What Camena Bioscience does

Camena Bioscience is a Cambridge, UK-based synthetic biology company founded in 2016 that develops gSynth®, a TdT-free, multi-enzymatic DNA synthesis platform designed to overcome the accuracy, length, and complexity limitations of phosphoramidite chemistry. The platform is built on four integrated pillars: a proprietary enzyme mix for de novo synthesis and assembly, Addamers (high-purity reagent building blocks), the Cimban™ bioinformatics design algorithm, and green-chemistry synthesis reagents that eliminate organic solvents. Public performance claims include approximately 90% accuracy over 300 bp (versus approximately 30% for phosphoramidite), multi-kilobase per day throughput, and the ability to synthesise any sequence, any length, and any complexity without codon optimisation. The company holds multiple DNA synthesis patent applications filed since 2017 and registered trademarks on gSynth® and Cimban™.

Camena sells synthetic genes and licenses its platform primarily to top-tier pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, with documented use cases spanning drug discovery, mRNA vaccine template DNA, cell and gene therapy development (including CAR-T, AAV, and CRISPR-Cas12a constructs), and antibody discovery. Revenue is generated through two channels: one-time sales of synthetic gene products and licensing/royalty arrangements for gSynth reagents and the Cimban algorithm, often under field-of-use restrictions. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise — there is no self-serve channel — and engagement follows a three-step partnering funnel: initial single-service agreement, followed by field-of-use licensing, and culminating in a dedicated team transfer for on-site integration.

The company is headquartered at Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, operates with approximately 25 employees, and is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified. As of May 2024 it had secured a multi-million-pound revenue stream from leading gene synthesis consumers, closed a $10m Series A led by Mercia in July 2023, and received further Mercia funding in September 2025. The leadership team is anchored by co-founders Steve Harvey (CEO) and Derek Stemple (CSO), with Dr Nicola Thompson serving as Chair of the Board from May 2024.

Name

Camena Bioscience

Legal name

Camena Bioscience

Website

https://camenabio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Camena Bioscience is a Cambridge-based synthetic biology company that develops gSynth®, a TdT-free enzymatic DNA synthesis platform, and sells synthetic genes and licenses the technology to top pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and advanced-therapy customers via direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Synthetic DNA / Gene Synthesis

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA) (HLAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

mRNA/LNP & Nucleic Acid Therapeutics CDMO (HLAGABAF), Gene Therapy (Viral Vector/Plasmid) CDMO (HLAGABAE)

Keywords

• Enzymatic DNA synthesis
• Synthetic gene production
• DNA synthesis platform
• Gene synthesis services
• Synthetic biology tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Synthetic gene product sales: Camena sells synthetic genes directly to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company has secured multi-million-pound revenue streams and major commercial contracts with leading gene synthesis consumers. Sales are conducted via direct enterprise engagement and a structured partnering pipeline (service agreement → field-of-use licensing → on-site transfer).
2. Licensing and strategic partnerships: The gSynth platform is offered under licensing agreements to strategic partners and internal cores. Licensees receive access to gSynth reagents and Cimban design algorithm, enabling them to use the technology within agreed fields of application. The platform includes a portfolio of technologies wholly owned and developed by Camena, offering full freedom to operate for licensees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Camena Bioscience develops and commercializes gSynth®, a proprietary TdT-free enzymatic DNA synthesis platform for the high-throughput production of synthetic genes of any sequence, any length, and any complexity. The company sells synthetic gene products directly to pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers and licenses the gSynth platform (reagents and Cimban design algorithm) to strategic partners under field-of-use agreements.

Product overview

Camena Bioscience offers a single unified product platform called gSynth®, which consists of four integrated pillars: a proprietary enzyme mix for de novo DNA synthesis and gene assembly, Addamers (reagent building blocks), the Cimban™ bioinformatics design algorithm, and green chemistry synthesis technology. These components work together to address challenges of accuracy, length, scale, and speed in synthetic DNA production, enabling synthesis of any sequence, any length, any complexity without the need for codon optimization or error-prone assembly processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• gSynth: TdT-free enzymatic-based DNA synthesis platform for high-throughput production of synthetic genes of any sequence, length, or complexity.
• Cimban

