EMD Millipore, the US-based life science division of Germany-based pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck, has acquired US-based medical instrumentation company Amnis, which is corporate venturing-backed, for an undisclosed amount.
Among the investors in Amnis was CVF, the corporate venturing unit of the US-based investment firm Henry Crown & Company, which contributed to Amnis’ last funding round, its $11.2m series C round, which closed in March 2006.
Amnis develops and manufactures instruments for microscopic cell imaging (flow cytometry) and generated sales of about $14m in 2010. The acquisition is expected to allow Amnis to expand its products globally while simultaneously complementing EMD Millipore’s own Guava range of flow cytometry products.
Jonathan DiVincenzo, head of EMD Millicore’s bioscience business unit, said: "The acquisition of Amnis significantly contributes to our strategy to be a leader in cellular analysis and systems biology by providing access to Amnis’ novel imaging and image analysis technology, as well as their truly unique product line of instruments that combine high-speed imaging with flow cytometry."
DiVincenzo continued: "With Amnis, we acquire a business with a motivated and very talented workforce, a strong IP position, and unique know-how in a strongly growing segment of the life science research market."
Millipore has been a division of the Merck corporation since March 2010 when Merck acquired the biomedical research company for $7.2bn. Currently known as Merck Millipore outside North America, Millipore’s own revenues ran to about $2.2bn in 2010.