Family Bank: Crioestaminal

About

Crioestaminal is a Portuguese stem cell bank, located in Cantanhede in Biocant Park, a scientific and technological park. Founded in 2003 by a group of researchers from the University of Coimbra, Crioestaminal is Portugal's leading stem cell cryopreservation bank, driven by the conviction that stem cells from umbilical cord blood hold significant therapeutic potential. The company's mission centers on the daily cryopreservation of stem cells to the highest quality standards, while also advancing research and development projects in collaboration with physicians and scientists to expand treatment options for conditions with limited therapeutic alternatives.

Crioestaminal is part of FamiCord Group — 3^rd biggest cord blood bank in the world, and biggest cord blood bank in Europe. FamiCord Group includes accredited cord blood banks and laboratories operating according to international quality standards, including AABB and ISO certifications. The FamiCord Group operates across 34 countries and has facilitated more than 8500 stem cell treatments worldwide. Crioestaminal itself has released cryopreserved samples for the treatment of 22 children. With over 120,000 families served and a vision of becoming a reference in personalized medicine, the company is committed to making cellular therapies broadly accessible, upholding rigorous quality standards, and promoting environmental and social sustainability in all of its operations.

Labs and Locations

Crioestaminal has a state of the art laboratory based in Portugal that is licensed to process and store umbilical cord blood and tissue for use by either the donor, the donor's family, or an unrelated person if authorized by the donor.

Laboratory Location: Crioestaminal, Biocant Park, Núcleo 4, Lote 2, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal

All the processing of the samples is performed in clean rooms to ensure maximum sterility of the samples and prevent contamination. The access to the laboratory is electronically controlled. All laboratory conditions are monitored by an alarm center to detect any anomaly. The laboratory also possesses an early-warning fire detection system. To prevent any electricity failure the laboratory is equipped with a backup power system. All the process is carried out by highly qualified personnel. Crioestaminal laboratory works 365 days a year and has the capacity to store 300.000 cord blood and tissue samples.

Business Experience

FamiCord Group (operating under the name FamiCord AG since 2025, following the merger of PBKM and Vita 34 in 2021) is the European market leader and the third-largest stem cell bank worldwide. The Group has secured over 1.5 million biological material samples (mostly cord blood, cord tissue, placental blood, placenta). FamiCord has a robust operational infrastructure: 13 processing and storage laboratories, 2 storage only laboratories, and 3 cell & gene GMP centers for CDMO activity, controlling approximately 55-60% of the European cord blood banking market.

Supplying stem cells for medical use remains at the core of the Group's focus. FamiCord actively supports the use of stem cells in treatments, with a history of over 8,500 patients treated with 16,500 stem cell preparations including 278 cord blood applications (as of June 2026). The Group has been involved in several clinical trials in the area of: cardiology, neurology, dermatology, orthopedics and others in the role of sole sponsor, co-sponsor or supplier of cell-based ATMP. FamiCord also actively participates in cerebral palsy treatment programs for children [Expanded Access Program conducted in Lublin, Poland].

The CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) activity, primarily under the Bramble Bio brand, remains an advanced technological pillar. Through 3 specialized CDMO centers located in Germany, Poland and Portugal, the Group provides comprehensive manufacturing services for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) in compliance with cGMP standards, strengthening its position as a trusted contract manufacturer for the biotechnology industry.

Regarding the development of CAR-T cell therapies (oncology), the Group has revised its strategy. FamiCordTx, initially developed as an internal venture, is now an independent entity with which FamiCord Group is affiliated (holding an approximately 20% stake). This allows the Group to focus its resources on its core business and commercial B2B services.

The scale of medical operations is built on solid financial foundations. In 2025, FamiCord Group generated sales revenues of EUR 88.17 million (a 7.3% year-over-year increase) with significant proportion of recurrent revenue. The Group achieved an EBITDA of EUR 10.6 million (a 12.3% y/y increase). FamiCord AG is listed at Deutsche Boerse in Franfurt and is backed mostly by financial shareholders (AOC – private equity, SVF – investment fund, Nationale Netherlanden – pension fund and others). This guarantees absolute stability and security for the long-term storage of materials entrusted by patients.

Collection Kit

Crioestaminal provides two types of collection kits, each containing all the materials required for healthcare professionals to perform a safe and efficient collection of a newborn's cord blood at the time of birth.

The first kit covers cord blood and tissue collection; the second extends this to include placenta collection. The cord blood and tissue kit comprises an instant cooling system; a cord blood collection bag pre-filled with citrate-phosphate-dextrose with adenine (CPDA-1), an anticoagulant that also serves as a cell preservative, supplied in the appropriate volume; a container for cord tissue; a maternal blood collection kit; and a disinfection kit.

The cord blood, tissue and placenta kit includes all of the above, with the addition of a dedicated container and saline solution. All components are sterile. The kit is registered as a medical device with Infarmed, the Portuguese medicines and health products authority, under registration number 291892.

Transportation container

The transport container includes a thermally insulated shipping box designed by Crioestaminal that controls temperature during transportation to Crioestaminal processing laboratory. The container includes an instant cooling system, to stabilize temperature, and a temperature data logger, to monitor shipping conditions. Samples remain at room temperature and are shipped directly to Crioestaminal laboratory for processing.

Shipping Info

Samples are transported 365 days a year by a specialist courier operating under controlled temperature conditions for biological specimens.

