Asimov

What Asimov does

Asimov is a Boston-based synthetic biology company founded in 2017 (incorporated 2016) that builds AI-driven tools for the design and manufacture of advanced therapeutics. The company offers an integrated platform combining engineered mammalian host cell lines, a library of over 1,000 experimentally validated genetic parts, and cloud-based computer-aided design software (Kernel) for programming living cells. Customers include top-10 pharmaceutical companies, mid-cap biotechs, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), government agencies, and academic institutions.

The core product is a family of four modality-specific Edge platforms: CHO Edge for biologics/antibody production (8–12 g/L titers), LV Edge for lentiviral vectors (up to 1E9 TU/mL unconcentrated), AAV Edge for adeno-associated virus gene therapy vectors (up to 6E15 vg/L), and RNA Edge for RNA therapeutic candidates. These are underpinned by the Chrysalis transposase (a proprietary genome integration tool derived from multiple butterfly species), GMP-banked host cell lines with regulatory documentation, and AI models that combine deep learning, reinforcement learning, and mechanistic modeling on multi-omics data. The AI stack includes the CHO metabolic simulator (flux-balance analysis + neural networks), a tissue-specific promoter designer, and the Cello genetic circuit compiler.

Asimov generates revenue through three streams: technology licensing of its cell lines and software platforms, full-service cell line development performed at its Boston facility, and subscription-based platform access for partners performing development in-house. Distribution combines direct enterprise licensing (Novo Nordisk, Amgen, RevOpsis, Score Pharma, Ottimo Pharma, Mabylon AG) with channel partnerships through CDMOs (LOTTE Biologics, Center for Breakthrough Medicines, AGC Biologics, Cytiva) and a federal government program (BARDA BioMaP Consortium for medical countermeasures). Pricing is quote-based on multi-year contracts and not publicly disclosed. The company has raised over $200 million from Andreessen Horowitz, CPP Investments, Horizons Ventures, and Fidelity, and operates subsidiaries including Asimov Labs (research) and Asimov Press (publishing).

Name

Asimov

Legal name

Asimov, Inc.

Website

https://asimov.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Asimov is a Boston-based synthetic biology company that builds AI-driven cell lines, genetic parts, and cloud-based design software for the manufacture of biologics, cell therapies, gene therapies, and RNA therapeutics, licensed to pharma, biotech, CDMO, and government customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Synthetic Biology Platform

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Viral Vector Manufacturing Services (AAV, lentiviral, adenoviral) (HLAAAKAD), RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG), AAV Vector Gene Therapy Developers (HLAAACAA)

Keywords

• Synthetic biology platform
• Cell line development
• Biologics manufacturing
• Genetic design software
• Viral vector production

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary cell lines (CHO Edge, LV Edge, AAV Edge), genetic parts, and software platforms to pharma, biotech, and CDMO partners.
2. Cell Line Development Services: Full-service cell line development performed by Asimov in their Boston facility, including clonal cell bank generation and process transfer.
3. Platform Access: Software access and technical support for partners performing cell line development in-house using Asimov's platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Asimov provides an integrated synthetic biology platform combining proprietary engineered mammalian cell lines (CHO Edge, LV Edge, AAV Edge, RNA Edge systems), a library of 1000+ validated genetic parts, and cloud-based CAD software (Kernel) that enables partners to design, simulate, and optimize genetic systems for therapeutic production. The company licenses these technology platforms and provides custom cell line development services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and CDMO partners for biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, and RNA therapeutic manufacturing.

Product overview

Asimov offers an integrated suite of cells, genes, and software powered by AI-driven genetic design for advanced therapy development. The platform centers on four Edge expression systems—CHO Edge (biologics/antibodies at 8-12 g/L titers), LV Edge (lentiviral vectors up to 1E9 TU/mL), AAV Edge (gene therapy vectors up to 6E15 vg/L), and RNA Edge (RNA therapeutics)—supplemented by the proprietary Chrysalis transposase genome integration tool. These are underpinned by Kernel cloud-based CAD software for genetic design, a library of 1000+ validated genetic parts, and GMP-qualified host cell lines. The company also offers cell line development services, with recent expansions including CHO Edge Rapid Pools for high-throughput lead optimization and fully-stable producer cell line services for scalable biomanufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHO Edge System: AI-driven mammalian expression system for biologics/antibody production achieving 8-12 g/L titers
• LV Edge System
• AAV Edge System
• RNA Edge System
• Chrysalis Transposase
• Kernel
• CHO Edge Rapid Pools

Products and services

• CHO Edge System AI-driven expression system for biologics manufacturing using engineered CHO cells, consistently delivering titers of 8-12 g/L across modalities with integrated genetic tools and data-driven models. Licensed to pharma and biotech partners for antibody and biologics production.
• LV Edge System

