Microfluidics Industry The Acquisition Game in the Microfluidics Industry

In its Status of Microfluidics Industry report published this year, Yole highlights the numerous acquisitions that have been taking place over the last few years. With more than 700 companies worldwide, almost 300 million products sold in 2016, and 4,500+ patent publications, the microfluidics market is becoming the playground for a lot of financial movements.

Lyon/France — Idex Health & Science announced at the beginning of December the acquisition of thin XXS, a German microfluidic devices manufacturer. This acquisition follows another one that took place two years ago with the company Cidra Precision Services. Both acquisitions are allowing Idex Health & Science to expand its technical know-how from glass to polymer microfluidic devices manufacturing, as well as develop its activities towards the microfluidic consumables business. According to Yole Développement (Yole), the strategy of this leading life sciences company consists of the strengthening of its market positioning concerning optofluidic components as well as the development of new business opportunities towards the point-of-care and veterinary market segments.

Idex acquisitions are not surprising, explains the market research and strategy consulting company. “This is not the first acquisition of a microfluidic device manufacturer over the past two years”, comments Sébastien Clerc, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole.“Indeed, in August 2016, veterinary diagnostics company Zoetis acquired Scandinavian Micro Biodevices barely one month after Stratec signed the Sony DADC Biosciences acquisition. This new acquisition from IDEX is part of the microfluidics industry’s maturation that has been observed for a few years now.”

Under a dynamic microfluidic devices market showing a 21 % CAGR between 2017 and 2022 to reach almost $ 6 billion in 2022, the group of leading diagnostic and life sciences companies, including Abbott, Alere, bioMérieux and Roche, is increasingly engaged in the identification of innovative companies and potential M&A . Their strategy is clearly focused on the development of their activities and portfolio.

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Large diagnostics companies are clearly racing to acquire the most promising microfluidic companies. They usually propose a few, often successful microfluidic solutions within their immense portfolio: Abbott, Alere, bio Mérieux, and Roche have all witnessed growth in at least one of their segments, driven by a microfluidic solution. These success stories result from solid industry structuring over the past few years: among the numerous companies developing microfluidic-based products, the most promising ones are often acquired by the large diagnostics companies. This was the case for some of molecular diagnostics’ most innovative players: IQuum and Bio Fire, and more recently Cepheid and Nanosphere, which were all acquired by much larger companies. In parallel, Gene POC received significant investment from Debiopharm (More on i-micronews.com).

In this attractive context, Yole’s analysts have identified almost $ 25 billion in M&A across the microfluidics industry since 2015. This has created a virtuous circle: the most promising/most successful startups are acquired or become large players themselves, and investors are eager to put money into the ever-growing number of newcomers leveraging microfluidic technologies and know-how.

The consulting company Yole proposes a comprehensive technology and market analysis of the microfluidic industry. To discover the content of this report in detail, go to i-micronews.com, Medtech reports section.

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