Swiss Rockets to buy Complete Genomics, will own 100% pending approvals

Complete Genomics announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Switzerland‑based life‑sciences group Swiss Rockets AG, with Swiss Rockets set to own 100 percent of the U.S. sequencing company upon closing, the firms disclosed Feb. 23, 2026. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approval by MGI shareholders, the companies said, and no purchase price or closing date was disclosed.

Company statements say Complete Genomics will continue to operate as a U.S.‑based business and that its existing management team will retain responsibility for day‑to‑day operations, product strategy, software development and customer relationships after the change of ownership. Swiss Rockets said Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic will serve as chief executive of Complete Genomics once the deal closes; the broader management team will be announced later.

The acquisition follows a strategic exclusive license Swiss Rockets announced Oct. 12, 2025 with MGI Tech and Complete Genomics, USA for patents and intellectual property needed to develop and manufacture the CoolMPS sequencing platform. Swiss Rockets described that license as perpetual, transferrable and sublicensable for the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Central Asia, with an option to expand rights into Asia‑Pacific in 2026. Businesswire said the first CoolMPS sequencers, enabling SE600+ reads for applications labeled CompleteWGS, CompleteTranscriptome and CompleteMicrobiom, were scheduled for early access in Q1 2026.

Swiss Rockets framed the acquisition as a way to accelerate product development and strengthen supply chain resilience. In a LinkedIn posting quoted by industry sources, Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic said, “Swiss Rockets recognized Complete Genomics’ strong position in developing and delivering cost-effective, flexible sequencing solutions and saw an opportunity to accelerate innovation and expand market reach. We are excited to support the team as they expand their technology portfolio, strengthen supply chain resilience, and accelerate their impact on genomics research worldwide.” Complete Genomics founder Dr. Rade Drmanac, also identified as chief scientific officer of MGI in previous releases, said in the companies’ statements that “this transaction positions Complete Genomics for its next phase of growth. Swiss Rockets shares our long‑term vision for sequencing innovation and supports our strategy to expand product adoption, strengthen operational independence, and progressively diversify our manufacturing and supply chain footprint.” In a separate Businesswire item Drmanac added, “This is a dream coming true for me. We now have all that’s needed to utilize full potential of our cutting edge CoolMPS technology.”

The deal underscores a recent industry pattern toward consolidation and greater geographic diversification of sequencing supply chains. Observers note the combination of a licensing pact and acquisition effectively aligns CoolMPS intellectual property and product roadmap with Swiss Rockets’ portfolio priorities in precision medicine and oncology. A LinkedIn post by Raj Tamana framed the move as a shift in ownership dynamics for Complete Genomics, which “has historically been part of the Chinese‑associated genomics ecosystem, having been under MGI (and formerly BGI) for years.”

Key legal and commercial steps remain. Both the license and the acquisition announcements explicitly state that effectiveness depends on approval by MGI shareholders. The companies did not disclose financial terms, a timetable for shareholder votes, or whether any regulatory reviews beyond customary closing conditions will apply. Analysts and policy watchers are likely to track the approvals, subsequent management appointments and the rollout timetable for CoolMPS hardware and associated products, given their potential to affect sequencing costs, market competition and the global footprint of genomics manufacturing.