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-12 g/L clonal titers for biologics production
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute at McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Strategic partnership to advance next-generation biologics through academic collaboration.
• Mabylon AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Lead optimization campaign to advance trispecific antibody for tree pollen allergies.
• Score PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Cell line development partnership to advance biosuperior antibody therapeutics for cancer treatment. Score Pharma leverages Asimov's CHO Edge system for proof-of-concept studies on its biosuperior anti-HER2 trastuzumab for breast cancer.
• AGC BiologicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026Partnership to provide cost-effective, simplified, and secure manufacturing approach for viral vector production.
• AmgencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025Partnership to optimize bispecific antibody expression using Asimov's platform.
• Ottimo PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2025Cell line development partnership to accelerate cancer immunotherapy's path to clinic.
• BARDA BioMaP ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2025Agreement to advance production of medical countermeasures against Ebola and deadly viruses under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority's Biomanufacturing Consortium.
• CytivacoreTechnology or Integration · 29 April 2025Collaboration on next-generation cell line design and process development for optimized biologics production.
• LOTTE BiologicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025Partnership for accelerated cell line development and scaling to GMP manufacturing. LOTTE Biologics offers end-to-end DNA to drug substance services within 8.5-month timelines from transfection to drug substance release, leveraging Asimov's cell line development platform.
• Novo NordiskflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 13 January 2025Novo Nordisk licensed the CHO Edge System for biologics manufacturing.
• RevOpsis TherapeuticscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 19 November 2024Licensing agreement for high-titer multispecific-expressing cell line.
• MIT-Broad FoundryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2023MIT-Broad Foundry team joined Asimov and rebranded as Asimov Labs. This brought high-throughput experimental capabilities and deep expertise in genetic design to accelerate the company's moonshot of solving genetic design.
• iGEMminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 February 2023Partnership to support next generation of synthetic biologists. Asimov provides Kernel software access, manufactures and ships the iGEM Distribution Kit, offers genetic device characterization services, and provides a collection of mammalian genetic parts.
• Center for Breakthrough MedicinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2023CBM licensed Asimov's clonal GMP HEK293 suspension cell line for preclinical and clinical viral vector production. Platform designed to deliver high yields and higher throughput for cell and gene therapy clients.
• DARPAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2019Contract as part of DARPA's Automating Scientific Knowledge Extraction (ASKE) opportunity to develop a physics-based AI design engine for biology using multi-omics data, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and mechanistic modeling.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• GenScript: GenScript's ProBio business offers cell line development, plasmid manufacturing, and biologics services. It is directly comparable to Asimov's cell line development services and CHO-based biomanufacturing offerings, at meaningfully larger scale.
• Cytiva: Cytiva is a global bioprocessing leader supplying cell culture media, instruments, and process development services. Asimov is both a partner (collaboration on next-generation cell line design) and a competitor for process development and cell line engineering work in biologics.
• Twist Bioscience: Twist provides DNA synthesis, antibody libraries, and synthetic biology tools widely used in therapeutic development. While Twist's offering is broader and DNA-centric, it overlaps with Asimov's design software and parts library in enabling genetic engineering workflows.
• Lonza: Lonza is the largest biologics CDMO with proprietary cell line platforms (e.g., GS Xceed) and end-to-end GMP manufacturing. Asimov partners with CDMOs but ultimately competes for the same high-titer cell line business that anchors Lonza's biologics services.

Regional players

• Culture Biosciences: Culture Biosciences provides cloud-based bioreactor services for fermentation and bioprocess development. It overlaps with Asimov's bioprocess optimization capabilities (e.g., CHO metabolic simulator) but focuses on microbial rather than mammalian systems.

Emerging players

• Cradle: Cradle applies generative AI to protein and biologics design, serving developers of therapeutic enzymes and antibodies. It overlaps with Asimov's AI-driven protein and genetic design focus, though with less emphasis on cell line engineering.
• Bota Bio: Bota Bio builds AI-driven biomanufacturing platforms using engineered microorganisms and computational design. It is comparable to Asimov's stack as an AI-native bioprocess platform, though Bota is earlier-stage and focused on different cell hosts.
• Codexis: Codexis applies directed evolution and computational protein engineering to develop biocatalysts and therapeutic proteins. It overlaps with Asimov in the AI/protein engineering space but addresses different application areas, primarily enzyme and biocatalyst optimization.

Direct peers

• ATUM: ATUM provides synthetic biology tools for protein engineering and cell line development, including transposase-based systems similar to Asimov's Chrysalis. Both companies sell tools and services that help therapeutic developers engineer high-titer mammalian cell lines.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: Ginkgo operates a synthetic biology platform that programs cells for industrial and therapeutic applications, including biomanufacturing. Asimov competes in the same AI-driven cell programming category with a tighter focus on therapeutic manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asimovbio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asimov

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asimov