London, UK, 31 Jan 2011. Plasticell, the biotechnology company specialising in high throughput technologies for directed stem cell differentiation, has announced it has completed a two-part equity financing, raising a total of £3.5 million from new and existing investors.
The first tranche of the financing, in which £1.5 million was drawn down in April 2009, was used to develop Plasticell’s unique second generation CombiCult™ technology for high throughput stem cell differentiation. The improved technology was launched in October 2010 and received the Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award.
A further £2 million investment, closed in December 2010, will provide capital for the expansion of the company’s business development and marketing activities to increase its growing customer base.
Plasticell uses massively parallel screening technologies to derive high value cell lines from stem cells. The company has already announced a number of deals with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and reagent supply companies including GSK, UCB and Sigma Aldrich.
Dr Yen Choo, CEO of Plasticell, commented: “We are very pleased to have successfully closed this fundraising with both financing rounds fully subscribed, despite an exceptionally challenging economic climate. Investors undoubtedly view stem cells as an attractive proposition and Plasticell as an industry innovator with novel technology that is fully developed and already in use both by big pharma and diverse niche players.”
About Plasticell
Plasticell is a biotechnology company that specialises in massively parallel screens to discover drugs that control stem cells. The company’s proprietary, award-winning technology, Combinatorial Cell Culture™ (CombiCultTM), allows it to test cell culture variables in random combinations to discover optimal laboratory protocols for the differentiation of adult or pluripotent stem cells.
Plasticell provides services to, and forms strategic alliances with, industry partners to produce high value cell lines and culture media for drug discovery and cell therapy applications.
For more information visit Plasticell’s website: www.plasticell.co.uk
For confidential technical enquiries please contact Dr Lilian Hook on +44 7811 168 177, or email: lilian@plasticell.co.uk
For media enquiries, please contact Tristan Jervis on +44 207 861 3019, or e-mail: t.jervis@defacto.com
