FMI data reveals the Global Cultures market's evolution from USD 1,208.1 million in 2020 to USD 1,455.3 million in 2025, driven by a 3.6% CAGR in Cultures demand. The sector's growth story is expected to continue with a 4.3% CAGR, reaching USD 2,217.1 million by 2035.
The global cultures industry is an integration of various techniques and the use of microorganisms to solve multiple problems. Fermentation in the food sector and the development of drugs using biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industry are among the industries that prominently use cultures. One of the cornerstones of this industry is a thorough knowledge of the ecology of microorganisms combined with the investment of time and potential of highly trained researchers and innovators.
Whether it be encoding additional probiotics to improve the gut flora or creating other strains that would assist in environmental cleanups, the global cultures industry is a highly innovative one. As the world increasingly faces food challenges and the demand for renewable items rises, the advancement of the global cultures industry demonstrates how combining innovations across nature can solve complex problems and come up with new means of harnessing the power of microbes.
| Attributes | Description |
|---|---|
| Estimated Global Industry Size (2025E) | USD 1,455.3 Million |
| Projected Global Value (2035F) | USD 2,217.1 Million |
| Value-based CAGR (2025 to 2035) | 4.3% |
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The table below presents a comparative assessment of the variation in CAGR over six months for the base year (2024) and current year (2025) for the Global Cultures industry. This analysis reveals crucial shifts in industry performance and indicates revenue realization patterns, thus providing stakeholders with a better vision of the ecosystem growth trajectory over the year. The first half of the year, or H1, spans from January to June. The second half, H2, includes the months from July to December.
| Particular | Value CAGR |
|---|---|
| H1 | 4.9% (2024 to 2034) |
| H2 | 3.6% (2024 to 2034) |
| H1 | 4.7% (2025 to 2035) |
| H2 | 3.4% (2025 to 2035) |
The above table presents the expected CAGR for the Global Cultures industry over several semi-annual periods spanning from 2025 to 2035. In the first half (H1) of the decade from 2025 to 2035, the business is predicted to surge at a CAGR of 4.9%, followed by a slightly variable growth rate of 3.6% in the second half (H2) of the same decade. Moving into the subsequent period, from H1 2025 to H2 2035, the CAGR is projected to change slightly to 4.7% in the first half and remain relatively moderate at 3.4% in the second half.
New drug development helping Pharmaceutical industry be the top application of cultures
The prominent application of cultures is in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly due to initiatives in drug development. A variety of cell and microbial cultures are becoming an important part of the drug development process to test the efficacy, safety and biological interactions of new medications.
Such essential functions of pharmaceutical applications in the development of new compounds has driven more companies to put resources into the development of culture-based screening and preclinical trials. The ability to culture human cells and test drug candidates within such cultures has become a standard and fully integrated practice in modern pharmaceutical research and development.
Extensive use of such culture technologies in drug discovery processes enables systems to be more accurate in modeling expected drug action in the body and lessens the time and cost of development strategies.
Rising demand for precise & customised cultures leading to growth in Synthetic cultures segment
The segment of synthetic cultures is growing at a fast rate because of the growing need for more specific and custom cultures. This trend highlights the changing demands of contemporary biotechnological and research tasks, where the use of a culture-in-a-bottle approach is not appropriate for specialized tasks. More and more industries want cultures with altered genetic makeup or greater efficiency for various uses.
Because of this trend towards creating more customized solutions, many advanced synthetic culture technologies have been developed that allow for precise requirements to be met, giving researchers and manufacturers greater control over the final outcome. The development of genetic engineering and synthetic biology has also widened the limits of creating cultures with the required attributes.
Fungal cultures gaining momentum due to applications in agriculture & sustainable biotechnology
The rise in usage of fungal cultures, especially in agricultural practices and green biotechnological projects, has been quite quick. These multifunctional cultures have played important roles in formulating green technologies for the protection of crops, improving soils and biological control approaches. The ability of fungi to create a lot of valuable products, enzymes and other biological products further makes them more likely candidates for sustainable manufacturing operations.
They are also involved in the breakdown of submerged materials and nutrients, which has broadened the use of strains in environmental biotechnology. Because of the numerous advantages, fungal cultures have become a significant part of the efforts to make various industries more sustainable. The rise of specialized fungal strains has transformed food fermentation, pharmaceutical production processes and other such fields.
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Global sales increased at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2024. For the next ten years (2025 to 2035), projections are that expenditure on the industry will rise at 4.3% forecast CAGR.
The history of cultures started as far back as ancient civilizations that relied on them for fermentation in food and medicinal production. Fast forward to today, more scientific advances and technological innovations have changed the face of the culture industry.
