Sphere Bio further expands Cambridge-China's new Silk Road of trade

Following two lucrative sorties by AstraZeneca into China's life science heartland, Sphere Bio – based at Granta Park – has unveiled Redbert Biotechnology as its exclusive distribution partner in the territory.

Sphere Bio provides picodroplet-based microfluidics for functional single-cell analysis and isolation. The latest move in China builds on the ongoing success of the company’s broader operational scale-up in APAC.

Sphere says the commercial update further expands access to its proprietary tools and solutions and solidifies its presence in another of the world’s largest and fastest-growing life sciences markets.

It adds that it is pursuing an ambitious global growth strategy in response to what it calls rapidly-growing demand for its next-generation single-cell analysis platforms, including the recently-launched Cyto-Mine® Chroma multiplexing platform.

Redbert Biotechnology is a specialist bioprocess biotechnology distributor strategically located across China with headquarters in Beijing and offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Jinan, Chengdu and Nanjing.

By establishing a regional distribution and support channel, the partnership will improve the efficiency and convenience of expertise available to the local customer base, and support Sphere Bio’s continued growth in Asia.

To manage the partnership, Sphere Bio has appointed Johnathan Fu as Country Manager - China and Hong Kong. Johnathan, who reports to Jay Manikandan, Vice President of Commercial (APAC), has over 19 years of experience specialising in the sales of laboratory instruments, including for 10x Genomics, Roche Diagnostics, and Bio-Rad. He will work with Redbert Biotechnologies to establish a strong commercial and support foundation in the region.

“The Chinese life sciences market is growing at a rapid pace and is spearheading scientific innovation,” said Wei Zhang, CEO, Redbert Biotechnology.

“We have been very impressed by Sphere Bio’s technologies, particularly the new Cyto-Mine Chroma platform and its multiplexing capabilities and industry leading throughput. We are excited to be part of the operation to bring these cutting-edge solutions to the Chinese market and realise their potential in accelerating scientific research across Asia.”

Dale Levitzke, CEO, Sphere Bio, added: “Penetrating this global market is a significant milestone in our ongoing international growth plans. We have strategically partnered with Redbert Biotechnology, a renowned biotech innovator in China with extensive experience in bioprocess and drug development solutions, to bring our disruptive technology portfolio to more customers.

“And, to ensure local success, we are very pleased for Johnathan to be on the ground nurturing these relationships. Together with our broader APAC expansion, under the leadership of Jay Manikandan, these developments are essential for ensuring we continue to proactively respond to market demand, improve customer support, accelerate research and enhance long-term commercial value.”

Johnathan Fu said: “This is a pivotal time for Sphere Bio to be establishing deeper roots in the rapidly growing Chinese market. I’m proud to be joining the team to lead on this regional scale-up, drive adoption of our technologies, and maximise value for our customers. There is a clear focus on quality and impact and I look forward to working closely with our distribution partners to ensure mutual success.”