Koç Holding Expands in the Healthcare Sector: Acquires 65% of StemBio
Koç Holding (KCHOL) has strengthened its investments in the healthcare sector by acquiring 65% of the capital of StemBio, a company operating in the field of biotechnology. The transaction became official following the completion of the approval process by the Competition Authority.
Located in Gebze, StemBio conducts stem cell production in its modern GMP laboratory spanning 2,500 square meters. The company provides services in cord blood and tissue banking, developing solutions for the treatment of current and future diseases. Additionally, it offers a critical infrastructure for regenerative medicine and transplantation by processing and storing human-derived tissue samples. StemBio aims to develop new methods for cancer treatment through projects carried out in collaboration with TÜBİTAK.
Levent Çakıroğlu, CEO of Koç Holding, emphasized that the investment will strengthen their position in health technologies. He stated, "The increase in the average lifespan and rising healthcare expenses are accelerating technological innovations in the sector. As Koç Holding, we closely follow these developments. We prioritize enhancing the quality of life for people by transferring our healthcare experience to new investments."
Çakıroğlu highlighted recent investments by Koç Holding in areas such as medical devices and biotechnology, stating, "We believe that our investment in StemBio will increase our country’s competitiveness in health technologies. Furthermore, we aim for the new treatment methods under development to be implemented at the American Hospital and Koç University Hospital, both of which are part of the Vehbi Koç Foundation Health Institutions."
Ibrahim Özsu, the founder of StemBio, noted that the collaboration with Koç Holding has strengthened the company's vision. He mentioned, "We have reached a significant milestone in our journey that started in 2020. As StemBio, we operate as a cell and tissue bank with advanced technology and GMP infrastructure in Turkey. Our partnership with Koç Holding will propel our goal of developing innovative products in biotechnology."
Özsu added that they are continuing their work on developing regenerative medicine and next-generation biotechnology products at their laboratories in TÜBİTAK Marmara Technopolis. He emphasized that StemBio aims to be one of the leading players in Turkey's biotechnology sector and will steadfastly provide added value in this field.
Koç Holding's investment aims to position Turkey's biotechnology sector more strongly on an international scale. With its existing infrastructure, StemBio focuses on developing innovative solutions both in Turkey and globally, planning to undertake broader projects through this collaboration.
The investments of Koç Holding in health technologies stand out as a significant step within the group’s extensive growth strategy. With the momentum gained by StemBio, technological advancements in the healthcare sector are expected to accelerate, and new treatment methods are anticipated to come to fruition.