Cellares raised $257 million in a Series D round to expand commercial cell‑therapy manufacturing capabilities and position the company for a planned 2027 IPO. The funding will support deployment of automated manufacturing “factories” to serve cell therapy developers and to broaden capacity for late‑stage and commercial supply. Investors cited accelerating demand for outsourced cell‑therapy production and Cellares’ platform that standardizes complex manufacturing workflows. The raise underscores investor appetite for manufacturing infrastructure plays that de‑risk cell and gene therapy scaleup amid persistent clinical and regulatory challenges across the sector.