Sartorius Stedim Biotech, a partner to the biopharmaceutical industry, has entered into a partnership with Nanotein Technologies, a developer of immune cell activation reagents. Sartorius Stedim Biotech will invest up to $3 million for a minority stake in Nanotein to support commercialization and joint development of solutions based on its NanoSpark platform.

Under an exclusive distribution agreement, Sartorius Stedim Biotech will offer Nanotein’s lead products globally: the NanoSpark STEM-T Soluble T Cell Activator and NanoSpark GROW-NK Soluble Activator. These reagents are designed to improve the expansion and yield of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, which are critical in cell therapies such as CAR-T and NK-based cancer treatments.

Cell therapy production begins with immune cell activation to generate large numbers of high-quality cells, but developers face challenges such as dependence on feeder cells and inconsistent yields. “Nanotein’s soluble activators aim to address these challenges by enhancing cell expansion and providing a feeder-free solution for NK cell activation,” said Curtis Hodge, Co-Founder and CEO of Nanotein Technologies.

René Fáber, CEO of Sartorius Stedim Biotech, said the partnership will give customers access to tools that simplify workflows and improve immune cell manufacturing, supporting innovation from early development to clinical use.

The companies will also collaborate on developing new products using the NanoSpark platform for the growing cell and gene therapy markets.