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Leading partner for the life science and biopharmaceutical industry

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Sartorius is an internationally leading supplier for the life science and biopharmaceutical industries, offering laboratory products and services as well as bioprocess solutions. Founded in 1870 and headquartered in Göttingen, Germany, the company operates globally with multiple production sites and sales offices.

History

Sartorius traces its origins to 1870, when 24-year-old Florenz Sartorius established the Feinmechanische Werkstatt F. Sartorius in Göttingen. The company was founded around precision mechanics and the development of a short-beam analytical balance. The balance gained international recognition, and production reached 3,000 units by 1895. From this initial focus on weighing, Sartorius developed into a broader manufacturer of laboratory and scientific instruments. In 1906, the company expanded its capabilities by acquiring August Becker in Göttingen and Ludwig Tesdorf in Stuttgart. These businesses manufactured microtomes and instruments for astronomical, geodetic, and physical applications. The acquisitions helped move Sartorius beyond a single product category and established a wider scientific-equipment base. The company's instruments later found applications in major research programs. In 1969, Sartorius equipment was used to test lunar samples collected during the Apollo 11 mission. This episode reflected the company's continuing involvement in high-precision scientific measurement, although the business would later shift more decisively toward biotechnology and pharmaceutical production technologies. A significant strategic transformation took place from 2000 onward. Sartorius acquired B. Braun Biotech International in 2000, gaining fermenters, bioreactors, and cell-culture systems. The business was integrated into the group as Sartorius Stedim Systems. In 2005, Sartorius acquired Omnimark Instrument Corporation in Arizona, adding moisture analyzers. In 2007, Sartorius combined its biotechnology division with French company Stedim. The resulting Sartorius Stedim Biotech became a separately listed group focused on biopharmaceutical process technologies. Sartorius also acquired Toha Plast in 2007, subsequently operating it as Sartorius Stedim Plastics. The company continued to build its single-use and bioprocess portfolio. In 2008, Sartorius Stedim Biotech acquired Swiss single-use bioreactor provider Wave Biotech. In 2011, Sartorius acquired the liquid-handling business of Finnish laboratory-equipment manufacturer Biohit. Manufacturing and regional infrastructure expanded in 2013, when Sartorius opened a Göttingen facility for injection-moulded plastic components and an Asia sales center in Shanghai. Cell-line development, analytics, and research instrumentation became increasingly important. Sartorius acquired Cellca in 2015, adding cell-line and process-development expertise. In 2016, it bought IntelliCyt and ViroCyt in North America, expanding into flow cytometry and viral analysis. During 2017, Sartorius Stedim Biotech acquired kSep Systems, while Sartorius acquired Essen BioScience, a cell-based assay and instrumentation company. A new bioanalytical and biosafety testing facility also opened in Boston that year. Cellca subsequently developed collaborations concerning synthetic promoters and large-scale cell-culture experimentation. In 2019, Sartorius acquired Israeli cell-culture media company Biological Industries. In 2020, it acquired selected Danaher assets related to cell-therapy research and development. In 2021, the company added Xell, CellGenix, and ALS Automated Lab Solutions. These transactions strengthened its position in cell-culture media, cell and gene therapy materials, and automated laboratory analysis. Sartorius's modern business is organized around Bioprocess Solutions and Lab Products & Services. The first supplies technologies used from biopharmaceutical process development through manufacturing, including single-use systems, bioreactors, filtration, chromatography, cell culture, automation, and process analytics. The second serves laboratories with weighing, liquid handling, cell analysis, and related instruments and services. In 2025, Sartorius partnered with Tulip Interfaces to connect Tulip's digital platform with the Sartorius Biobrain automation suite, continuing the group's movement toward digitally integrated laboratory and manufacturing workflows.

  • 2025

    Tulip Interfaces partnership

    [1]

    The companies partnered to integrate Tulip's platform with Sartorius Biobrain automation.

  • 2021

    Expansion into media, cell therapy materials, and laboratory automation

    [1]

    Sartorius acquired Xell, CellGenix, and ALS Automated Lab Solutions.

  • 2017

    Expansion into centrifugation and cell-based assays

    [1]

    Sartorius Stedim Biotech acquired kSep Systems and Sartorius acquired Essen BioScience.

  • 2015

    Cellca acquisition

    [1]

    Cell-line and process-development capabilities were added to the bioprocess portfolio.

  • 2008

    Wave Biotech acquisition

    [1]

    The transaction strengthened Sartorius's position in single-use bioreactor technologies.

  • 2007

    Creation of Sartorius Stedim Biotech

    [1]

    Sartorius merged its biotechnology division with Stedim, creating a separately listed biopharmaceutical-process group.

  • 2000

    B. Braun Biotech International acquisition

    [1]

    The acquisition added fermenters, bioreactors, and cell-culture systems.

  • 1969

    Equipment supports Apollo 11 lunar-sample testing

    [1]

    Sartorius equipment was used in testing samples collected during the Apollo 11 mission.

  • 1906

    Expansion through two instrument-company acquisitions

    [1]

    Acquisitions of August Becker and Ludwig Tesdorf broadened the company into microtomes and astronomical, geodetic, and physical instruments.

  • 1895

    Production reaches 3,000 analytical balances

    [1]

    The company reached production of its 3,000th balance, indicating the early commercial success of its precision-weighing technology.

Products and positioning

High-value, integrated biopharmaceutical process and laboratory technology provider.

