As a global leader in the life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemistry market, Agilent Technologies is focused on research and development, production, sales and technical services in the communications and life sciences. In recent years, Agilent also began the process of broadening the scope of its operations by M&As driven by the wave of mergers and acquisitions in the instrument industry. Here we sum up the major M&A acquisitions operated by Agilent in the first half of this year as follows:
Agilent Acquires Luxcel Biosciences to Expand Cell Analysis Product Family
Agilent Technologies announced the acquisition of Luxcel Biosciences Inc. (Luxcel) in Cork, Ireland on January 10, 2018. Luxcel develops in vitro cell detection kits based on real-time fluorescence microplate readers. The acquisition adds new easy-to-use assay kit for Agilent that is compatible with industry-standard microplate readers and extends its cell analysis product line. Established in 2002 by Richard Fernandes and Dmitri Papkovsky, Luxcel is one of the High Potential Start-Up project set by the University of Cork's spin-off companies and the Irish Enterprise Bureau, currently including 12 employees and is headquartered in Cork, Ireland. The Luxcel team will stay in Cork and form a dedicated sensor chemistry and biometrics solution group within Agilent's Cell Analysis Division.
Agilent Acquires Advanced Analytical Technologies with $250 Million
On March 9, 2018, Agilent Technologies announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a private company, Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc. (AATI), which is a supplier of capillary electrophoresis solutions that provides comprehensive automated analysis of various molecules. The acquisition was dealt with US$250 million that will strengthen the professional and technical capabilities of Agilent to provide customers with a more comprehensive portfolio of solutions. Patrick Kaltenbach, Agilent's senior vice president and president of the life sciences and applications market group claimed that ‘This acquisition proves again that Agilent will be able to create higher value for customers and shareholders through effective use of investment. AATI's products complement our existing solutions portfolio, further enhancing our strengths and offering us the opportunity to achieve faster business growth.'
Agilent invests $105 million to reacquire Lasergen
In April 2018, Agilent Technologies announced the signment of a definitive agreement to purchase the remaining 52% stake of Lasergen for US$105 million. Lasergen is an emerging biotechnology company focused on the development of DNA innovation technology, and Agilent acquired 48% of its shares two years ago. Jacob Thaysen, president of the Agilent Diagnostics and Genomics Group, said that ‘Building next-generation sequencing workflows for clinical applications is a key component of Agilent's diagnostic strategy for fighting cancer and constitutional diseases. We are committed to providing patient-centric, actionable information for clinical decision-making, ensuring the customer experience of all diagnostic models, and making it a key differentiator in the future.'
Agilent Acquires Genohm to Strengthen Laboratory Informatics Construction
On May 11, 2018, Agilent Technologies announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a privately held Genohm company, which is a developer of highly differentiated, on-premise and cloud computing software solutions for laboratory management. John Sadler, vice president and general manager of the software and information division at Agilent, said that ‘Genohm's team and technology made a deep impression on us. The modern architecture of SLIMS is perfectly matched with the value of Agilent OpenLab products. Through integrating this technology with our broad and diverse portfolio of instruments, we are in a unique position to support and strengthen the operations of modern laboratories that can truly help our customers achieve more data.'
Agilent Announces Acquisition of a Distributor Asset
On May 22, 2018, Agilent announced to sign a definitive agreement to acquire related businesses with Young In Scientific Co. Ltd. which is a leading distributor of analytical and scientific instruments in South Korea, also is long-standing distributor of instruments and services for Agilent. Lon Justice, vice president of sales and marketing at Agilent Labs Solutions said, ‘YI Scientific has established a strong sales channel for Agilent over the years. The cooperation with channel partners will lay a solid foundation for Agilent to meet the growing demand for analytical markets in South Korea.' After the acquisition, more than 100 employees of YI Scientific and its subsidiaries are expected to join Agilent Technologies Korea Limited.
It is obvious that the competition in the instrument market will inevitably be exacerbated by the constant influx of large amounts of capital. Some companies with absolute leading edge in the segmentation area will stand out in the new competitive environment. In the future, more companies will utilize this approach to bring strong momentum into brand development. Then what about the further development of the acquisition plan from Agilent, we will wait and see!