bit.bio Secures $50 Million Series C Funding to Advance Human Cell Programming Technology for Drug Discovery
核心洞察
M&G Investments (搜索) led a $50 million Series C funding round for Cambridge-based bit.bio (搜索), marking a major vote of confidence in UK drug development innovation.
The funding will enable bit.bio (搜索) to accelerate product development, scale operations globally, expand into the multi-billion toxicology market, and generate datasets for AI model training.
bit.bio (搜索)'s ioCells (搜索)™ human cell products are driving the transition toward New Approach Methodologies that reduce animal testing while improving pre-clinical research accuracy.
M&G Investments (搜索) has led a $50 million Series C funding round for bit.bio (搜索), the Cambridge-based biotech company pioneering next-generation human cell programming technology. The investment represents a significant endorsement of UK innovation in drug development and positions bit.bio to accelerate its global expansion and technological advancement.
The funding will enable bit.bio (搜索) to accelerate product development and access, scale operations globally, expand into the multi-billion toxicology market, bolster manufacturing operations, and generate industry-leading datasets for AI model training. M&G invested through its Crossover strategy on behalf of M&G Life's £130 billion With Profits Fund and its 4.5 million UK policyholders.
Revolutionary Cell Programming Platform
bit.bio (搜索)'s ioCells (搜索)™ human cell products are used by leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies and academic institutions globally. The company is spearheading the transition toward human-relevant New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which utilize advanced cell-based and computational models instead of animal testing to reshape medicine development with greater predictiveness.
The company's AI-enabled discovery platform identifies unique transcription factor (搜索) combinations to program desired cell types, while its patented opti-ox (搜索)™ technology precisely converts induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into these cell types, ensuring unprecedented purity, consistency, and scalability. bit.bio (搜索)'s expanding ioCells (搜索) portfolio comprises more than 50 products, including ioWild Type Cells, ioDisease Model Cells, ioCRISPR-Ready Cells, and ioTracker Cells.
Leadership and Strategic Vision
Lord David Prior, who has held distinguished leadership roles in UK Life Sciences innovation, health policy and governance for more than two decades, joins as an independent director and new Board Chair. His experience includes serving as Chair of the NHS England Board, Chair of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health.
"By providing reliable human cells for research and safety testing, we're helping to accelerate drug development and build a world class life sciences business in the UK," said Przemek Obloj, Chief Executive of bit.bio (搜索). "Our technology reduces reliance on animal testing while improving the relevance and accuracy of pre-clinical research. With fresh backing from M&G and our wider investor base, we can accelerate development, from in silico model training through our most established in vitro discovery models and towards safety testing."
Market Impact and Growth Trajectory
Since spinning out from the University of Cambridge in 2016, bit.bio (搜索) has raised over $200 million from leading investors including Arch Venture (搜索), BlueYard Capital, Charles River Laboratories, Foresite Capital, M&G, Milky Way, National Resilience, and Tencent (搜索).
Cornel Chiriac, Investment Director of Crossover at M&G Investments (搜索), emphasized the strategic importance of the investment: "bit.bio (搜索)'s platform makes cell programming reliable, scalable, and commercially ready in a rapidly evolving field. As a long-term investor, M&G is committed to backing the next generation of UK businesses and driving economic progress. With a growing global footprint, bit.bio is a UK success story poised for international growth."
Lord David Prior concluded: "bit.bio (搜索)'s technology is world class and the opportunity is now converting that advantage into sustained commercial performance. I look forward to supporting the team as it expands its customer reach and becomes a key partner for pharmaceutical, biotech and research organisations worldwide."
Advancing New Approach Methodologies
New Approach Methodologies represent innovative scientific approaches to drug discovery, development and safety testing that do not rely on traditional animal testing. These methodologies include advanced techniques such as cell-based assays, computer modelling, and organ-on-a-chip systems, providing more human-relevant data while supporting ethical and regulatory goals.