Cellares closed a $257 million Series D round to accelerate global expansion of its automated cell therapy manufacturing platform and to prepare for a planned 2027 IPO. The funding is intended to commercialize Cellares’ automated manufacturing services for autologous and allogeneic cell therapies and build capacity to serve late‑stage and commercial customers. Cellares framed the raise as support for launching commercial contract manufacturing services and expanding global footprint; investors cited rising demand as cell therapy developers seek scalable, reproducible production to meet regulatory and payer expectations. The financing underscores investor focus on end‑to‑end biomanufacturing as a choke point for advanced therapies; capacity and automation are now material drivers of valuation and pharma partnerships.