LifeCellsNI has secured £590,000 in pre-seed investment to establish Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Human Tissue Authority (Human Applications) licensed stem cell storage and contingency biobank facility.
The funding round was led by The AMP Angel Syndicate with support from Co-Fund III (managed by Clarendon Fund Managers).
The Derry~Londonderry-based company is developing a fully regulated cryogenic storage and laboratory processing hub designed to operate under HTA governance frameworks. Cleanroom installation is now underway, with commissioning, validation and licensing milestones planned ahead of a 2026 operational launch.
READ MORE: AI as a people strategy: what we’ve learned from rolling out generative AI at scale
Northern Ireland currently lacks locally regulated long-term storage infrastructure for stem cells and therapeutic tissues. As a result, patients, clinics and research organisations must ship biological material to mainland UK facilities, increasing regulatory complexity and cost.
LifeCellsNI will provide:
· HTA-licensed long-term cryogenic storage
· Controlled laboratory processing within a cleanroom environment
· Secure chain-of-custody and compliant cold-chain logistics
· Fee-for-service access to licensed laboratory and cleanroom infrastructure
· Contingency biobanking services for healthcare providers, Universities and Private Companies.
The company operates with strict governance separation between patient/family-owned samples and research or commercial services, ensuring full consent, ownership protection and ethical compliance.
Founder and CEO Catherine King said “The facility is designed, not only to serve families preserving cord blood, but also to support Health Trusts, Universities and Private Life Sciences Companies requiring compliant storage and processing capability without investing in their own infrastructure”.
READ MORE: Why Netrio Chose Belfast to Anchor Its Global Ambitions
“Infrastructure determines participation,” King said. “If a region lacks regulated biobanking capability, it limits its ability to engage fully in advanced therapy programmes and regenerative medicine research. We are building that missing piece.”
Looking ahead, LifeCellsNI intends to expand into ethically governed donor cell collection and supply, supporting advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) development and cellular research across the island of Ireland.
The company was incubated within The AMP Growth Incubator ecosystem and has received ecosystem support from regional innovation bodies including Invest Northern Ireland, Founder Labs Pre Accelerator, Health Innovation Research Alliance North Ireland (HIRANI) and Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Lifecells will be the first of its kind on the island of Ireland and will be launched in April 2026 with storage activities commencing in August 2026.
My Life Cells - Safe Stem Cell Storage Ireland & NI
Sync NI's Spring 2026 magazine explores innovation and collaboration transforming Northern Ireland's technology ecosystem
This issue features exclusive insights from industry leaders on AI transformation, cybersecurity evolution, legal technology innovation, and how strategic partnerships between academia and business are accelerating real-world impact across the region.
Read the Spring 2026 edition free online →
Stay connected with NI's tech community:
