10x Genomics, a prominent leader in single-cell and spatial biology, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Scale Biosciences, a company known for its innovative and scalable single-cell analysis solutions. The acquisition, valued at $30 million in upfront cash and stock, with potential for additional milestone-based payments, is a strategic move to enhance 10x Genomics' flagship Chromium platform. Scale Biosciences' technology, particularly its "Quantum Barcoding" and "ScalePlex" systems, is designed to make single-cell analysis more efficient and cost-effective by enabling high-throughput, massively parallelized experiments. These technologies reduce the need for multiple wash steps and simplify sample multiplexing, allowing researchers to analyze a significantly larger number of cells and samples—up to millions of cells and thousands of samples in a single run—while preserving high-quality multiomic data.

The integration of Scale's technologies into 10x Genomics' platform is expected to accelerate the company's product roadmap, aiming to make single-cell analysis more accessible and affordable for researchers worldwide. The founders of Scale Biosciences, a team of renowned scientists and technologists from institutions like Stanford and the University of Washington, will join 10x Genomics as advisors. Their expertise is intended to further drive innovation and support the company's mission to advance human health. The acquisition will also ensure continued support for Scale's current customers and their ongoing initiatives, such as the 100 Million Cell Challenge and the Billion Cells Project, while keeping key Scale products on the market. By combining Scale's pioneering work with 10x Genomics' global platform, the company hopes to enable more scientific breakthroughs and generate the high-quality data necessary for AI-powered advances in medicine.