Semarion Raises $3.8 Million To Scale Cell Assay Technology And Expand Pharma Adoption

The round was led by Parkwalk, with participation from The FSE Group, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Oxford Innovation Finance, Found Capital, Cambridge Capital Group, and Start Codon.

The funding will support commercial expansion and scale manufacturing of its SemaCyte® platform, which converts adherent cell models into assay-ready, barcoded reagents for more flexible and scalable drug discovery.

Semarion will use the investment to accelerate commercialization, increase manufacturing capacity, strengthen partnerships, and expand its field application support team as it moves into its next growth phase.

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Semarion’s technology is already being used by leading global pharmaceutical companies, including top 10 pharma firms across the US and Europe. Several pilot programmes are underway, moving toward broader commercial adoption.

The company has also formed partnerships with life science tools providers such as Revvity, which has enabled SemaCyte detection in its imaging and analysis platforms, and SPT Labtech, which integrates the technology with its liquid handling systems to support automated cell-based workflows.

This latest funding follows the company’s $2.89 million Seed round raised in 2022.

Jeroen Verheyen, CEO and Co-Founder at Semarion, added: “This funding marks an important step as we scale to meet growing demand from the industry. Scientists are under increasing pressure to generate more cell-based data, improve automation and drive operational efficiency. SemaCytes enable them to do this within existing workflows and infrastructure, and we are now focused on translating that momentum into broader adoption.”

About Semarion

Semarion is a University of Cambridge spin-out developing advanced tools for cell-based drug discovery. Its SemaCyte® platform converts adherent cells into barcoded, assay-ready reagents, enabling higher throughput and richer data generation. By combining materials engineering, microfabrication and cell biology, Semarion helps researchers improve efficiency and scale existing drug discovery workflows.