Processing Method

The Crioestaminal laboratory processes stem cells from three sources:

• Cord blood, using method with a cell separation facilitating agent, optimized to maximize the number of stem cells recovered;
• Umbilical cord tissue, mechanically processed into thousands of fragments to optimize contact with the cryoprotectant and enhance cell viability during cryopreservation;
• Placenta, dissected and mechanically processed into thousands of fragments, similarly, to maximize contact with the cryoprotectant and enhance cell viability during cryopreservation.

Additionally, Crioestaminal operates GMP-certified facilities capable of producing umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), in a therapeutic dose containing up to 100 million cells.

Components Stored

Cord blood - Crioestaminal stores a stem cell-enriched fraction in a cryobag comprising two compartments and three attached segments designated for testing purposes.

Cord tissue and placenta samples  - These are individually assessed for stem cell proliferation following cryopreservation, as well as subjected to microbiological analysis and antibiotic sensitivity testing.

In addition, Crioestaminal maintains a bank in which complementary samples are stored, including plasma, red blood cells, cord tissue and maternal plasma from mother and child.

Upon storage, parents receive a certificate documenting the viable leucocyte (CD45+) and stem cell (CD34+) counts, the result regarding the tissue and placenta proliferation test, together with the results of maternal blood testing and microbiological screening for bacterial and fungal contamination.

Storage Method

Upon completion of processing, a cryoprotective agent is added to the cord blood units, which are then cooled using a computer-controlled rate-controlled freezing device. Following this procedure, the units are stored suspended above a liquid nitrogen pool that generates a cryogenic nitrogen vapor phase, maintaining the storage environment at approximately −196°C. This method ensures the units remain at the required temperature whilst eliminating the risk of cross-contamination between samples.

Storage condition parameters within the freezer tanks are continuously monitored and recorded around the clock, 365 days a year, with automated alerts triggered in the event of any deviation. All samples are identified by a barcoded label registered in a dedicated database, enabling rapid retrieval of any unit when required.

Licensing & Accreditation

Crioestaminal maintains standards for cellular therapy services through:

• The Portuguese Ministry of Health according to European directives for cell and tissue banks;
• AABB accreditation for both cord blood and tissue banking
• Quality management of its processes and systems by the international standards ISO 9001:2015.
• GMP authorization for the manufacturing, quality control and distribution of cell-based therapies, by the pharmaceutical regulator in Portugal (Infarmed I.P.).

Clinical Experience

• FamiCord Group has provided more than 8,500 clinical stem cell therapies worldwide, including both standard hematopoietic stem cell transplantations and experimental/regenerative medicine therapies.
• Famicord Group has released 278 cord blood units for therapy as of June 2026.
• The Group has extensive experience in releasing autologous cord blood units for children diagnosed with neurological disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebral palsy (CP), under dedicated therapeutic access programs.
• Selected laboratories within the FamiCord network also participate in public cord blood banking programs and collect cord blood donations intended for unrelated donor transplantations.
• FamiCord Group actively participates in clinical trials, observational studies, and compassionate use programs involving cord blood and mesenchymal stem cell therapies in neurological, hematological, immunological, and regenerative medicine indications.
•  More information: https://famicord.com/science-and-clinical-trials/
• Through its GMP-certified manufacturing facilities in Poland and Portugal, FamiCord develops and manufactures advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) based on cord blood, perinatal tissues, and mesenchymal stem cells. The Group is involved in translational medicine projects focused on developing innovative regenerative therapies and cell-based medicinal products.
• FamiCord collaborates with leading hospitals, transplantation centers, and regenerative medicine clinics across Europe and internationally, supporting innovative therapeutic programs using cord blood and perinatal stem cells.

Insurance

Should a cord blood sample fail quality control, no processing fee is charged and the sample is discarded.

The laboratory is protected by security systems operating continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Crioestaminal maintains a disaster recovery plan under which all cryopreservation tanks may be relocated to an alternative licensed facility in the event of an emergency.

In the event that cord blood stem cells processed and stored by Crioestaminal are required for use in a haematopoietic stem cell transplant, in accordance with standard and recognized medical practice, Crioestaminal will cover all associated fees up to a maximum of €20,000 through its dedicated patient support program, the “Plano de Apoio ao Tratamento”.

Community Service

Crioestaminal operates a dedicated program for those families in which a medical condition has been identified for which cord blood stem cells may potentially be indicated. Qualifying families are entitled to a specific discount under this program. Additional discounts are available for families in which the primary client is under 30 years of age and for twin births, alongside flexible payment arrangements designed to make the service accessible to a wider range of families.

Crioestaminal has also established a cord blood research biobank, which offers parents who do not wish to store their newborn's cord blood the option to donate their sample for use in scientific research projects, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge regarding the therapeutic potential of these cells.

Prices

Pricing information for Crioestaminal's services is available on the company's website at https://www.crioestaminal.pt/planos-e-precos/.

The majority of families opt for a single upfront payment covering 25 years of storage. Several payment arrangements are available, including instalment plans, savings account options, and partnerships with insurance providers.

Additional Services

Umbilical cord cells expansion - producing umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), in a therapeutic dose containing up to 100 million cells.

International Storage - enables stem cell samples to be stored in two separate laboratories: the umbilical cord tissue sample is stored in Portugal, and the umbilical cord blood sample is stored in Switzerland, at the FamiCord Suisse stem cell bank.