Automated Cell Counting Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Instruments, Consumables & Accessories), By Application (Blood Analysis, Stem Cell Research), By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030

Automated Cell Counting Market Trends

The global automated cell counting market size was estimated at USD 3.93 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.45% from 2024 to 2030. Automated cell counters are instruments that count and analyze cells in medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research, and food quality monitoring. They use modern techniques such as flow cytometry & digital imaging to analyze cells with great precision and consistency. The increased prevalence of chronic diseases, as well as the expansion of biopharma research and development (R&D), are major factors driving market growth. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the market growth. This was mostly owing to their increased use in clinical research studies and rapid use in hospital & pharmaceutical settings during the pandemic's early phases. Furthermore, rising demand for plasma therapy and a rise in hospital admissions increased the demand for automated cell counters.

The increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease is a major factor propelling the automated cell counts market forward. According to the WHO, diabetes was the primary reason for 1.5 million deaths in 2021, whereas cancer was the direct cause of 10 million deaths worldwide. Chronic diseases necessitate continuous monitoring of blood cell counts, which drives the introduction of automated cell counters. Cell counters that are automated improve the efficiency & accuracy of cell counts in diagnostic labs, research facilities, and hospitals. Their high-throughput capabilities enable them to precisely and consistently evaluate enormous sample volumes. This aids in the diagnosis & monitoring of people suffering from chronic diseases.

The government initiatives to promote research related to cell therapies are broadening the market's potential opportunities. The funding for stem cell research has increased in recent years, accelerating the growth of cell-based research. For example, in March 2023, UCLA's Stem Cell Research and Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine received more than USD 5.7 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to improve stem cell-based technologies for cancer and intellectual disabilities.

Rapid technical advances in these devices will provide lucrative prospects during the study period. For example, in January 2023, CellDrop, an automated cell counter by DeNovix, received the title of Sustainable Laboratory Product of the year owing to its specialization in reducing the need for cell counting slides. Furthermore, in April 2021, CytoSMART Technologies released the automated CytoSMART Exact FL, the company's first fluorescence cell counter. It is a double fluorescence equipment that is commonly used in laboratories. Thus, introduction of technologically advanced products will increase the demand for automated cell counters and further boost the market growth.

Market Concentration & Characteristics

Key players continue to innovate with advanced image analysis algorithms and integration with cloud-based platforms, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in cell counting.

Several market players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., are involved in merger and acquisition activities. Through M&A activity, these companies can expand their geographic reach and enter new territories.

Regulatory requirements shape the market by ensuring product safety and accuracy, fostering innovation in compliance, while also influencing market entry barriers and approval processes for new technologies.

Key players in the market are expanding, as automated systems improve accuracy and reproducibility while reducing manual counting errors. Furthermore, automatic cell counters reduce laboratory workload and increase production. Technological improvements that enable high-throughput analysis, streamlined operation, and interface with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) will drive market growth.

Market players are involved in strategic efforts to broaden their presence and operations into new geographic areas, with an aim to diverse market share within different regions.

Product Insights

The consumables & accessoriessegment held the largest revenue share in 2023 and is expected to be the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Consumables and accessories are growing in popularity due to their high usage volume. Furthermore, the introduction of new products drives market expansion. For example, eNuvio released a reusable 3D cell culture microplate in December 2020. Scientists will gain from this ecologically friendly equipment for a long time, according to eNuvio, both economically and scientifically.

The instrumentssegment accounted for a significant market share in 2023. Factors such as the expanding use of cell counting in research, diagnostics, and industrial applications are boosting the product demand & further driving the market growth. Cell counting instruments are progressively being used in numerous research areas such as cancer research, immunology, and neurology, indicating that the market segment has exponential development potential. As per the article published in November 2021, the novel cell counter called RapID Cell Counter allows for quick and reliable quantifications of cell density inside user-defined borders that can be separated into evenly partitioned segments. The requirement and effectiveness of cell counting instruments will contribute to increased consumption of these instruments, hence, propelling the segment's growth.

Application Insights

The cell line development application segment held a revenue share of 31.63% in 2023, accounting for the largest proportion of the market. Cell line development is an essential component of research and biological medicine production. Cell line generation is used in the lab to assess cytotoxicity and drug metabolism, as well as to examine gene function to develop vaccines, antibodies, and cell treatments. Thus, it will increase the demand for automated cell counting products and further boost the segment growth.

Stem cell research is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. The exponential growth is due to the increasing demand for mass manufacturing of human stem cells for therapeutic and research purposes. Stem cells are critical in areas including regenerative medicine, cancer treatment, and transplantation. Automated equipment makes it easier to precisely determine stem cell viability & nucleated cell concentration in cord blood and human bone marrow. Furthermore, features such as fluorescence imaging are becoming increasingly used to quantify GFP efficacy in stem cell transfection applications. For instance, in January 2023, Axion BioSystems launched the release of Omni Pro 12, the new product is intended to provide an automated solution for numerous users while also supporting live-cell imaging applications.

