Azenta Divests B Medical Systems for $63 Million, Pivoting to Core Life Sciences

BURLINGTON, Mass. – December 29, 2025 – Azenta, Inc. (Nasdaq: AZTA) announced today a definitive agreement to sell its B Medical Systems business for US$63 million, a decisive move to sharpen its focus on its primary life sciences service portfolio. The sale to THELEMA S.À R.L., a European investment entity, marks a significant step in the company's ongoing strategy to streamline operations and concentrate resources on its highest-growth sectors.

The transaction, managed through Azenta's German affiliate, is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2026. This divestiture is positioned by the company's leadership as a strategic pivot, designed to unlock capital and management attention for its core competencies in sample management and multiomics services, which are critical to the modern drug development and clinical research pipeline.

A Strategic Simplification

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Azenta President and CEO John Marotta emphasized the strategic rationale behind the sale. "The agreement to sell B Medical Systems marks a major step forward in simplifying the portfolio to prioritize our core capabilities with the highest strategic impact," he said. This move reflects a broader trend in the life sciences industry, where specialized providers are increasingly shedding non-essential business units to double down on areas where they hold a distinct competitive advantage.

For Azenta, those core capabilities lie in a comprehensive suite of solutions that support pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and healthcare institutions. The company is a key player in the cold-chain sample management ecosystem, providing the ultra-reliable storage and transport solutions necessary for preserving the integrity of biological samples used in everything from early-stage drug discovery to advanced cell therapies. This segment is seen as a high-growth area, fueled by the increasing complexity of biologics and personalized medicine.

Furthermore, Azenta offers a range of multiomics services through its industry-leading brands, including the well-regarded GENEWIZ. These services, which encompass genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, are indispensable for researchers seeking to understand the complex biological mechanisms behind diseases. By concentrating its efforts here, Azenta aims to solidify its position as an essential partner for organizations striving to bring new therapies to market faster.

Marotta added that the proceeds from the sale will be used to “strengthen the company and drive long-term profitable value creation for our shareholders.” While specific uses were not detailed, such capital is typically reinvested into strategic acquisitions that complement the core business, funding for internal research and development to enhance service offerings, or other corporate actions aimed at improving the balance sheet and shareholder returns.

The Details of the Deal

The asset at the center of the transaction, B Medical Systems, is a global manufacturer and distributor of medical-grade refrigeration and transport devices. Headquartered in Hosingen, Luxembourg, the business has a long-standing reputation for its high-quality medical refrigerators, freezers, and transport boxes used in hospitals, laboratories, and for vaccine distribution worldwide. While a successful and established business, its focus on device manufacturing is distinct from Azenta's service-oriented core strategy centered on sample management and analysis.

The purchaser, THELEMA S.À R.L., will acquire the business for a cash price of US$63 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is anticipated to conclude on or before March 31, 2026. The deal was guided by expert advisors, with William Blair serving as the exclusive financial advisor and Taylor Wessing providing legal counsel to Azenta, ensuring a structured and professionally managed divestment process.

This sale allows Azenta to fully separate from the capital-intensive nature of equipment manufacturing and concentrate on expanding its service-based platforms like FluidX, Ziath, and 4titude, which are integral to laboratory automation and sample tracking. By divesting B Medical Systems, Azenta is making a clear statement about its identity and future direction as a pure-play life sciences solutions provider.

Charting Azenta's Future Course

With this divestiture, Azenta is better positioned to execute on its mission of accelerating breakthroughs in the life sciences. A more streamlined corporate structure allows for greater agility and a more focused allocation of resources toward innovation in areas like advanced cell therapies and clinical research, where the demand for robust sample management and sophisticated analytical services is rapidly growing. The company’s integrated brands, including Limfinity for workflow software and Freezer Pro for sample inventory, create a powerful ecosystem for its clients.

Investors will likely view this move as a positive step toward clarifying Azenta's investment thesis. By removing a non-synergistic business unit, the company presents a clearer picture of its growth drivers, which are now tightly aligned with the most dynamic segments of the biopharmaceutical research and development market. The simplification allows for a more direct valuation based on the performance and potential of its core life sciences portfolio.

As is standard with such announcements, Azenta included a cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements, reminding stakeholders that the stated closing date and other projections involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. However, the binding nature of the agreement signals a high degree of confidence from all parties involved. This strategic pruning of its portfolio is not just a financial transaction but a fundamental reshaping of Azenta, designed to enhance its competitive edge and drive focused growth in the years to come.