Deal Timeline

Plotted by close date where disclosed, otherwise announcement. Select any marker to jump to the deal entry.

The Acquisition Playbook.

Three patterns run through Agilent's acquisitions — what it looks for, how it pays, and how it folds in what it buys.

01
Acquisition criteria
Building a cell-analysis franchise through serial tuck-ins.
Agilent assembled a live-cell analysis business step by step — Seahorse (metabolism), Luxcel (plate-reader assays) and ACEA (real-time and flow cytometry), then the roughly $1.17 billion BioTek deal. Management framed BioTek as the capstone, saying the combination would "accelerate our multi-year growth strategy to expand our position in cell analysis."
Dako A/SCartageniaSeahorse BioscienceAdvanced Analytical Technologies (AATI)Luxcel Biosciences
02
Capital deployment
Moving downstream from instruments into clinical diagnostics and genomics.
The $2.14 billion Dako acquisition took Agilent into tissue-based cancer diagnostics; Cartagenia added variant-interpretation software, Lasergen next-generation sequencing chemistry, Avida Biomed target-enrichment content, and Resolution Bioscience an NGS liquid-biopsy platform. The throughline is owning more of the clinical-oncology workflow rather than only the measurement hardware.
Dako A/SCartageniaSeahorse BioscienceAdvanced Analytical Technologies (AATI)Luxcel Biosciences
03
Integration approach
Extending beyond hardware into biopharma workflows and manufacturing.
Later deals pushed past instruments — e-MSion's ExD cell deepened mass-spectrometry characterization of biotherapeutics, and the roughly $925 million BIOVECTRA acquisition added contract development and manufacturing capacity in biologics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, moving Agilent into services and manufacturing for its biopharma customers.
Dako A/SCartageniaSeahorse BioscienceAdvanced Analytical Technologies (AATI)Luxcel Biosciences

The Full Deal Book

12 acquisitions — each with the deal value, financing structure, target revenue, and executive commentary where disclosed.

01 Dako A/S · Glostrup, Denmark $2.14B
Announced May 2012 Closed Jun 2012 All cash

Dako is a Danish cancer-diagnostics company that supplies antibodies, reagents, scientific instruments and software to pathology laboratories, and partners with pharmaceutical companies on companion-diagnostic tests that match patients to targeted cancer therapies. Agilent bought 100% of Dako's share capital under a May 16, 2012 share purchase agreement, funded with existing cash. approximately $2.14 billion.

In the rapidly growing diagnostics market, Dako's products and capabilities are a strategic complement to Agilent's existing offerings.Bill Sullivan — President and CEO, Agilent
02 Cartagenia · Leuven, Belgium $60M
Announced May 2015 Closed May 2015 All cash

Cartagenia provides software and services for clinical genetics and molecular pathology laboratories. Its Bench platform lets labs assess and report variants from next-generation sequencing and microarray data, putting genomic results in clinical context for lab directors and clinicians. approximately €60 million.

03 Seahorse Bioscience · North Billerica, Massachusetts, USA $242M
Announced Sep 2015 Closed Nov 2015 All cash

Seahorse Bioscience makes instruments and assay kits that measure cell metabolism and bioenergetics in real time. Its XF technology gives researchers kinetic data on cell health and function and how cells respond to disease and drug treatment. approximately $242 million.

Seahorse Bioscience's unique technology is the perfect complement to Agilent's market-leading separations and mass spectrometry solutions, in particular for metabolomics research and disease research in pharma.Patrick Kaltenbach — President, Agilent Life Sciences and Applied Markets Group
04 Advanced Analytical Technologies (AATI) · Ankeny, Iowa, USA $268M
Announced Mar 2018 Closed Apr 2018 All cash

Advanced Analytical Technologies (AATI) makes capillary-electrophoresis systems, including the Fragment Analyzer, for automated analysis of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and small molecules across pharma, academic, diagnostics and applied markets. approximately $268 million.

