Limula is developing a closed, automated all-in-one platform for the manufacture of cell and gene therapies.
Limula SA
Epalinges (Biopôle StartLab) · La Tour-de-PeilzNew on Amplifa
About Limula
Limula SA is a life science company based in Lausanne (Epalinges), Switzerland, that is developing a closed, automated all-in-one platform for the end-to-end manufacture of cell and gene therapies (CGT). Its core technology combines, for the first time, a bioreactor and a centrifuge in a single device: in horizontal position, cell incubation and expansion take place across a volume range of 2 mL to 400 mL, and in vertical position, in-situ centrifugation and cell processing – both within the same closed vessel without cell transfers between multiple devices. This reduces cell stress, cell loss and contamination risks and supports applications such as CAR-T, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), NK cells and TILs. The platform comprises the operating unit, consumables and software; the products LimONE (end-to-end cell therapy manufacturing) and LimGROW (commercial scale) use the same core technology. Through a Technology Access Program, functional prototypes and subsystems are available to early adopters from industry and academia. The company was founded in 2020 and works with partners such as Ceidos, Stemmatters, Exothera and the University of Geneva, as well as in consortia such as PAT4CGT.
- Site
- CH-1066 Epalinges
- Processes
- Cell expansion/incubation in bioreactor (cell expansion across scales, 2 mL to 400 mL), In-situ centrifugation (closed cell processing in a single vessel), Non-viral gene transfer (genetic modification of cells, automated), Online cell analytics / process monitoring (PAT, cell counting, cell viability), Automated end-to-end manufacturing platform for cell and gene therapies (LimONE, LimGROW), Combination of bioreactor and centrifuge in one closed system, Cell incubation/expansion (2 mL to 400 mL), In-situ cell processing/centrifugation
- Materials
- Cell incubation/expansion (bioreactor), In-situ centrifugation, End-to-end cell therapy manufacturing, Non-viral gene transfer, Online cell analytics / PAT
- Certificates
- Technology Access Program with early adopters
- Founded
- 2020
- Industries
- Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT), Biopharma/CDMO, Life Science Tools, Oncology (CAR-T, HSC, NK, TILs)
- 01
Bioreactor and centrifuge design (proprietary)
- 02
Cell incubation and expansion (2–400 mL)
- 03
In-situ centrifugation and cell processing
- 04
Integration of process analytics (PAT)
- 05
Software and consumables
- 06
Technology Access Program for early adopters
Technology and Processes
Cell incubation/expansion (bioreactor)
Cell expansion across scales from 2 mL to 400 mL in the closed system.
In-situ centrifugation
Gentle, low-shear centrifugation in the same vessel without cell transfers.
End-to-end cell therapy manufacturing
Automated, closed manufacturing of CAR-T, HSC, NK and TIL therapies.
Non-viral gene transfer
Automated genetic modification of cells without viral vectors (in development, Innosuisse project).
Online cell analytics / PAT
Automated, non-invasive monitoring of critical process parameters (C-NETICS, PAT4CGT).
Locations
Epalinges (Biopôle StartLab)
CHContact, office and development
- Materials
- Cell processing, bioreactor, centrifugation
- LimONE cell processing platform (bioreactor + centrifuge)
- LimGROW commercial-scale platform
- Functional prototypes/sub-systems
La Tour-de-Peilz
CHDomicile (legal contracting address)
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell expansion/incubation in bioreactor (cell expansion across scales, 2 mL to 400 mL)Plastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| In-situ centrifugation (closed cell processing in a single vessel)Plastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Non-viral gene transfer (genetic modification of cells, automated)Plastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Online cell analytics / process monitoring (PAT, cell counting, cell viability)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated all-in-one cell processing platform (bioreactor + centrifuge in one device) | Limula LimONE | – | Process volume 2 mL to 400 mL | – | Lausanne/Epalinges, Switzerland |
| Bioreactor/cell processing platform (commercial scale) | Limula LimGROW | – | – | – | Lausanne/Epalinges, Switzerland |
| Functional prototypes/sub-systems of the cell processing platform | Limula | 20 | – | 2024 | 5 sites |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Partnerships
Limula works with CDMOs such as Stemmatters and Exothera as well as academic partners to validate closedness, automation and process control for near-GMP CGT manufacturing.
| Evidence | Epalinges (Biopôle StartLab) |
|---|---|
| Technology Access Program with early adopters |
Company History
- 2019
FIT Tech Grant (CHF 100,000) supports the founding phase
- 2020
Founding of Limula SA by Dr. Luc Henry, Dr. Yann Pierson and Dr. Thomas Eaton in Lausanne
- 2022
FIT Tech Seed loan (CHF 100,000)
- 2022
Eurostars grant (EUR 1.14 million) with Ceidos and Stemmatters to integrate cell analytics (C-NETICS)
- 2022
EIC Pathfinder grant (EUR 3.6 million + CHF 1.1 million SERI) for the PAT4CGT consortium on process analytics
- 2022
Innosuisse grant (over EUR 1 million) with the University of Geneva (Prof. Denis Migliorini) for non-viral gene transfer
- 2024
Seed round of CHF 6.2 million completed
- 2024
FIT Tech Growth loan (CHF 500,000); 20 subsystems in operation at 5 sites
- 2025
Launch of LimONE, solution for end-to-end cell therapy manufacturing