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Inscripta

Biotech & Life Sciences · Boulder, United States · Founded 2015

Inscripta, Inc., established in 2015, operates within the life science technology sector, focusing on advancing genome engineering to fuel the bioeconomy. The company was founded by a trio of individuals with deep expertise in the field: Andrew Garst, Ryan Gill, and Kevin Ness. Gill, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has a background in chemical and biological engineering, while Ness previously served as CEO of biotech firm QuantaLife, which was acquired by Bio-Rad. This collective experience in both academia and commercial life sciences laid the groundwork for Inscripta's mission. The company's core business revolves around providing tools that empower scientists to engineer microbes for biomanufacturing, aiming to create sustainable alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes. Inscripta targets researchers and scientists in academic institutions, as well as commercial entities in sectors like industrial chemicals, healthcare, and agriculture. Its business model centers on the sale of its integrated platform, consumables, and software, which together streamline the complex process of genome editing. Inscripta's primary offering is the Onyx® platform, a comprehensive solution for digital genome engineering. This platform automates the engineering of microbial genomes, allowing scientists to generate and test vast libraries of genetic edits simultaneously. The key components include proprietary gene-editing enzymes (MADzymes), engineered cells, intuitive software for designing experiments, and the benchtop instrument itself. This high-throughput capability accelerates the design-build-test cycle, enabling researchers to more rapidly develop microbes for producing novel enzymes, therapeutic proteins, or sustainable chemicals. A significant milestone for the company was raising over $150 million in a Series D financing round, which has supported the commercial expansion of the Onyx platform. The company maintains operations in Pleasanton and Burlingame, California, serving a global customer base. Keywords: genome engineering, biomanufacturing, CRISPR, synthetic biology, life sciences, Onyx platform, microbial engineering, genetic editing, bioeconomy, MADzymes