We Are CYTENOS

We believe that people are CYTENA’s most valuable asset.

We are a diverse team of people who encourage each other to challenge the status quo of the healthcare industry. We are a think tank of innovation fueled by passion and a drive to make the world a better, healthier place.

We are biologists, computer scientists and engineers. We are artists, entrepreneurs and visionaries.

We are CYTENA.

We’re on a mission to build the future of health

Based in Freiburg, Germany, CYTENA aims to provide the finest life science technologies to researchers and lab technicians around the world. We combine advanced automation, state-of-the-art software engineering and the latest insights in molecular biology to create systems that simplify complex lab workflows, all while making these processes more efficient and affordable.

Since 2014, we have developed strong relationships with some of the world’s most prestigious pharmaceutical companies. Our technology provides solutions for a wide range of application areas including stable cell line development (CLD), single-cell omics, high-throughput screening and drug discovery.

In addition to our cutting-edge technologies, CYTENA aims to provide exceptional customer service and user-friendly designs to foster accessibility, collaboration and progress in the lab. As a part of BICO, the world’s leading bioconvergence company, we strive to create the future of health.

Milestones & Progress

CYTENA is born

CYTENA started out in 2014 as a spin-off from the Laboratory for MEMS Applications and the Hahn-Schickard Institute in Freiburg, Germany.

Our first sale

From the moment we officially became a company, we wasted no time getting our technology out into the world. The Single-Cell Printer (SCP), a benchtop-sized single-cell dispenser, was our very first sale and our message to the research world that we were in the business of making life science research better, more efficient and more accessible.

Launch of the C.SIGHT, B.SIGHT and F.SIGHT

We expanded our portfolio of products to include a series of single-cell dispensers and imagers for more thorough and reliable production.

Our first growth spurt

With more products in our portfolio and many more to come, CYTENA was ready for expansion. We moved our team to a new office in Freiburg and continued to welcome more and more brilliant employees eager to join our mission to improve medical research.

Founded CYTENA Bioprocess Solutions subsidiary in Taiwan

We expanded our reach to the Asian market by establishing CYTENA BPS, which has since produced game-changing systems including the C.BIRD and S.NEST.

Joined CELLINK group

Linked by a shared vision for the future of health, CYTENA joined forces with CELLINK, a bioprinting company based in Sweden.

Launch of the UP.SIGHT

We introduced the world to the UP.SIGHT, our patented single-cell cloning and imaging device. This all-in-one solution for CLD automates time-consuming and labor-intensive steps and achieves a probability of clonality > 99.99%.

Launch of the C.WASH

CYTENA introduced the world to this game-changing microplate washer and liquid handler. The C.WASH uses centrifugal force to clean plates, which helps labs cut back on plastic pipette tips and minimize the risk of cross contamination.

Joined BICO

August 2021 marked the beginning of an incredible collaboration with BICO, the world’s leading Bioconvergence company. With the support of BICO and our new sister companies, CYTENA had even more resources and energy to create bigger and better solutions for the future of health.

New HQ

We kicked off the new year with a move to a brand-new building right in the heart of Freiburg. Our current home is a 6-floor building complete with spacious labs, dozens of meeting rooms and even a rooftop terrace.

Launch of the C.STATION

We’ve combined our most advanced technologies into a single workstation for fully automated stable CLD. With the power of the UP.SIGHT and best in class liquid handling, the C.STATION is bound to revolutionize the life science industry.

DNA @ CYTENA

Hear From CYTENOS

I joined Cytena as a Product Manager in January 2022. Prior to that I worked as a product manager in biotechnology field and as a postdoctoral scientist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Bonn. I enjoy working at cytena where I am involved in building innovative products that enable scientific discoveries and advance health care research. I like the amazing people that I am fortunate to work with, the open mindset, and the transparent management that encourages and empowers employees to do their best.

Hussein Hamzeh
Product Manager

I have been at CYTENA for 10 months and I have seen both the company and me grow during this short time. With the excitement of learning how to perform new tasks and the great coworkers I have, there is not a boring day at the office.

Cristina Romera
Financial Assistant

I started my career at CYTENA in 2019 during a time where CYTENA was still a startup. Before that I worked almost 12 years in medical device industries with a strong focus on R&D. But I always had a lot of interest in operations and process engineering so I was very happy to move in this direction starting at CYTENA. I enjoyed the open mindset and the ability to have such a great impact. It was incredible to see how fast CYTENA has grown and how many challenges we successfully handled. We work in a dynamic environment so team work is key. Today we spend a lot of time with the team to develop and setup our internal processes so we can keep up with the strong growth.

Martin Knape
Head of Operations

My journey in CYTENA started in December 2021. To me it feels like it is much longer. Absolutely arrived in the BICO Group, I appreciate working on several projects in this cross-functional team. A balanced working atmosphere with open and transparent communication across all decision-making levels lets you enjoy the daily challenges in an international team.

Daniela Lang
Team Lead Process Engineering