These improvements can be traced to a noticeable boom in the past decades that was mainly driven by factors such as health concerns and a shift towards sustainability in the food & beverage and agriculture industries. As consumers shift their needs, more cultures specific to certain purposes are being introduced, thus enabling healthy eating.
The future of the global cultures industry looks bright and has a lot of untapped potential. With further research and development, new strains of microbes are becoming more common and are expected to cater to the needs of many different industries worldwide.
In addition, the growing trend focusing on sustainability will increase the need for cultures and nutrition, allowing the industry to remain at the forefront of many approaches. With the rise and increasing complexity of global issues, the global cultures industry has the chance to expand its applications across all industries and gain value.
The Cultures market is a moderately concentrated one with control by a few large international companies. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG and Danaher Corporation are a few of these large companies. They have a large market share and are looking to widen their product range, expand distribution and prioritize Research and Development.
Although these multinational integrations own a large segment of the market, there are still many regional and specialized players that occupy certain segments of the markets around the region. Companies such as HiMedia Laboratories based in India, Biowest in France and Biological Industries in Israel have managed to secure a pronounced regional share by coming up with innovative and cheaper alternatives.
There are variations in concentration and dispersion of the industry across the different segments. The premium and custom media segment is very concentrated and dominated by several major multinationals which has dominance due to strong technical skills and patents. Such companies engage in the manufacture of custom, chemically defined media for use in cell therapy, biologics and various other resources.
There is more equal distribution in standard cultures where regional players have been able to challenge the strength of the MNCs by selling standard formulations at cost-effective prices. This segment enables small firms to hold their ground in relatively newer regions where cost pressures are higher.
There are notable behavioral changes in the industry structure, as more consolidation through mergers and acquisitions is going on across service providers or suppliers. However, new players still continue to flourish, particularly for applications such as serum-free media including erythropoietin, ensuring a competitive environment.
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Thermo Fisher Scientific aims to increase its reach in cell culture by expanding its Gibco brand of cell cultures with newer media formulations and reagents. They are also investing in inline media development services and chemically synthesized products for gene and cell therapy applications. Bioproduction automation and other R&D activities including integrated workflow solutions have also become a part of their growth strategy via acquisitions.
Merck KGaA (known as MilliporeSigma in North America) has plans to further its business in the bioprocessing space via its cell culture media focus. They are working on adapting their EX-CELL advanced platform and perfusion media for the next generation. Their focus is on developing sustainable ways and providing ready-to-use media formulations to enable the expansion of the culture industry.
As part of its expansion plans, Sartorius AG intends to develop its cell culture media business in-house and through partnerships. They are targeting customized media formulations for clinical trials of viral vaccines. Their growth strategy consists of developing market-specific media for emerging therapeutic modalities and automatic media preparation systems. With regional production sites and specific product designs, they are focusing highly on the Asian market.
The following table shows the estimated growth rates of the top five markets. These countries are set to exhibit high consumption, recording high CAGRs through 2035.
| Countries | CAGR 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|
| USA | 4.2% |
| Germany | 3.6% |
| UK | 3.4% |
| China | 4.5% |
| Japan | 4.0% |
The United States remains dominant in the cultures industry due to constant R&D activities and a robust venture capital ecosystem. These make it possible to consistently develop new ideas as well as improve on already existing technologies of culture development and usage. There is a synergy between university scientists, biotechs and research centers that has created a positive environment for the application and development of culture technologies.
In addition, the country has clear policies and significant investments in the research infrastructure which has strengthened the overall position of the country in this area. The localization of biotechnological centers in different territories has allowed the acceleration of ideas and technical solutions.
Furthermore, the strong system of protection of intellectual property rights has led to companies spending on improving culture technologies and their applications, thus ensuring the country's position in the international market. The industry for Cultures in USA is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.2% during the assessment period and revenue from the sales of the product in the country is expected to reach USD 687.3 million with a market share of 31% by 2035.
Within a short span of time, China's cultures industry has seen remarkable growth on the back of increased funding in biotechnological and synthetic biology industries. Through the development of its biotechnology capabilities, new research centers and production plants have been set up. With government support and private sector participation, the circumstances have been favorable for the growth of the cultures industry.
With the implementation of advanced technologies, China has become a formidable force in the global cultures' industry, especially in industrial and agricultural applications. The country's large scale manufacturing industry creates a ready demand for industrial cultures, while improvement in the agricultural sector has generated the need for agricultural applications.
