Illumina Acquires SomaLogic in $425 Million Protein Measurement Deal

The acquisition brings SomaLogic's SomaScan proteomics platform and Boulder lab under Illumina's growing multiomics operation.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 11:15am

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San Diego-based sequencing company Illumina has officially closed its $425 million acquisition of Boulder-based proteomics firm SomaLogic. Illumina paid $350 million in cash upfront and could pay up to $75 million more in milestones and royalties. The deal brings SomaLogic's SomaScan platform, which can profile thousands of proteins from small blood samples, as well as its CLIA- and CAP-certified Boulder lab and 250 employees, into Illumina's multiomics business.

Why it matters

The acquisition allows Illumina to pair SomaLogic's aptamer-based protein measurement technology with its high-throughput sequencing systems, aiming to make protein profiling more scalable and cost-effective. This could enable researchers to layer protein data on top of genomic cohorts at a larger scale, a capability that has been in high demand for drug discovery and biomarker programs.

The details

Illumina plans to integrate SomaLogic's SomaScan platform with its NGS systems, DRAGEN secondary analysis, and Illumina Connected Multiomics to push protein measurements into a more scalable and cost-effective range. The company also highlighted its Illumina Protein Prep workflow, which can quantify up to 9,500 proteins per sample in about two and a half days using NGS-based proteomics.

  • Illumina first flagged the deal in June 2025.
  • The acquisition closed on Friday, January 31, 2026.

The players

Illumina

A San Diego-based sequencing company that is acquiring SomaLogic.

SomaLogic

A Boulder-based proteomics firm that has developed the SomaScan platform to profile thousands of proteins from small blood samples.

Standard BioTools

The seller of SomaLogic, which has now completed the sale and received $350 million upfront, with potential earnouts and royalties that could lift the total value to $425 million.

Todd Christian

A spokesperson for SomaLogic, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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What they’re saying

“SomaScan enables researchers to better understand the causes of disease and potential targets for new therapies.”

— Todd Christian (San Diego Union-Tribune)

What’s next

Illumina expects the acquired SomaLogic business to reach profitability on a non-GAAP basis by 2027 as kitted NGS panels and assay services ramp up.

The takeaway

This acquisition allows Illumina to integrate protein measurement capabilities into its sequencing ecosystem, potentially making large-scale protein profiling more accessible and cost-effective for researchers in drug discovery and biomarker programs.