GalaTek GmbH and a:head bio AG Announce Strategic Collaboration to Automate Human Brain Organoid Workflows
Vienna, Austria – October 22, 2025 – GalaTek GmbH, a leading innovator in laboratory automation technologies, and a:head bio AG, a pioneering biotech company specializing in human brain organoid research, today announced a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the automation of brain organoid workflows.
The partnership aims to integrate GalaTek’s advanced robotics and software platforms with a:head bio’s proprietary organoid systems to streamline and scale the production, maintenance, and analysis of human brain organoids. These organoids—miniaturized, lab-grown models of the human brain—are increasingly used to replicate disease-relevant biology and accelerate the development of novel therapeutics.
“Our mission is to industrialize brain organoid technologies for use in high-throughput drug discovery,” said Dr. Joshua Bagley, CSO of a:head bio AG. “By automating key steps in the workflow, we can enhance reproducibility, reduce variability, and significantly increase throughput—critical factors for pharmaceutical applications.”
The collaboration will focus on automating complex processes such as organoid culture, phenotypic screening, and quality control. The resulting platform will support a:head bio’s internal pipeline of disease models and provide scalable solutions for pharma partners seeking to evaluate compounds in human-relevant neural systems.
“a:head bio’s expertise in brain organoid biology is a perfect match for our automation capabilities,” said Dr. Yicheng Liu, General Manager of GalaTek GmbH. “Together, we will deliver robust, modular systems that enable efficient and reproducible workflows tailored to the needs of drug discovery teams.”
The first integrated systems are expected to be deployed in December 2025, marking the beginning of a broader initiative to industrialize brain organoid workflows through end-to-end automation from culture and maintenance to screening and data integration.