End-use Insights

The pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment dominated the market in 2023, the biopharma industry's rising emphasis on cell-based research & drug discovery is driving up the popularity of automated cell counters. These technologies are a must-have for preclinical lab testing of novel drug candidates and vaccinations. They provide high-throughput effectiveness, proliferation, & cytotoxicity screening studies for therapeutic efficacy and toxicity evaluation. Several prominent pharmaceutical companies are implementing automated methods to speed R&D programs and minimize medication development costs and time. Growth in biopharmaceutical R&D for innovative cell & gene therapy & regenerative medicines, which requires precision cell counts, is also driving the market.

The hospitals & diagnostic laboratories segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The increasing prevalence of infectious and chronic illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, septicemia, influenza, measles, malaria, cholera, & vector-borne diseases such as chikungunya & polio are driving the market. The increasing need for automated cell counting in the diagnosis and management of such fatal illnesses will drive the market growth. The World Health Organization (WHO) approximately 39.0 million individuals worldwide had HIV at the end of the year 2022. Furthermore, 680,000 people died from HIV-related causes in 2020. As a result, increased infectious disease rates are predicted to significantly enhance segment growth.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest revenue share of over 37.8% in 2023. The significant share of North America can be attributed to several factors, such as the availability of various major manufacturers of automated cell counting products in the region, advanced medical infrastructure, developed economies, significant players, and established supply channels. Furthermore, the incidence of diseases and the expanding elderly population have accelerated the race to produce innovative and efficacious remedies through the biopharmaceutical industry. This has increased demand for automated cell counters and is projected to continue generating revenue over the coming years.

The U.S. accounted for the largest revenue share in North America in 2023. The U.S. possesses a strong research and development infrastructure that fosters innovation in life sciences and biotechnology. Moreover, a high concentration of leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies, such as Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Bio-Rad laboratories, Inc, and Aglient Technologies, Inc. along with substantial investments in healthcare, contributes to a significant demand for advanced cell counting technologies.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. This region's exponential CAGR can be linked to the local presence of some clinical research & biopharmaceutical companies, as well as stem cell research activities. Furthermore, the region's market is being driven primarily by the region's expanding elderly population, which is especially sensitive to chronic diseases. This has resulted in an exceptional surge in the usage of these devices due to an increase in the volume of clinical tests performed annually for elderly patients. Such factors are fueling the expansion of the market.

Japan accounted for the largest revenue share in the Asia Pacific region in 2023. The large share is due to its advanced technological infrastructure, strong emphasis on research and development, and well-established healthcare sector. Moreover, the stringent regulatory framework, coupled with high standards, ensures the quality and reliability of automated cell-counting products, fostering trust among users. Collectively, these factors establish Japan's leadership in the market within the Asia Pacific region.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., and Merck KGaA are some of the dominant players operating in the market.

• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. has a global presence and operates from over 65 locations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and other regions.

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. operates and markets across two reportable segments such as clinical diagnostics and life sciences.

• Sysmex Corporation, Countstar, Inc., Chemometec A/S, Olympus Corporation, and others are some of the emerging market players functioning in the market.

• Sysmex Corporation primarily sells its products to customers in Japan, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and the Americas.

• Chemometec A/S specializes in the development and manufacture of high-precision instruments, supplying consistent data to thousands of customers in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic sectors.

Recent Developments

• In October 2023, the DeNovix CellDrop Automated Cell Counter received ACT Label certification through My Green Lab, making it the program's first approved automated cell counter.

• In October 2022, Thermo Fisher Scientific introduces closed & automated cell isolation & bead removal solutions to aid in the evolution of cell therapy manufacturing. A new technique improves cell purity, isolation effectiveness, and target cell recovery for scalable cell therapy manufacturing.

• In August 2022, DeNovix Inc. introduced two dedicated nuclei counting apps for the CellDrop Automated Cell Counters, which are capable of distinguishing isolated nuclei and intact cells from debris.

Automated Cell Counting Market Report Scope

Global Automated Cell Counting Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, grand view research has segmented the global automated cell counting market report based on product, application, end-use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Instruments

  • Flow Cytometers

  • Image-based Cell Counters

  • Electrical Impendence Coulter Counters

  • Consumables & Accessories

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Blood Analysis

  • Stem Cell Research

  • Cell Line development

  • Biologics Production

  • Cell & Gene Therapy

  • Others

• End-use Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

  • Hospitals & Diagnostic laboratories

  • Research & Academic Institutes

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Denmark

    • Sweden

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Australia

    • Thailand

  • Latin America 

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Kuwait