DVS Sciences

About DVS Sciences

DVS Sciences, Inc. operated as a manufacturer and global distributor of bioanalytical solutions designed for biomarker discovery and biological research. The company was co-founded in 2004 by Dr. Scott Tanner, Dmitry Bandura, Vladimir Baranov, and Olga Ornatsky. Dr. Tanner, a scientist with extensive experience in mass spectrometry from his 25 years at SCIEX, transitioned to the University of Toronto in 2005, where the technology that formed the basis of DVS Sciences was developed. His work in this area led to him being named the University of Toronto's Inventor of the Year in Biomedical and Life Sciences in 2011.

The company's core business revolved around the development and sale of its pioneering mass cytometry platform, marketed as the CyTOF®. This technology integrates flow cytometry with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, allowing for the high-parameter analysis of individual cells. Instead of using traditional fluorescent tags, which are limited by spectral overlap, the CyTOF system uses antibodies labeled with stable, heavy metal isotopes. This allows researchers to simultaneously quantify up to 100 or more protein biomarkers on millions of single cells, providing a highly detailed view of complex biological systems. The business model focused on selling the CyTOF instrument platform and a suite of proprietary MAXPAR™ reagents, which included the necessary metal-isotope-tagged antibodies and panel kits for experiments. Its primary clients were leading research laboratories, academic institutions, and biopharma companies involved in immunology, oncology, and stem cell biology.

A significant milestone for DVS Sciences was securing a $14.6 million Series A financing round in July 2011, led by 5AM Ventures with participation from investors like Mohr Davidow Ventures and Pfizer Ventures. This funding enabled the company to establish manufacturing facilities in Ontario and expand its global distribution network. The company maintained its global headquarters and reagent manufacturing in Sunnyvale, California, with an R&D and instrument manufacturing facility near Toronto, Canada. In a strategic move to create a powerhouse in single-cell analysis, Fluidigm Corporation acquired DVS Sciences in February 2014 for approximately $207.5 million. Following the acquisition, DVS Sciences became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fluidigm, and its key founders, including Scott Tanner, joined the new parent company to aid in the integration and continued growth.