Flodesign Sonics

About Flodesign Sonics

FloDesign Sonics (FDS) operated as a specialized biotechnology firm focused on developing acoustic cell processing platforms to industrialize the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. Founded in 2009 by Stanley Kowalski, Bart Lipkens, Louis Masi, and Walter Presz, the company was established in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. The founding team's background is rooted in engineering and fluid dynamics, with Kowalski and Presz having connections to Western New England University's College of Engineering. Kowalski, an alumnus, served as Chairman and CEO, driving the company's strategy to adapt acoustic technology for life sciences applications. The company was a spin-off from FloDesign, an entity created by Professor Walter Presz to provide practical experience for his engineering students.

The company's core business centered on its proprietary acoustic wave technology, which manipulates cells using ultrasonic waves. This method served as a gentler, more efficient alternative to traditional mechanical techniques like centrifugation for cell washing, concentration, and separation. The primary clients for this technology were biopharmaceutical companies and researchers in the cell and gene therapy sector, particularly those working on complex treatments like CAR-T therapy. The business model involved creating and selling a platform that could make the production of these advanced, life-saving treatments faster, more scalable, and ultimately more accessible to patients by reducing manufacturing costs.

FDS developed the ekko™ cell processing system, its flagship product platform launched in early 2019. The ekko™ system is a closed, automated platform designed for use from research stages through to GMP manufacturing. Its key feature is the use of a macro-scale acoustic standing wave to gently handle cells, which can be applied to various processes including washing and concentrating T-cells, harvesting cells from bioreactors, and managing cell aggregates found in stem cell cultures. This system represented a significant step in addressing manufacturing bottlenecks for autologous cell therapies. Over its lifetime, the company successfully raised approximately $34.8 million in funding over several rounds to support its development and commercialization efforts. In October 2019, FloDesign Sonics was acquired by MilliporeSigma (a subsidiary of Merck KGaA), which sought to integrate the acoustic technology into its own portfolio to become the first to offer such a platform for industrial-scale cell therapy manufacturing.