Azenta has acquired UK Biocentre, a UK provider of sample management, storage and high-throughput sample processing services, in a deal worth up to £20.5m.
The acquisition was completed through Azenta’s wholly owned subsidiary Azenta UK Ltd.
Azenta said the deal strengthens its ability to deliver end-to-end lifecycle solutions in the UK while expanding its presence across Europe.
UK Biocentre will serve as a European operational hub supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic and public health customers, alongside Azenta’s existing biorepository, a facility used to store biological samples, in Griesheim, Germany. The company will continue to operate under its existing name.
UK Biocentre, founded in 2014, supports large-scale biomedical, pharmaceutical and clinical studies. Its services span sample collection through to processing, analysis and long-term cold storage.
The company generated approximately £15.3m in revenue in the twelve months ending fiscal September 30, 2025.
The total consideration was £20.5m net of cash, including up to £1.8m in contingent payments linked to the completion of certain milestones.
Azenta said the acquisition is expected to be dilutive to its 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin by around 35 basis points, but accretive to its 2027 and 2028 organic revenue growth rate and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion expectations underlying its December Investor Day targets.
John Marotta, president and chief executive officer of Azenta, said:
“The acquisition of UK Biocentre is a strategic step in positioning Azenta at the centre of the most critical workflows in the life sciences ecosystem. This transaction strengthens our end-to-end sample management solutions platform with deep operational expertise, and enhances our ability to deliver highly scalable, next-generation biorepository capabilities, including the deployment of our 16-million-sample BioArc Ultra, which will further expand our automated, high-throughput capacity later this year. It broadens our global footprint, fully aligns with our disciplined capital allocation strategy, and reinforces our leading positioning across the industry.”
Dr Tony Cox OBE, chief executive officer of UK Biocentre, said:
“Today marks a pivotal moment for UK Biocentre. Joining Azenta brings together two life science organisations united by a shared commitment to scientific excellence, innovation, and world-class sample management.
Azenta’s global leadership in sample management, biorepository solutions and genomic services gives us the platform to accelerate our growth, strengthen our infrastructure, and future-proof our capabilities at scale. Together, we will expand our reach across Europe and enhance the services we provide to research, industry and academic science. Our mission remains unchanged: to enable and advance life-changing research. With Azenta’s expertise and global resources behind us, we are entering an exciting new chapter, delivering even greater impact, resilience and value for our customers and partners.”
Deloitte served as exclusive financial adviser to Azenta, while Bird & Bird LLP acted as legal counsel.
