B
bit.bio
Developing a scalable technology platform capable of producing consistent batches of every human cell
About bit.bio
bit.bio, a synthetic biology company, was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 by Dr. Mark Kotter. Originally named Elpis Biomed, the company rebranded to bit.bio to reflect its focus on the intersection of coding and biology. The founder, Dr. Kotter, is a neurosurgeon and stem cell biologist whose research at Cambridge University led to the development of the company's core technology. His motivation stems from a desire to transition biology into an engineering discipline to address significant patient needs, a path he embarked on after deciding at nineteen to pursue medicine to make a difference in people's lives. The company has secured substantial funding, raising approximately $225 million from investors including Arch Venture Partners, Blueyard Capital, Foresite Capital, and Tencent.
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The company's core business revolves around its proprietary cell coding platform, which facilitates the creation of consistent, scalable batches of any human cell type. This is achieved through a patented gene-targeting approach called opti-ox™ (optimised inducible overexpression). This technology reprograms human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into specific, mature cell types by controlling the expression of key transcription factors. By overcoming the inconsistencies and scalability issues of traditional stem cell differentiation, bit.bio provides a reliable source of human cells for research, drug discovery, and the development of cell therapies. The business generates revenue by selling its cell products and through strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and research organizations.
bit.bio's primary product line is marketed under the brand ioCells. This portfolio includes a variety of human cell types, such as nerve, immune, and muscle cells, available as wild-type cells, disease models, and CRISPR-ready cells for gene editing applications. These products offer researchers and drug developers access to physiologically relevant human cell models, aiming to bridge the 'translation gap' that often leads to high failure rates in clinical trials. The company's discovery platform utilizes genetic screening and machine learning to identify the precise transcription factor combinations required to create any desired cell type. Through collaborations with entities like BlueRock Therapeutics and Charles River Laboratories, bit.bio is expanding the application of its technology towards creating a new generation of medicines and cell therapies accessible to every patient.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Employees
- 166
- Open positions
- 1
- Dealroom signal
- 71.1/100
- Industry
- Health
- Sub-industry
- BioTechnology
- Sector
- Biotech & Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Genetics and genomics, Stem Cells, Core AI, Synthetic Biology, Spinout, Genome Engineering, Tech for Biotech and Pharma
- Technology
- Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Knowledge graph
More headlines
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERIES COther financing | Jan 2026 | $50M | $200M | M&G | ↗ |
| LATE VCOther financing | Dec 2024 | $30M | $515M | Tencent · Milky Way Ventures · ARCH Venture Partners · BlueYard Capital | ↗ |
Financials
Revenue, earnings and other financial measures where available. Years marked “E” are estimates.
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for bit.bio is 27K monthly website visits, down 38.6% over the last three months. bit.bio's team grew 4.4% over the past year.
Similar companies
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Investments and acquisitions
Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Series A9 investors entered at this stage
BlueYard Capital
Foresite Capital
ARCH Venture Partners- RKRichard Klausner
Tencent
Charles River Laboratories International
Resilience- PCPuhua Capital
MetaPlanet
Series B and later2 investors entered at this stage
M&G
Milky Way Ventures
Other known investors3 additional known investors
Cambridge Enterprise
University of Cambridge
ZAKA VC
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about bit.bio on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
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Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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