Products and services

• gSynth® DNA Synthesis Platform A TdT-free, multi-enzymatic DNA synthesis platform for the high-throughput production of synthetic genes of any sequence, any length, and any complexity. Precisely synthesises kilobases of DNA per day using a proprietary enzyme mix, Addamers, Cimban™ design algorithm, and green chemistry. Sold via direct enterprise sales and licensed to strategic partners under field-of-use agreements.
• Synthetic Gene Products Custom synthetic DNA products manufactured using the gSynth platform and sold directly to pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. Includes complex, multi-gene sequences, long constructs (over 300 bp at ~90% accuracy, with multi-kilobase capability per day), and gene-length DNA produced in a day without codon optimisation or error-prone assembly.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~90% accuracy over 300 bp vs ~30% for phosphoramidite synthesis
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Constructive BiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Camena and Constructive Bio joined a collaborative project led by the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP) to develop synthetic chloroplast genomes. The project is backed by £9.1m funding from ARIA. Camena's DNA synthesis technology combines with Constructive Bio's large-scale DNA assembly toolkit to deliver highly complex constructs at scale for synthetic plant genomics.
• Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025MPI-MP leads the £9.1m ARIA-funded synthetic chloroplast genome project. Dr. Daniel Dunkelmann at MPI-MP leads the project, which also includes academics from University of Essex and UC Berkeley. The initiative aims to construct synthetic chloroplast genomes for optimising crop performance and developing plants as sustainable biofactories.
• University of EssexminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Academic partner in the ARIA-funded synthetic chloroplast genome project alongside MPI-MP, UC Berkeley, Camena Bioscience, and Constructive Bio. Represented by Pallavi Singh.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Academic partner in the ARIA-funded synthetic chloroplast genome project alongside MPI-MP, University of Essex, Camena Bioscience, and Constructive Bio. Represented by Patrick Shih.
• Dr Nicola ThompsoncoreOthers · 24 May 2024Dr Nicola Thompson, an industry leader with experience developing and commercialising innovative technologies and therapeutic modalities, was appointed Chair of the Board. She was founding CEO of Amphista Therapeutics and held senior leadership roles at Roche and GSK. Her appointment forms part of the Company's growth plans to expand commercialisation of gSynth.
• Lee LindleycoreOthers · 1 July 2023Lee Lindley, a member of Mercia's investment team with nearly 10 years of corporate financing experience, joined Camena's Board as part of the Series A financing. He holds a BA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge and a Masters in Research Methods from Manchester.
• Aditya RajagopalcoreOthers · 1 July 2023Aditya Rajagopal, founder and CTO of ChromaCode, Inc. and co-founder and Executive Chairman of Esperto Medical, joined Camena's Board. He is also faculty at USC and Caltech, with BS, MS and PhD from Caltech.
• Zyme CommunicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZyme Communications handles media relations and press release distribution for Camena Bioscience, including communications around funding announcements and board appointments. Contact: Katie Odgaard.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Twist Bioscience: Twist Bioscience is the leading commercial provider of synthetic DNA using a silicon-based DNA synthesis platform, directly competing with Camena in selling synthetic genes to pharma and biotech customers. It is the largest publicly traded pure-play in this space and sets the benchmark for scale, throughput, and pricing that Camena must match or differentiate against.

Emerging players

• DNA Script: DNA Script is developing enzymatic DNA synthesis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), directly addressing the same accuracy and length limitations Camena targets with gSynth. As a venture-backed enzymatic synthesis company, it is the closest architectural competitor despite Camena's TdT-free positioning.
• Ansa Biotechnologies: Ansa Biotechnologies is developing a novel enzymatic approach to de novo DNA synthesis with a focus on long, complex sequences. It competes with Camena in the same emerging enzymatic synthesis category targeting gene-length constructs for therapeutic and synthetic biology applications.

Broad incumbents

• GenScript: GenScript is a major global life sciences services provider offering gene synthesis, protein production, and cell therapy services, directly overlapping with Camena's synthetic gene product sales to pharma and biotech customers. Its broader portfolio and established CDMO scale make it a key incumbent competitor.
• Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT): IDT, now part of Danaher, is a leading provider of custom DNA and RNA oligonucleotides, gene synthesis, and genomic tools serving pharma, academic, and diagnostics customers. Its scale, customer reach, and Danaher distribution make it a broad incumbent in the synthetic DNA market where Camena competes.
• Eurofins Genomics:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/camenabio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Camena Bioscience