Tecan expands robotic workcell offering with acquisition of Wako Automation assets

Core Insights - Tecan Group has acquired Wako Automation assets, including the Director™ scheduling software and select hardware modules, completing the transaction on December 1, 2025 [1] - The acquisition aims to expand Tecan's market beyond liquid-handling products and enhance its leadership in laboratory automation [2] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition includes the flagship Director™ software and hardware, which will be integrated into Tecan Labwerx, enhancing custom lab automation solutions [4] - This move builds on Tecan's previous success with FlowPilot, a scheduling software for robotic workcells, which was initially licensed from Wako Automation [3] Group 2: Strategic Objectives - Tecan's strategic goal is to provide advanced scheduling software that allows customers to manage complex workflows with improved flexibility and efficiency [2] - The integration of Wako's scheduling software and hardware is expected to strengthen Tecan's offerings in the growing biopharma segment, where the Director software is already utilized by established clients [4][5] Group 3: Leadership and Market Position - Tecan's CEO, Monica Manotas, emphasized that the addition of Wako's expertise will accelerate the growth of Tecan's custom lab automation business, Labwerx [5] - Tecan is positioned to meet the increasing demand for flexible, scalable, and integrated automation solutions in the market [5]