  • Bioprocess equipment

    Single-use bioreactor systems

    Sartorius supplies single-use bioreactor technologies for cell-culture and biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. These systems use disposable process-contact components and are intended to reduce cleaning and validation requirements while allowing facilities to change products or production campaigns more flexibly. The portfolio spans development-scale and manufacturing applications and is connected with related fluid-management, monitoring, and automation technologies.

  • Bioprocess purification

    Filtration and membrane chromatography systems

    These technologies support the clarification, concentration, purification, and separation stages of biopharmaceutical production. Sartorius's portfolio includes membrane adsorbers and other membrane-chromatography devices, together with filtration systems used in development and manufacturing workflows for biological products.

  • Cell and gene therapy workflow

    Cell-culture media and cell-line technologies

    Sartorius develops and supplies cell-culture media, cell-line development tools, and expression technologies used to produce biological medicines. Its capabilities include a Chinese hamster ovary expression platform and media-related technologies added through acquisitions including Cellca, Biological Industries, Xell, and CellGenix.

  • Bioprocess automation

    Automated cell-banking systems

    Automated cell-banking systems support the controlled handling and storage of cryovials used in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. The systems are designed to improve repeatability and reduce manual intervention in cell-line and sample-management workflows.

  • Laboratory instruments · 1870

    Laboratory balances and moisture analyzers

    Precision weighing is part of Sartorius's historical and continuing laboratory business. The company provides laboratory balances and moisture-analysis instruments for research, quality control, pharmaceutical testing, and other regulated laboratory applications.

  • Analytical instruments

    Flow-cytometry and cell-analysis instruments

    Sartorius's analytical portfolio includes flow-cytometry, viral-analysis, and cell-based assay technologies. These instruments and software support characterization of cells, biological activity, and experimental responses in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research.

  • Laboratory services

    Bioanalytical testing services

    Sartorius Stedim BioOutsource provides analytical services for biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Its work includes chemistry testing for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and assessment of physicochemical and structural properties.

  • Process software and automation

    Sartorius Biobrain automation suite

    Biobrain is Sartorius's automation platform for bioprocess applications. The company has positioned it as a digital control and automation layer for bioprocess equipment, and in 2025 announced a partnership to integrate it with Tulip Interfaces' platform.

Brand decisions

  • 2025

    Integrate Tulip's platform with Sartorius BiobrainOther

    Background

    Biopharmaceutical manufacturers increasingly require connected digital workflows and automation across laboratory and production operations.

    Action taken

    Sartorius partnered with Tulip Interfaces to integrate Tulip's platform with the Sartorius Biobrain automation suite.

  • 2020

    Expand cell-therapy research and development capabilitiesStrategy

    Background

    Cell and gene therapies were becoming an important area of biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing.

    Action taken

    Sartorius acquired selected Danaher assets related to cell-therapy research and development.

    Aftermath

    The transaction broadened Sartorius's tools and technologies for cell-therapy workflows.

  • 2007

    Combine the biotechnology division with StedimM&A

    Background

    Sartorius sought to build a larger and more specialized biopharmaceutical-process business.

    Action taken

    The biotechnology division was merged with French biotechnology company Stedim, producing Sartorius Stedim Biotech.

    Aftermath

    Sartorius Stedim Biotech became listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and served as a major vehicle for the group's bioprocess activities.

Recent events

  • Reported

    Sartorius raises 2022 sales growth forecast[3]

    Sartorius updated its 2022 sales revenue forecast after the acquisition, raising expected consolidated sales growth to about 15% to 19%, from about 14% to 18%.

  • Reported

    Sartorius completes acquisition of Novasep chromatography business[4]

    Sartorius announced that its subsidiary Sartorius Stedim Biotech completed the acquisition of Novasep’s chromatography business on February 7, 2022, after receiving approval from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

  • Reported

    Sartorius completes acquisition of Novasep chromatography division[3]

    Sartorius, through its subgroup Sartorius Stedim Biotech, closed its acquisition of Novasep's chromatography division on February 7, 2022, following approval by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

  • Unconfirmed

    Reported

    Sartorius acquires Xell AG[5]

    Sartorius, through its subgroup Sartorius Stedim Biotech, acquired Xell AG, a cell culture media specialist.

  • Sartorius and Wujiahe Gene Technology sign strategic cooperation agreement[6]

    Sartorius and Wujiahe Gene Technology signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing to jointly develop a GMP-compliant gene therapy viral-vector production platform and provide process-technology training for industry professionals.

  • Reported

    RoosterBio and Sartorius sign strategic collaboration[7]

    RoosterBio and Sartorius announced a strategic collaboration to advance the scale-up of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cell manufacturing for regenerative medicine, combining their technologies and systems.

  • Sartorius launches Incucyte SX5[8]

    Sartorius launched the Incucyte SX5 Live-Cell Analysis System, a new live-cell analysis product with up to five fluorescence channels.

  • Sartorius introduces BioPAT Spectro[9]

    Sartorius introduced BioPAT Spectro, a tool for Raman spectroscopy analysis with its ambr automated bioreactor systems and BIOSTAT STR single-use production bioreactors.

  • Reported

    Sartorius introduces BioPAT Spectro[10]

    Sartorius introduced BioPAT Spectro, a Quality by Design tool for use with its ambr automated micro and mini bioreactor systems and BIOSTAT STR single-use production bioreactors.

  • Reported

    Danaher announces sale of life sciences businesses to Sartorius[11]

    Danaher announced that it had signed an agreement to sell certain life sciences businesses to Sartorius AG for $750 million. The businesses include biomolecular characterization, chromatography hardware and resins, and microcarriers and particle validation standards.

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