This acquisition is another great example of Agilent effectively deploying our capital to create value for our customers and our shareholders.Patrick Kaltenbach — President, Agilent Life Sciences and Applied Markets Group
05 Luxcel Biosciences · Cork, Ireland Not disclosed
Announced Jan 2018 Closed Jan 2018

Luxcel Biosciences develops real-time, fluorescence plate-reader-based in vitro cell assay kits for cell metabolism, drug safety and toxicity, hypoxia and oxidative stress, aimed at research and pharmaceutical customers.

Luxcel is highly complementary to our Seahorse offerings.Todd Christian — General Manager, Agilent Cell Analysis Division
06 Lasergen · Houston, Texas, USA $185M
Announced May 2018 Closed May 2018 Cash

Houston-based Lasergen develops next-generation sequencing chemistry, including its Lightning Terminators technology aimed at making DNA sequencing faster, more accurate and less expensive. Agilent first took a 48% minority stake in March 2016 and acquired the remaining shares in May 2018. approximately $185 million (two steps).

We are pleased to complete our acquisition of Lasergen.Sam Raha — President, Agilent Diagnostics and Genomics Group
07 ACEA Biosciences · San Diego, California, USA $250M
Announced Sep 2018 Closed Nov 2018 All cash

ACEA Biosciences develops real-time, label-free cell-analysis platforms, including NovoCyte benchtop flow cytometers and the impedance-based xCELLigence real-time cell-analysis system, used in immuno-oncology, preclinical drug discovery and academic research. approximately $250 million.

08 BioTek Instruments (Lionheart Technologies LLC) · Winooski, Vermont, USA $1.17B
Announced Jul 2019 Closed Aug 2019 All cash

BioTek Instruments (legal entity Lionheart Technologies LLC) designs, manufactures and distributes life-science instrumentation, including cell-imaging systems, microplate readers, washers, dispensers and automated incubators used in research. approximately $1.17 billion.

BioTek represents a strong strategic fit with Agilent. The combination of these two companies will accelerate our multi-year growth strategy to expand our position in cell analysis.Mike McMullen — President and CEO, Agilent
09 Resolution Bioscience · Kirkland, Washington, USA $550M
Announced Mar 2021 Closed Apr 2021 Cash plus contingent consideration

Resolution Bioscience develops next-generation-sequencing precision-oncology solutions, including a noninvasive, CLIA-certified liquid-biopsy platform that detects actionable cancer mutations from a standard blood sample. $550 million cash plus up to $145 million milestones.

By adding Resolution Bioscience's liquid biopsy-based diagnostic technologies to our portfolio, we are strengthening Agilent's offering to our biopharma customers and boosting the growth of our diagnostics and genomics business.Mike McMullen — President and CEO, Agilent
10 e-MSion · Corvallis, Oregon, USA Not disclosed
Announced Mar 2023 Closed Mar 2023

e-MSion, an early-stage company founded by Oregon State University scientists, created the ExD cell — a compact device that adds electron-capture-dissociation (ECD) fragmentation to benchtop mass spectrometers for more comprehensive characterization of large proteins and biomolecules.

The talented team at e-MSion has created an important technology in accelerating biopharma development.Jacob Thaysen — President, Agilent Life Sciences and Applied Markets Group
11 Avida Biomed · Fremont, California, USA Not disclosed
Announced Jan 2023 Closed Jan 2023

Avida Biomed is an early-stage life-sciences company that develops high-performance NGS target-enrichment workflows enabling simultaneous genomic and epigenomic (DNA-methylation) profiling from a single sample, compatible with automation platforms such as Magnis and Bravo.

The team of talented scientists and genomics industry veterans at Avida Biomed have created a best-in-class toolset.Sam Raha — President, Agilent Diagnostics and Genomics Group
12 BIOVECTRA · Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada $925M
Announced Jul 2024 Closed Sep 2024 All cash

BIOVECTRA is a Canadian contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in biologics, highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients, pDNA and mRNA, lipid-nanoparticle formulation, sterile fill-finish and antibody-drug conjugates. approximately $925 million.

We look forward to welcoming BIOVECTRA to Agilent.Padraig McDonnell — President and CEO, Agilent

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