ORF Genetics
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersKópavogur, Iceland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
ORF Genetics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ORF Genetics
- Legal name
- ORF Genetics
- Website
- https://orfgenetics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ORF Genetics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recombinant Protein Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plant Protein Ingredients (Soy, Pea, Wheat/Gluten, Rice, Oat, Potato) (AFAJAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cultivated (Cell-Based) Protein Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAI)
Keywords
Where ORF Genetics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kópavogur
- HQ country
- Iceland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ORF Genetics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Growth Factor Product Sales: Sale of recombinant growth factors and cytokines for research, cultivated meat, and skincare applications. Products sold include ISOkine (human/mouse), MESOkine (animal), and DERMOkine (skincare) product lines. Pricing is per microgram with volume discounts available.
- Skincare Ingredients (DERMOkine): Supply of human growth factor extracts and biopeptides to cosmetics manufacturers. DERMOkine portfolio includes growth factors for skin and hair care applications, powering the BIOEFFECT skincare brand.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine EGF (Human) - €25-€750 per 10μg to 5000μg |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine FGF-2 (Human) - €60-€2,300 per 10μg to 5000μg |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine IFN-gamma (Human) - €50-€3,500 per 10μg to 5000μg |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine SCF (Human) - €100-€6,500 per 10μg to 5000μg |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine PDGF-BB (Human) - €100-€9,990 per 10μg to 50x100μg |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ISOkine IL-6 (Human) - New 2026 - €75-€1,400 per 10μg to 500μg |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels12 records
Marketing channels5 records
ORF Genetics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ORF Genetics manufactures and sells plant-based recombinant proteins produced in bioengineered barley grain via its proprietary ORFEUS molecular farming platform. Its core offerings are three branded product lines: ISOkine (human and mouse growth factors/cytokines for stem cell research and regenerative medicine), MESOkine (species-specific animal growth factors for cultivated meat production), and DERMOkine (human growth factors and biopeptides for skincare, powering the BIOEFFECT brand). Products are endotoxin-free, animal-component-free, and supplied as purified protein reagents to research institutions, cultivated meat companies, and cosmetics manufacturers.
Product overview
ORF Genetics offers a multi-brand portfolio of plant-based recombinant proteins produced in bioengineered barley plants. The company operates three distinct product lines: MESOkine (animal growth factors for the cultivated meat industry), ISOkine PREMIUM (human and mouse growth factors for stem cell research and regenerative medicine), and DERMOkine (human growth factors for skincare applications that powers the BIOEFFECT skincare brand). All products leverage the proprietary ORFEUS expression system that uses barley grain as a vehicle for large-scale, recombinant protein production, providing endotoxin-free, animal-component-free proteins with eukaryotic folding and glycosylation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MESOkine: Animal growth factors for the cultivated meat industry, produced in barley plants
- ISOkine
- DERMOkine
- ORFEUS
Products and services
- ISOkine PREMIUM Growth Factors & Cytokines Animal-origin-free, endotoxin-free, high-bioactivity human and mouse recombinant growth factors and cytokines produced in barley endosperm with eukaryotic folding and glycosylation patterns. Sold to academic researchers, biotech, and pharma companies for stem cell research, regenerative medicine, organoid development, and cell therapy applications. Manufactured under ISO 9001:2015 quality management.
- MESOkine Animal Growth Factors Portfolio of species-specific animal-free recombinant growth factors and cytokines produced in barley plants for the cultivated meat industry. Includes EGF, FGF basic, IGF-1 LR3, IL-6, LIF, PDGF BB, Transferrin, and VEGF for cell proliferation and differentiation in cell culture media. Sold to cultivated meat companies globally.
- DERMOkine Skincare Growth Factors Portfolio of human growth factors and biopeptides in defined barley seed extract for skincare and haircare applications. Contains endotoxin-free replicas of human growth factors produced in barley endosperm. Powers the award-winning BIOEFFECT premium skincare brand. Supplied to cosmetics manufacturers.
- ORFEUS Expression System Proprietary high-throughput production platform using barley grain as a vehicle for recombinant protein production. Includes gene synthesis, codon optimization, cloning into GrainVec expression vector, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, plantlet development, and selection of highest-expressing barley lines. Forms the technological foundation for all ORF Genetics products.
- ISOkine PDGF-BB (human, animal-free) Human platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) produced in barley as part of the ISOkine PREMIUM range, designed for defined, serum-free, and chemically defined MSC and connective tissue culture systems. Available in animal-free, endotoxin-free format.
- ISOkine IL-6 (human) Human Interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine produced in barley as part of the ISOkine PREMIUM range for stem cell and immunology research applications.
- ISOkine IL-21 (human) Human Interleukin-21 (IL-21) cytokine produced in barley as part of the ISOkine PREMIUM range for immunology and inflammatory response research.
- ISOkine Noggin (human) Human Noggin protein produced in barley as part of the ISOkine PREMIUM range, used in stem cell differentiation and tissue development research.
Quantifiable outcome
- Growth factors produced at significantly lower prices than traditional E. coli bacterial production
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ORF Genetics
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ORF Genetics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ORF Genetics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SeaWithcorePartnership between Icelandic ORF Genetics and South Korean company SeaWith to boost cultivated meat production using MESOkine animal-free growth factors made from barley. Collaboration includes joint R&D initiatives for growth factors. SeaWith aims to introduce cultivated meat products under the 'Welldone' brand.
