Key Points
- Waters Corporation has acquired Halo Labs to enhance its capabilities in biopharmaceutical particle analysis, particularly for complex biologic drugs like cell and gene therapies.
- Halo Labs’ Aura platform enables high-throughput, low-volume analysis of subvisible particles.
- The acquisition complements Waters' Wyatt Technology portfolio, creating an end-to-end solution for large molecule drug development, quality assurance, and manufacturing control workflows.
- Executives from both companies emphasized shared values and strategic alignment.
On Wednesday, May 21st, 2025, Waters Corporation announced in a press release that they have acquired Halo Labs, which is a venture-backed company that produces imaging-based particle analysis technologies. This acquisition is designed to advance Waters Corporation’s mission to improve its position in biopharmaceutical testing (1). It is also designed to improve Waters’ capabilities in characterizing therapeutic particles in complex biologic drug formulations such as cell, protein, and gene therapies (1).
Halo Labs is headquartered in Burlingame, California. It is most known for its Aura platform, which is a particle imaging system that enables full-spectrum particle analysis, especially subvisible particles, which are materials that are challenging to detect using traditional methods (1). The technology is crucial in the development of advanced biologics such as CAR T-cell therapies, where identifying and quantifying external, process-related particles can directly impact therapy safety and efficacy.
According to the press release, the integration of Halo Labs’ imaging platform is set to complement Waters' existing Wyatt Technology portfolio, which includes light scattering detection systems commonly used in protein and polymer characterization (1). By combining these two portfolios, Waters Corporation hopes to deliver an end-to-end solution for large molecule development, quality assurance, and quality control workflows in biopharmaceutical manufacturing (1).
In an official statement, Dr. Udit Batra, President and Chief Executive Officer of Waters Corporation, emphasized the value the acquisition brings to the company’s long-term strategy.
“Adding the innovative low-sample-volume, high-throughput technology from Halo Labs provides analysis for a broad range of sample types and volumes, enabling earlier insights during therapy development and greater safety during manufacturing,” Batra said in the press release (1). “With the rapid growth of treatments like CAR T-cell therapies, we are investing in the innovation our customers need.”
Dr. Batra also noted that the acquisition supports Waters’ commitment to leading in specialized analytical technologies and offers customers critical insights into particle characterization early in the drug development lifecycle. These early insights are vital in reducing time-to-market and improving the overall safety profile of new therapies (1).
Rick Gordon, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Halo Labs, expressed optimism about the company’s future under the Waters umbrella.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Waters, a company that shares our values of purposeful innovation and customer focus,” Gordon said in the press release (1). “This combination accelerates our vision to expand our platform’s reach, enhancing therapeutic development and production while maintaining our unwavering commitment to drug quality and safety.”
Halo Labs specializes in tools for biopharmaceutical formulation, stability testing, and product quality control, offering particle characterization through custom optics and sophisticated image processing (1). Its flagship product, the Aura system, is used by various global pharmaceutical companies, especially those developing next-generation biologics.
Waters Corporation, founded over 65 years ago, is a leader in analytical instruments and software solutions across a range of industries, including life sciences, materials science, food, and environmental testing (2). The company operates in over 100 countries with more than 7,600 employees and has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of scientific innovation (2).
The acquisition of Halo Labs is expected to have a negligible financial impact over the next 12 months, but it signals Waters' focus on advanced biologics and precision therapeutics, which are reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape and driving demand for high-resolution, low-volume analytical tools (1).
Drug development is currently undergoing substantial change. Complex biological systems are becoming the norm, and particle is becoming increasingly essential, not only for regulatory compliance but also for ensuring therapeutic safety and effectiveness (1).
This acquisition was made to improve Waters Corporation’s competitiveness in this dynamic market segment, supporting biopharmaceutical companies with a comprehensive suite of analytical tools designed to meet evolving challenges in therapeutic innovation. The development also marks a significant milestone in the expansion of specialized analytical technologies (1).
The full announcement and additional information can be found in the official release published via PR Newswire and on the Waters Corporation website (1,2).
References
- Waters Corporation, Waters Acquires Halo Labs, Expanding Biological Analysis Portfolio. PR Newswire. Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waters-acquires-halo-labs-expanding-biological-analysis-portfolio-302461826.html (accessed 2025-05-22)
- Waters Corporation, About Waters. Waters Corporation. Available at: https://www.waters.com/nextgen/us/en/about-waters.html (accessed 2025-05-22).
