Cellular Origins secures major CGT funding breakthrough

In a major boost for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector, Cambridge-based Cellular Origins has closed an over-subscribed US$40m Series A round, marking one of 2025’s standout investments in advanced therapy manufacturing. The company is tackling CGT’s most pressing barrier: production systems that currently serve fewer than 7% of eligible patients worldwide.

A spin-out from TTP Group, Cellular Origins has developed the Constellation platform, a robotic automation system that connects existing third-party bioprocess instruments to create a scalable, space-efficient manufacturing workflow. By preserving biological performance while removing labour bottlenecks, the platform offers pharma companies a viable route to commercial-scale therapy production. The company already counts Cytiva, Fresenius Kabi, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Wilson Wolf among its partners.

The Series A was led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., with participation from Highland Europe, BGF, NYBC Ventures and TTP Group. The syndicate brings combined expertise in life sciences, automated manufacturing and global business scale-up.

“This fundraise is a pivotal milestone in our mission to industrialise cell therapy manufacturing,” said Edwin Stone, CEO of Cellular Origins. “It recognises the urgent need for scalable automation and gives us the resources to accelerate deployment of our platform so more patients can access life-saving therapies.”

The new funding will support expansion of the commercial team, integration of additional unit operations into the Constellation platform, and development of the infrastructure required for large-scale global manufacture. The company also plans to extend its technology into the wider ATMP sector, where similar scaling challenges remain unmet.