The establishment of dedicated biotech parks and research clusters has also helped the innovation and commercialization of culture technologies and thus established China as an industry leader. These trends are leading to a projected value of USD 443.4 million by 2035 with Cultures demand calculated to rise at a value CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2025 to 2035) with a value share of 20%.
The Japanese market for cultures is growing, mainly building on the already strong industrial cultures' application base and microbiology research. Quality control and standardization is taken very seriously by the country, which has led to high standards in culture development and application. Japanese companies have succeeded in creating custom-made cultures for fermentation processes and industrial biotechnology.
The precision and quality focus of microbiology has also led to new ideas on the development and application of cultures technology, which is keeping Japan as one of the key countries in the industry. Fermentation technologies have been the main driver for the increase in culture applications in food and industrial processing.
In addition, Japan's aging population has led to greater interest in the use of cultures, particularly in probiotics and pharmaceutical applications. The companies' active partnerships with universities and research institutes have enabled the nation to make further advances in the development of culture technology. These factors are responsible for the robust projected forecast CAGR of 4.0% from 2025 to 2035, with the country achieving a global value share of 9% in 2035 with a value of USD 199.5 million.
| Segment | Standard Laboratory Cultures |
|---|---|
| Main Segment | Technology Type |
| Value Share (2035) | 45% |
Conventional laboratory cultures retain their dominating position in the industry due to them dominating a large branch of research and industrial processes, especially when new technologies are still not completely reliable. Proven success and experience have enabled these cultures to be ideal tools for use in industrial processes and scientific research.
New technologies haven't overtaken standard cultures due to their ease of understanding and cost-effectiveness. A wide range of applications come from simple directions and sterilized conditions enabled by standard laboratory cultures.
Furthermore, familiarity with people working with them and historical knowledge about them has enabled them to gain and retain usage. This growth has propelled the segment's value to USD 997.7 million in 2035 with a market share of 45% and further projections suggest its growth at a CAGR of 4.1%.
| Segment | Bacterial |
|---|---|
| Main Segment | Origin Type |
| Value Share (2035) | 60% |
Bacterial cultures dominate the industry through their wide range of applications. These cultures have proved beneficial in many areas, from food production to waste treatment. As technology advances, they are being used to open and explore new opportunities.
In addition to being reasonably easy to maintain, bacterial cultures can reproduce at faster rates and show sustained antisocial behavior, which means their adoption will be favorable for both research and industrial use. It is their adaptability and versatility that have made bacteria cultures a fundamental element of biotechnology and other related subjects.
The rapid expansion of bacterial cultures makes large-scale production processes possible. Many existing genetic manipulation techniques have improved the usefulness of bacterial cultures in everything from protein production to biofuel development. Bolstering from these trends, this segment is set to achieve a market share of 60% with a market value of USD 1,330.3 million by 2035 due to growth at a forecast CAGR of 3.6%.
There is tough competition between established firms and emerging biotechnology companies in the Global Cultures Industry. Large corporations are pursuing aggressive expansion strategies, including both internal development and strategic acquisitions.
Industry leaders are working on the development of dedicated cultures for new applications while reinforcing their basic product lines. In order to develop the latest scientific innovations and curved cultures, especially in the field of synthetic biology, businesses are spending a great deal.
Many businesses are starting to form strategic alliances with biotech startups as well as other research organizations in order to gain access to the latest cutting-edge technologies and to increase their value share.
The trend of vertical integration, where a firm purchases its suppliers and distributors in order to obtain control of its production process, is also on the rise. Investments in green technologies and sustainable culture development processes have also turned out to be the important competitive edge differentiating various companies.
As per Technology Type, the industry has been categorized into Standard Laboratory Cultures, Traditional Cultures and Synthetic Cultures.
As per Origin Type, the industry has been categorized into Bacterial, Fungal, Viral, Algal and Protozoan.
As per Application, the industry has been categorized into Food & Beverage Industry, Pharmaceutical Research, Agricultural Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology, Environmental Solutions and Others.
Industry analysis has been carried out in key countries of North America, Latin America, Western Europe Eastern Europe, Balkans & Baltic, Russia & Belarus, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia & Pacific and Middle East & Africa.
The global market is estimated at a value of USD 1,455.3 million in 2025.
Prominent players in the landscape include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, Evonik Industries, Danaher Corporation, Charles River Laboratories, DuPont de Nemours, Lonza Group, Sigma-Aldrich and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company).
The Global Industry grew at a Historical CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2024.
The USA sales are projected to hold a revenue share of 28% over the forecast period.
The industry is projected to grow at a forecast CAGR of 4.3% from 2025 to 2035.
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