Innovative Genomics Institute

What Innovative Genomics Institute does

Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) is a nonprofit academic research institute founded in 2015 by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna as a joint initiative of UC Berkeley, UCSF, and UC Davis, with affiliates at UCLA, Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and Gladstone Institutes. IGI applies CRISPR-based genome editing — including CRISPR-Cas9, base editing, and CRISPR-Cas12a2 — across three programs: human health (personalized therapies for rare genetic diseases, in vivo CAR-T for cancer, sickle cell disease), climate and sustainable agriculture (carbon capture via engineered plants and soil microbes, CRISPR-edited crops), and advancing genome engineering (delivery technologies, target discovery, AI/ML for guide RNA design). The institute has produced multiple world-first capabilities, including the first personalized in vivo CRISPR therapy (Baby KJ, CPS1 deficiency, 6-month development, 1-week FDA approval), the first non-viral in vivo CAR-T therapy (Nature, March 2026), and RNA-triggered chromatin shredding targeting p53 mutations (Nature, June 2026), supported by the Beacon for CRISPR Cures platform co-developed with Danaher and operating companies, and the ARPA-H-funded EMBODY project.

IGI's portfolio also includes a substantial educational and public-impact operation: CRISPRpedia (free online textbook), CRISPR Made Simple, the Power of CRISPR Classroom Kit (sold via Lab-Aids), and AR/VR and game-based learning tools (Phage Invaders, CRISPR-3D, CRISPR-VR), distributed in English, Chinese, and Spanish. IGI does not sell therapies or services commercially; its revenue model is grant- and philanthropy-funded, with major backers including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ($31M cumulative across 2022 and 2026), Danaher Corporation via its Beacons program, ARPA-H (EMBODY, six-year), NIH (SCGE, R35, U01, U19 awards), Google.org, and the Gordon and Betty Moore and Burroughs Wellcome foundations. Jennifer Doudna has publicly targeted a $1 billion campaign to underwrite a $100M annual operating budget over 10 years. Go-to-market is academic-clinical rather than commercial: IGI advances candidates via publications, clinical trial collaborations with UCSF, CHOP, and Penn Medicine, and industry partnerships with Cytiva, Aldevron, IDT, Acuitas, and the Jackson Laboratory, with FDA co-development on novel regulatory pathways for individualized gene editing.

Name

Innovative Genomics Institute

Legal name

Innovative Genomics Institute

Website

https://innovativegenomics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) is a nonprofit research institute founded by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna that develops CRISPR-based genome editing therapies for rare genetic diseases and cancer, plus applications in climate and agriculture, funded by philanthropic and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genomics Research

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Genome Editing Gene Therapies (CRISPR/TALEN/ZFN; in vivo/ex vivo) (HLAAACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gene Editing Trait Development (CRISPR/TALEN/ZFN) (AFABALAB), Genomic Testing & Genetic Evaluation Services (AFAEAJAC), Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

Keywords

• CRISPR gene editing
• Genomics research institute
• Biomedical therapeutics research
• Science education resources
• Plant genome engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Government Funding: IGI receives substantial grant funding from federal agencies including NIH (Somatic Cell Genome Editing Program grants, R35, U01, U19 awards) and ARPA-H (EMBODY project for in vivo CAR-T therapy, six-year initiative). These grants fund specific research programs in rare disease therapies, delivery technologies, and platform development.
2. Philanthropic and Foundation Funding: Major philanthropic investments including $11 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) for carbon removal research and $20 million from CZI for the CRISPR Cures center. Additional support from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund for educational programs.
3. Industry Partnerships and Collaborations: Strategic collaboration with Danaher Corporation (largest investment from Danaher Beacons program) involving multiple operating companies providing R&D and manufacturing support. Additional industry partnerships with Cytiva, Aldevron, IDT, Acuitas Therapeutics, and others for co-development of CRISPR cure platforms and therapeutic manufacturing.
4. Fundraising Campaign: IGI founder Jennifer Doudna is planning to raise $1 billion to support IGI's $100 million annual budget over 10 years, aiming to make personalized gene editing widely available and develop treatments for common diseases like cancer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) is a nonprofit academic research institute that conducts CRISPR-based genome editing research to develop therapeutic, agricultural, and climate solutions. It produces peer-reviewed scientific advances (e.g., personalized in vivo CRISPR therapy, in vivo CAR-T, chromatin shredding for cancer), operates clinical trial programs for rare genetic diseases and cancer, develops agricultural genome editing for crop improvement and carbon capture, and publishes free multilingual educational resources and a classroom kit to make CRISPR science publicly accessible.

