Sunflower Therapeutics Announces Sales Agreement with Optimal Biotech Group
Sunflower Therapeutics, a public benefit corporation with a mission to transform global access to protein manufacturing capacity, has taken a significant step toward commercial expansion with the announcement of a new exclusive sales representation agreement. The company has appointed Optimal Biotech Group as its first commercial representative in North America. The agreement grants Optimal Biotech Group exclusive rights to represent Sunflower’s portfolio across Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia — regions known for their robust biotechnology and pharmaceutical ecosystems.
This strategic partnership not only represents Sunflower’s official commercial entry into the United States and Canadian markets but also signals a major inflection point for the company’s broader commercialization strategy. With the West Coast acting as a critical launchpad, the partnership lays the groundwork for future growth, allowing Sunflower to bring its state-of-the-art biomanufacturing technologies to a broader network of customers involved in biologics development, research, and commercial-scale protein production.
Commercial Launch of Daisy Petal™ System
The cornerstone of this launch is the introduction of Sunflower Therapeutics’ flagship biomanufacturing solution — the Daisy Petal™ perfusion fermentation system. Engineered with innovation and user simplicity in mind, the Daisy Petal™ system is a single-use, disposable stirred-tank reactor (STR) that leverages a novel in-vessel perfusion device. The system is optimized for continuous perfusion culture, allowing researchers and manufacturers to achieve significantly enhanced volumetric productivity while simplifying traditionally complex operations.
Unlike conventional fed-batch fermentation systems, the Daisy Petal™ platform enables sustained cell culture through in-situ biomass feeding, fluid harvesting, and retention of viable cells within the bioreactor — all taking place within a sealed, controlled environment. This continuous operation model translates into space-time yields that are five to ten times higher than those achievable through traditional methods, especially when producing complex or sensitive proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, or vaccine components.
Dave Bianchi, Director of Commercial Operations at Sunflower Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s growing presence in the North American market.
“The commercial launch of the Daisy Petal™ marks an exciting milestone for Sunflower Therapeutics,” said Bianchi. “We’re proud to bring our innovative protein manufacturing solutions to the US market and partner with Optimal Biotech Group as we extend the reach of our technologies and deliver new capabilities to biomanufacturers across the West Coast region.”
Optimal Biotech Group: A Strategic Partner in a High-Impact Region
Optimal Biotech Group brings deep regional knowledge and a robust network of clients across biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and British Columbia. This territory includes renowned biotech hubs such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Vancouver — all of which are home to leading research institutions, fast-growing biotechs, and major pharmaceutical operations.
Phil Charnas, Vice President of Business Development at Optimal Biotech Group, emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration with Sunflower Therapeutics.
“Optimal Biotech Group is thrilled to collaborate with Sunflower Therapeutics on their groundbreaking in-vessel perfusion technology,” said Charnas. “Their Daisy Petal™ system enables continuous biomass feeding, fluid harvesting, and cell retention — all within a controlled, healthy bioreactor environment. We believe this technology represents a paradigm shift for both research laboratories and commercial production environments.”
By leveraging Optimal Biotech Group’s market access and technical sales expertise, Sunflower aims to accelerate customer adoption of its bioprocessing systems and position itself as a leader in scalable, single-use perfusion fermentation technologies.
A Fully Integrated Ecosystem: Software That Streamlines Bioprocessing
What sets Sunflower Therapeutics apart from many of its competitors is its holistic approach to biomanufacturing. The Daisy Petal™ system is not just a piece of hardware; it’s part of an integrated digital ecosystem designed to simplify and streamline the entire fermentation workflow from seed culture to harvest.
This is made possible by Sunflower’s GMP-compliant bioprocessing software suite, which includes:
- HelianthOS™: A robust operating system that orchestrates the automation of fermentation runs, including control over temperature, pH, agitation, and perfusion rate. It enables walkaway automation for day-long or multi-day processes.
- Nursery™: A powerful, yet intuitive application that allows users to develop customized fermentation “recipes” with drag-and-drop functionality. No coding is required, which reduces the learning curve for operators and fosters rapid process development.
- Harvest™: A secure data management platform that ensures all operational and experimental data is stored, organized, and easily retrievable for analysis, audit, and future optimization. Harvest™ is designed to align with regulatory compliance requirements and data integrity best practices.
Together, these software components create a seamless interface between operator and machine, reducing manual labor, minimizing risk of operator error, and ensuring reproducibility across campaigns.
The Future of Accessible Protein Manufacturing
Sunflower Therapeutics was founded with a clear mission: to make protein manufacturing capacity more accessible and equitable around the world. As a public benefit corporation, the company aligns its commercial goals with broader social impact objectives. Its systems are designed to democratize biomanufacturing by reducing capital costs, lowering technical barriers to entry, and enabling localized protein production capabilities — particularly in resource-limited settings.
The Daisy Petal™ system, with its intuitive design, small footprint, and high productivity, reflects this ethos. By combining performance with simplicity and affordability, Sunflower hopes to empower smaller labs, startups, academic institutions, and even low-to-middle-income countries to participate in biomanufacturing without the traditional overhead.
This approach has garnered attention from global health organizations and stakeholders looking to decentralize vaccine and biologic production, especially in the wake of recent supply chain disruptions highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The partnership with Optimal Biotech Group marks a pivotal move in Sunflower’s commercial journey. As the company gains traction across the West Coast, it plans to expand its commercial network into other key biopharma regions in North America and abroad. Additional distribution partnerships, service agreements, and academic collaborations are expected to follow.
Meanwhile, Sunflower will continue to invest in research and development, advancing the capabilities of its bioreactor systems and digital tools. With a product line centered around innovation, ease of use, and social impact, Sunflower Therapeutics is well-positioned to lead a new era in scalable, accessible, and decentralized biomanufacturing.