- Mosa MeatcoreMosa Meat has been working with ORF Genetics to obtain high-performance recombinant growth factors at lower cost. Only with partnerships aiming at cost reduction can cell cultured meat become affordable.
- VowcoreAustralian novel food innovators. ORF Genetics partnered with Vow for the milestone first cultivated meat tasting in Europe (February 2024) featuring Japanese quail. ORF's barley-grown growth factors allow Vow to rapidly scale production.
- Aleph FarmsminorAleph Farms values ORF Genetics' advanced technology and experience in producing recombinant proteins in large scale for the cultured meat industry.
- TebubiocorePartnership to expand market access to sustainable, animal-free growth factors and cytokines. Tebubio distributes ORF Genetics' ISOkine product range for research and development applications.
- Caltag MedsystemscoreNew partnership to expand market access to sustainable, Animal-Free, Endotoxin-Free ISOkine PREMIUM Growth Factors and Cytokines in the UK.
- Ilex Life SciencescorePartnership with innovative biomedical research supply company in North Carolina to distribute ISOkine Animal-Free, Endotoxin Free PREMIUM Growth Factors & Cytokines.
- Ivy Farm TechnologiesminorEnglish producers of cultivated meat. ORF Genetics and Ivy Farm hosted a cultivated beef tasting event at Iceland Innovation Week.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ORF Genetics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BioBetter: Israel-based molecular farming company producing recombinant growth factors (especially FGF2) for the cultivated meat industry using tobacco plants. Direct competitor to ORF Genetics' MESOkine product line with a similar plant-based expression platform targeting the same customer base.
- Bright Biotech: UK-based plant molecular farming company producing growth factors in tobacco chloroplasts for cultivated meat and biomedical applications. Directly competes with ORF Genetics in the affordable, scalable, animal-free growth factor segment for cellular agriculture.
- Future Fields: Canada-based company using transgenic fruit flies (EntoEngine) to produce recombinant growth factors for cultivated meat. Competes head-to-head with ORF Genetics' MESOkine in the affordable animal-free growth factor market, though with a different expression host.
Emerging players
- Shiru: US-based AI-driven ingredient discovery company identifying and producing alternative proteins for food and cellular agriculture markets. Partially overlaps with ORF Genetics in serving cultivated meat and alternative protein customers with protein-based inputs.
- Cultivated Biosciences: Switzerland-based early-stage company developing cellular agriculture inputs including growth factors for dairy-specific applications. Emerging competitor in the broader cellular agriculture inputs space that overlaps with ORF Genetics' MESOkine focus on species-specific growth factors.
Broad incumbents
- Bio-Techne: US-based life sciences reagents giant (including R&D Systems, PeproTech brands) producing recombinant growth factors for research, cell therapy, and regenerative medicine. Broad incumbent competitor to ORF Genetics' ISOkine line in the stem cell research reagents market.
- Ginkgo Bioworks: US-based synthetic biology platform company engineering organisms for biomanufacturing across food, pharma, and industrial markets. Broad incumbent operating in the same protein manufacturing space as ORF Genetics via alternative expression systems and a much larger capital base.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: US-based life sciences giant producing recombinant growth factors, cytokines, and cell culture reagents (including legacy PeproTech assets). Largest incumbent competitor to ORF Genetics' ISOkine product line in the research-grade growth factor market.
- Lonza Group: Switzerland-based global contract biomanufacturer offering recombinant protein production services and GMP manufacturing. Broad incumbent that could both compete with and serve as a contract manufacturer for ORF Genetics' growth factor products.
Others
- Perfect Day: US-based precision fermentation company producing animal-free whey and dairy proteins. Adjacent in alternative protein manufacturing but uses microbial fermentation rather than plant-based expression, making it a thematic peer in animal-free protein production rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ORF Genetics social profiles
Digital presenceORF Genetics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ORF Genetics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ORF Genetics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
ORF Genetics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ORF Genetics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ORF Genetics
What does ORF Genetics do?
ORF Genetics manufactures and sells plant-based recombinant proteins produced in bioengineered barley grain via its proprietary ORFEUS molecular farming platform. Its core offerings are three branded product lines: ISOkine (human and mouse growth factors/cytokines for stem cell research and regenerative medicine), MESOkine (species-specific animal growth factors for cultivated meat production), and DERMOkine (human growth factors and biopeptides for skincare, powering the BIOEFFECT brand). Products are endotoxin-free, animal-component-free, and supplied as purified protein reagents to research institutions, cultivated meat companies, and cosmetics manufacturers.
Is ORF Genetics a public or private company?
ORF Genetics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ORF Genetics founded?
ORF Genetics was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ORF Genetics based?
ORF Genetics is headquartered in Kópavogur, Iceland, in the Europe region.
How does ORF Genetics make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Growth Factor Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are skincare Ingredients (DERMOkine).
Who are ORF Genetics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BioBetter, Bright Biotech and Future Fields. Emerging players are Shiru and Cultivated Biosciences. Broad incumbents are Bio-Techne, Ginkgo Bioworks, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Lonza Group. Perfect Day is listed as an others.
Does ORF Genetics have an API?
No public API is recorded for ORF Genetics.
What industry is ORF Genetics in?
ORF Genetics's product category is Recombinant Protein Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJAHAA, Plant Protein Ingredients (Soy, Pea, Wheat/Gluten, Rice, Oat, Potato), with a secondary code of AFAKAGAI, Cultivated (Cell-Based) Protein Foods Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2836.