Product overview

The Innovative Genomics Institute offers a diverse portfolio of educational products and research services centered on CRISPR gene editing technology. Its educational offerings include CRISPR Made Simple (a free resource for beginners), CRISPRpedia (an advanced online textbook), The Power of CRISPR Classroom Kit (hands-on curriculum for schools), and interactive tools including Phage Invaders, CRISPR-3D (augmented reality), and CRISPR-VR (virtual reality) games. IGI's research infrastructure encompasses multiple specialized centers: the Li Ka Shing Center for Translational Genomics, the Center for CRISPR Target Discovery, the Interventional Genomics Unit for clinical applications, the Plant Genomics & Transformation Facility, and the Berkeley Initiative for Optimized Microbiome Editing (BIOME). The institute also operates major research initiatives including the CRISPR Cures for Cancer initiative, the IGI Sickle Cell Initiative, INGENUITI (genome sequencing program), and the CRISPR AI & Machine Learning program. The overall architecture combines educational platforms with research programs and clinical facilities to advance genome engineering for health, climate, and agriculture applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Power of CRISPR Classroom Genome-Editing Kit A hands-on CRISPR kit and full curriculum for K-12 science classrooms. Includes non-consumable base unit, teacher guide, online resources, sterile consumables for 1-5 classes, and voucher for perishable materials. Sold through Lab-Aids to schools and teachers globally; funded in part by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
• CRISPR Made Simple Free online educational resource that explains and illustrates the basics of CRISPR, DNA, genes, and gene editing. Designed for kids or anyone starting from scratch, available in multiple languages including English, Chinese, and Spanish.
• CRISPRpedia IGI's free online CRISPR textbook-style resource for learning and teaching about gene editing technologies, serving as an advanced extension of CRISPR Made Simple.
• Phage Invaders An educational browser game where players defend cells from invading phages, teaching microbiology and CRISPR concepts through interactive gameplay.
• CRISPR-3D An augmented reality app that allows users to explore CRISPR structures in three dimensions, providing immersive learning about gene editing mechanisms.
• CRISPR-VR A virtual reality application that lets users treat sickle cell disease in a simulated environment, providing hands-on experience with CRISPR gene therapy concepts.
• Illustrated Glossary An illustrated glossary of key CRISPR vocabulary terms and concepts, available in both English and Spanish for multilingual educational access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Personalized CRISPR therapy developed and administered in 6 months (Baby KJ, CPS1 deficiency), with FDA approval in 1 week
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• Gladstone InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Gladstone Institutes collaborated with UCSF and UC Berkeley scientists (including IGI researcher Justin Eyquem) on the in vivo CAR-T therapy project, contributing to the development of the two-particle non-viral delivery system for creating cancer-fighting immune cells directly inside the body.
• Berkeley SkyDeck & Bakar LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026IGI is collaborating with Berkeley SkyDeck and Bakar Labs on the Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (January 2026), highlighting the biotech startup ecosystem emerging from UC Berkeley. IGI also broke ground on a new building at UC Berkeley in partnership with Bakar Labs (June 2026).
• FDA (via regulatory collaboration)coreOthers · 14 November 2025IGI works with the FDA to advance novel regulatory pathways for personalized CRISPR gene-editing medicines. The FDA's 'plausible mechanism pathway' introduced in November 2025, along with academic institutions including IGI, are advancing umbrella clinical trials for conditions like urea cycle disease. IGI's Baby KJ therapy received FDA approval in just one week.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) & Penn MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025CHOP and Penn Medicine physicians and scientists, led by Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas and Kiran Musunuru, collaborated with IGI researchers to develop and administer the world's first personalized in vivo CRISPR therapy to Baby KJ Muldoon within six months. IGI contributed assay development (CHANGE-seq-BE), safety assessment, and off-target analysis, enabling FDA approval in one week.
• Acuitas TherapeuticscoreTechnology or Integration · 15 May 2025Acuitas Therapeutics provided lipid nanoparticle delivery technology for the personalized CRISPR therapy administered to Baby KJ. Their LNP delivery system enabled targeted in vivo gene editing of liver cells for the base editing treatment of CPS1 deficiency.
• Danaher CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2024Danaher and IGI launched the Danaher-IGI Beacon for CRISPR Cures, the largest investment from Danaher's Beacons program, to create a scalable platform for developing CRISPR cures for hundreds of genetic diseases. Danaher operating companies IDT, Cytiva, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, and Aldevron provide R&D and manufacturing support. The collaboration focuses on inborn errors of immunity (familial HLH and Artemis-SCID) as initial targets, with a goal of creating a reproducible 'cookbook' for CRISPR cure development that can be used by any team.
• IDT (Integrated DNA Technologies)coreTechnology or Integration · 9 January 2024IDT, a Danaher operating company, is part of the Beacon for CRISPR Cures collaboration, providing manufactured therapeutic molecules and gene editing components. IDT also collaborated on the Baby KJ personalized therapy project, contributing to the rapid development and clinical-grade manufacturing of the base editing therapy.
• CytivacoreTechnology or Integration · 9 January 2024Cytiva (Danaher subsidiary) leads the EMBODY project funded by ARPA-H and serves as a key manufacturing partner in the Beacon for CRISPR Cures, providing scalable bioprocessing capabilities for CRISPR therapy production.
• The Jackson LaboratorycoreTechnology or Integration · 9 January 2024The Jackson Laboratory provided bespoke mouse models for the Baby KJ personalized CRISPR therapy project, enabling efficacy testing and safety validation of the base editing therapy before FDA submission.
• AldevroncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Aldevron (Danaher operating company) collaborated with IGI in 2024 to develop a scalable platform for CRISPR-based genome editing therapies targeting inborn errors of immunity. Aldevron previously collaborated with IGI on in vivo CRISPR therapies for neurologic diseases, resulting in a paper published in Molecular Therapy.
• UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UC DavisflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGI is a joint effort between three of California's leading scientific research institutions: UC Berkeley (primary host), UC San Francisco (clinical research), and UC Davis (agricultural applications). Additional affiliates include UCLA, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Gladstone Institutes. This consortium structure enables IGI to span basic research, clinical translation, and agricultural applications.
• Lawrence Hall of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence Hall of Science collaborated with IGI to develop The Power of CRISPR Classroom Kit, providing educational expertise and curriculum development support to make CRISPR science accessible to K-12 students.
• Lab-AidsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLab-Aids is the publisher and distributor of The Power of CRISPR Classroom Kit, handling sales and fulfillment to K-12 educational institutions through its online store.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CRISPR Therapeutics: CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading clinical-stage gene-editing company developing CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics, including Casgevy (exa-cel) — the first FDA-approved CRISPR therapy for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. It directly competes with IGI on CRISPR-based treatments for rare monogenic disorders and oncology indications, and serves as the most advanced commercial benchmark for IGI's CRISPR Cures Center pipeline.
• Editas Medicine: Editas Medicine is a clinical-stage gene editing company focused on CRISPR-based medicines for serious diseases, including sickle cell and inherited retinal diseases. It is one of the original CRISPR Therapeutics companies co-founded by Feng Zhang (Broad Institute), and competes with IGI in the same therapeutic gene editing space, particularly around CRISPR-Cas12a (AsCas12a) systems that overlap with IGI's chromatin shredding work.
• Beam Therapeutics: Beam Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing base editing therapies for genetic diseases. IGI's base editing work on personalized therapies (Baby KJ Muldoon's CPS1 deficiency treatment using base editing) directly overlaps with Beam's platform, making it one of the most comparable for-profit peers developing precision gene editing medicines.
• Intellia Therapeutics: Intellia Therapeutics is a clinical-stage gene editing company developing in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 therapies using LNP delivery — directly comparable to IGI's in vivo CAR-T and EMBODY project. Intellia's NTLA-2001 (transthyretin amyloidosis) and in vivo gene editing pipeline parallel IGI's approach to delivering gene editing machinery directly into patients.
• Prime Medicine: Prime Medicine is developing prime editing, a next-generation gene editing technology that can make precise edits without double-strand breaks. As an emerging player in precision gene editing, Prime overlaps with IGI's mission to expand the addressable set of treatable genetic diseases through novel editing modalities, and represents a comparable platform approach to multi-disease gene editing.

