Fundraising Fox

Cellares

South San Francisco, US · Founded 2019 · Delaware corporation · 332 employees on LinkedIn · 17 known investors

Cellares develops automated manufacturing systems and technology platforms to accelerate the production and commercialization of cell therapies. The company serves biopharmaceutical manufacturers and cell therapy developers worldwide.

Advanced ManufacturingBiotechMedical Devices

Founders & leadership

Cellares was founded in 2019 by Fabian Gerlinghaus and Omar Kurdi.

FGFabian Gerlinghaus
Fabian GerlinghausinCo-Founder and Chief Executive OfficerFabian Gerlinghaus is Co-Founder and CEO of Cellares, which builds automated manufacturing platforms for cell therapy production. He was previously Chief Innovation Officer at Synthego, where he co-developed the company's RNA synthesizer technology, and holds a master's in aerospace engineering from the Technical University of Munich and an honours degree in technology management from the Center for Digital Technology and Management, Munich.
OKOmar Kurdi
Omar KurdiinCo-Founder and PresidentOmar Kurdi is Co-Founder and President of Cellares, which develops automated manufacturing systems and platforms for producing cell therapies. He has a background in engineering and operations, with experience in strategic planning, business development, startup and large-scale manufacturing operations, Lean methodologies, and GMP/ISO 13485/FDA regulatory compliance.

Board

JBJustin Butler
Justin Butlerin𝕏Board Member2019–2025Partner at Eclipse Ventures
VTVictor Tong
Victor TonginBoard directorManaging Director at Decheng Capital

Investors · 17

Decheng Capital✓ verifiedMenlo Park
8VCAustin · $100K – $50M
EcoR1 CapitalSan Francisco
Intuitive VenturesSunnyvale
Koch Disruptive TechnologiesSan Francisco
Baillie Giffordreported · 2 sourcesEdinburgh
BlackRockreportedNew York
Eclipsereported · 2 sourcesPalo Alto
Eclipse VenturesreportedPalo Alto · $200K – $5M
T. Rowe PricereportedBaltimore
Willett AdvisorsreportedNew York

Also in the syndicate · 6

DC Global VenturesDFJ GrowthDuquesne Family OfficeEDBIGates FrontierPrime Radiant Partners

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

$82M disclosed across 1 of 5 rounds · 2021–2026

▶$82MraisedMay 2021 · 9 investors · Other
Rule 506(b)
Officers, directors & promoters on the filing
  • Justin ButlerDirector
  • Fabian GerlinghausExecutive Officer, Director
  • Victor TongDirector
  • Omar KurdiExecutive Officer, Director
Offering amount
$82M
Amount sold
$82M
First sale
Apr 2021
Incorporated
Corporation, Delaware, 2019
Federal exemptions
06b
Full filing on SEC EDGAR ↗

Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.

Competitors · 1

by search overlap
Celularity26 shared keywordsCelularity is a regenerative and cellular medicine company developing and commercializing biomaterial products and allogeneic, cryopreserved cell therapies derived from the postpartum placenta to target age-related diseases. It operates its own integrated manufacturing, translational research, and biobanking facility for placenta-derived cellular medicines and advanced biomaterials.

Companies competing with Cellares for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

In the news

Cellares Grows Series D to $327 Million with $50 Million Prime Radiant Partners Investmentnatlawreview.com · Jul 2026Cellares extends funding for cell therapy manufacturing - Drug Discovery World (DDW)ddw-online.com · Jun 2026Cellares Raises $327M in Series D Fundingfinsmes.com · Jun 2026Exclusive: Cellares raises $257M to fund global expansion as it eyes 2027 IPOendpoints.news · Jan 2026Cellares Raises $257 Million Series D Led by BlackRock and Eclipse to Industrialize Global Cell Therapy Manufacturing with Breakthrough Automation - Cellarescellares.com · Jan 2026Cell therapy manufacturing tech startup Cellares raises $82 million | Reutersreuters.com · May 2021

Frequently asked questions

What does Cellares do?
Cellares develops automated manufacturing systems and technology platforms to accelerate the production and commercialization of cell therapies. The company serves biopharmaceutical manufacturers and cell therapy developers worldwide.
Who founded Cellares?
Cellares was founded by Fabian Gerlinghaus, Omar Kurdi in 2019.
Who are Cellares's investors?
Cellares's investors include Decheng Capital, 8VC, EcoR1 Capital, Intuitive Ventures, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Baillie Gifford, BlackRock, Eclipse and 3 more.
How much funding has Cellares raised?
Cellares has disclosed $82M raised across 1 of its 5 known rounds.
Where is Cellares headquartered?
Cellares is headquartered in South San Francisco, US.