Azenta, a life sciences solutions company based in Burlington, Massachusetts, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Azenta UK Ltd has acquired UK Biocentre Limited, a provider of sample management, storage, and high-throughput sample processing services in the United Kingdom. The transaction was valued at £20.5 million, net of cash, including up to £1.8 million in contingent consideration tied to milestone completion.
The acquisition strengthens Azenta’s end-to-end lifecycle solutions in the United Kingdom, which is a major global hub for life sciences research. The company also plans to use UK Biocentre as a European operational hub to support pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic, and public health customers across the region.
With the addition of UK Biocentre, Azenta will expand its sample storage automation and integrated sample management capabilities. The facility will also support the company’s existing biorepository in Griesheim, Germany, while enabling broader regional coverage for European customers. UK Biocentre will continue to operate under its existing name following the acquisition.
Founded in 2014, UK Biocentre provides sample management, storage, and high-throughput processing services that support large-scale biomedical, pharmaceutical, and clinical studies. The organization generated approximately £15.3 million in revenue during the twelve months ending September 30, 2025.
Azenta noted that the acquisition is expected to be slightly dilutive to its adjusted EBITDA margin in fiscal year 2026 by approximately 35 basis points. However, the company expects the deal to contribute positively to revenue growth and margin expansion beginning in 2027 and 2028, consistent with the targets outlined during its December Investor Day.
The transaction also supports the rollout of Azenta’s BioArc Ultra automated storage platform, which is designed to manage up to 16 million samples and increase high-throughput capacity for life sciences customers.
Support: Deloitte served as the exclusive financial advisor to Azenta for the transaction, while Bird & Bird LLP acted as legal counsel.
KEY QUOTES
“The acquisition of UK Biocentre is a strategic step in positioning Azenta at the center 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.”
John Marotta — President And Chief Executive Officer, Azenta
“Today marks a pivotal moment for UK Biocentre. Joining Azenta brings together two life science organizations 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.”
Dr Tony Cox OBE — Chief Executive Officer, UK Biocentre