Emerging players

• Caribou Biosciences: Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging CRISPR-Cas12a chRDNA technology for off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapies. Its allogeneic CAR-T pipeline (CB-010, CB-011, CB-012) targets hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, partially overlapping with IGI's cancer immunotherapy programs while representing a distinct cell therapy approach vs IGI's in vivo strategy.
• Verve Therapeutics: Verve Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing in vivo base editing therapies for cardiovascular disease, with lead programs targeting PCSK9 and ANGPTL3. Its in vivo LNP-delivered base editing approach is directly parallel to IGI's in vivo gene editing methodology, though focused on cardiovascular rather than rare disease indications.
• Pairwise: Pairwise is an agricultural biotechnology company using CRISPR base editing and other gene editing tools to develop improved crop varieties (fruits, row crops). It is a direct emerging competitor in the gene-edited agriculture space, focused on commercializing CRISPR traits similar to IGI's agricultural research programs with CGIAR and the African Plant Breeding Academy.

Broad incumbents

• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: The Broad Institute is a leading academic genomics research organization where Feng Zhang's lab developed competing CRISPR patents and tools. As the other major academic engine of CRISPR innovation, Broad is IGI's primary academic peer and direct competitor for talent, publication prestige, and licensing of foundational CRISPR intellectual property.
• Pioneer Hi-Bred (Corteva Agriscience): Corteva Agriscience, via its Pioneer Hi-Bred seed business, is a global leader in agricultural biotechnology including gene-edited crops. As a major commercial player in agricultural genome editing for yield, pest resistance, and climate adaptation, it is a key incumbent peer to IGI's sustainable agriculture program and represents the commercial pathway for crop CRISPR innovations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/igisci
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@innovativegenomicsinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/igisci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovative-genomics-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/innovativegenomics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 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 Innovative Genomics Institute