Kyoto, Japan – August 8, 2019 – SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. has decided to provide additional investment capital to AFI Corporation (headquarters: Kyoto, Japan; president: Takaharu Enjoji), a venture company engaged in the development of devices for the inspection and evaluation of cells and microorganisms. This funding pushes SCREEN’s investment ratio in AFI beyond 20%, making the company an equity method affiliate. SCREEN intends to capitalize on the move to accelerate its development of products for the cell research field.

 

AFI is a venture company working on the commercialization of devices that can separate and inspect cells and microorganisms. It is primarily involved in the development of evaluation and control systems for the three fields of food inspection, cell research and clinical diagnosis.

SCREEN first began to collaborate with AFI in 2016 and then in September 2017 invested in the company through the acquisition of a third-party allotment of shares. This investment was accompanied by the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement to form a partnership targeting the development, manufacturing and distribution of a wide range of related devices and consumable products. The collaboration is continuing to progress well and SCREEN has already begun contract manufacturing of food inspection devices, the first field in which AFI successfully commercialized products.

SCREEN is currently working to expand its operations in the life sciences field as an area of new business. It already offers a diverse lineup of devices for cell research, including a high-speed 3D cell scanner featuring label-free analysis.* The company believes a deeper sharing of the technologies and expertise possessed by both it and AFI is likely to yield further synergies in the cell research area. This thinking has now led it to increase its existing investment through a share subscription agreement.

The decision moves SCREEN’s shareholding in AFI beyond 20%, creating an equity method affiliate. From this point, SCREEN plans to further accelerate joint development by both companies to enable rapid commercialization of devices for cell research. The initiative will make full use of AFI’s proprietary FES** technology, an advancement that allows the label-free concentration, separation and purification of specific cells and microorganisms.

With demand expected to grow rapidly in the life sciences field, SCREEN looks forward to meeting the market’s emerging needs and contributing to its long-term progress.

 

• PDF