding its commercial platform of single-cell instruments, biochips, and specialist consumables.

  Action taken

  The company raised $40 million in a financing round led by Sofinnova Partners and Redmile Group.

  Aftermath

  The financing strengthened the company's ability to develop and commercialize its life-science technology. Reported cumulative funding by 2021 was approximately £46.7 million from rounds, loans, and grants.

  Financing raised. $40 million (November 2021)

  Source

• 2019

  Integrate Cyto-Mine with automated microplate handlingStrategy

  Background

  Single-cell screening produces selected cells that often need to be transferred into plates for additional development and analysis.

  Action taken

  Sphere Fluidics partnered with Peak Analysis and Automation to add S-LAB microplate-handling capabilities to Cyto-Mine workflows.

  Aftermath

  The partnership created a more connected laboratory workflow, although the supplied references do not quantify commercial results.

  Source

1. 1Sphere Bioen.wikipedia.org