Shift Bioscience

What Shift Bioscience does

Shift Bioscience is a preclinical biotechnology company developing AI-guided therapeutics for age-driven diseases through cellular rejuvenation. Founded in 2017 by Dr. Daniel Ives and Dr. Brendan Swain, the company is headquartered at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, with a computational group established in Toronto, Canada (February 2025) and a Boston-based team supporting liver siRNA development. The company has 11-50 employees and is privately held, having raised $18M in total funding including a $16M seed round in October 2024 led by BGF.

The company's core technology is the CLOCKWORK platform, which combines a proprietary single-cell aging clock (AC4) with AI virtual cell models trained on proprietary multiomic and scRNA-seq perturbation datasets to discover gene targets capable of safely rejuvenating cells without inducing pluripotency. The platform leverages CpGPT, an in-house foundation model for DNA methylation that ranked 1st on the public leaderboard for mortality prediction in the Biomarkers of Aging Challenge. Shift's pipeline comprises SB101, an antifibrotic siRNA therapeutic targeting liver fibrosis with expansion potential into lung and heart fibrosis, and SB000, a novel single-gene rejuvenation target discovered in 2025 that demonstrated twice the methylome rejuvenation magnitude of OSKM Yamanaka factors without associated pluripotency or oncogenic risk.

Shift's business model is currently pre-commercial. Revenue is intended to come from pharmaceutical and biotechnology partnerships for technology licensing, co-development of therapeutics, and long-term commercialization of its proprietary pipeline through clinical development and eventual product sales or partnership-based commercialization. Its customers are large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking novel cell rejuvenation targets, anti-aging therapeutic candidates, and AI-powered drug discovery platforms. The company is "seeking strategic partnerships to accelerate first medicines," indicating no closed licensing or co-development transactions to date. IP coverage extends to 2046 across fibrosis and cell rejuvenation programs.

Name

Shift Bioscience

Legal name

Shift Bioscience Ltd

Website

https://shiftbioscience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shift Bioscience is a preclinical Cambridge-based biotech using an AI virtual cell platform (CLOCKWORK) combining its AC4 aging clock with proprietary perturbation models to discover cell rejuvenation gene targets, advancing siRNA therapeutics SB101 (anti-fibrotic) and SB000 (single-gene rejuvenation) toward pharma partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI-Driven Drug Discovery Platform & Longevity Therapeutics

NAICS

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

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

siRNA Therapeutics (gene silencing) (HLAAADAB), AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO), Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI)

Keywords

• Cellular rejuvenation therapeutics
• AI drug discovery
• Epigenetic aging clocks
• SiRNA therapeutics
• Virtual cell modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Licensing & Co-development: As a preclinical biotech platform, Shift's primary potential revenue streams include licensing its AI virtual cell platform and target discovery capabilities to pharmaceutical partners, co-developing therapeutics with larger biotech/pharma companies, and advancing proprietary therapeutic programs through clinical development for eventual commercialization.
2. Therapeutic Development & Commercialization: Advancing proprietary siRNA therapeutics (SB101, SB000) through development toward clinical trials and commercialization, with potential for partnership or independent commercialization in fibrosis and cell rejuvenation indications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shift Bioscience develops the CLOCKWORK platform, an AI-driven target identification system that combines a proprietary single-cell aging clock (AC4) with virtual cell models to discover hundreds of novel gene targets for cellular rejuvenation. The company advances an internal therapeutic pipeline including SB101, an anti-fibrotic siRNA therapeutic targeting liver fibrosis, and SB000, a novel single-gene rejuvenation target that achieves greater methylome rejuvenation than Yamanaka factors without pluripotency risks. Revenue is generated through platform licensing, co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, and potential future commercialization of proprietary siRNA therapeutics.

Product overview

Shift Bioscience is developing a therapeutic pipeline for cellular rejuvenation targeting age-driven diseases. The core technology is the CLOCKWORK Platform, an AI-powered target identification system combining a single-cell aging clock (AC4) with virtual cell models. The company has two therapeutic candidates: SB101, an antifibrotic siRNA therapeutic for liver fibrosis currently in preclinical development, and SB000, a novel single-gene target identified in 2025 that demonstrates safer and more effective cellular rejuvenation compared to Yamanaka factors. The platform leverages large-scale proprietary multiomic datasets and genetic perturbation response models to discover and validate rejuvenation targets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLOCKWORK Platform An AI-powered target identification platform that combines a proprietary single-cell aging clock (AC4) with AI virtual cell models to discover hundreds of novel cellular rejuvenation and disease-linked gene targets. Designed for pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners seeking accelerated, in silico target discovery for age-driven diseases, replacing time- and resource-intensive wet-lab screens.
• SB101 An anti-fibrotic siRNA therapeutic for cell rejuvenation identified through the CLOCKWORK platform. siRNA knockdown of SB101 reverses epigenetic aging clocks in multiple cell types in vitro and ameliorates fibrosis in the liver and heart of mice. Offers a straightforward regulatory path to clinical proof of concept, with first-in-class opportunities in liver fibrosis and expansion potential to secondary fibrosis (lung, heart). Targeted at pharmaceutical partners and ultimately patients with liver fibrosis and related systemic fibrotic conditions.
• SB000 A novel single-gene rejuvenation target identified through the CLOCKWORK platform in 2025. SB000 reverses cellular aging as measured by DNA methylation clocks in multiple cell types without loss of cellular identity or signs of pluripotency, demonstrating approximately twice the magnitude of methylome rejuvenation compared to OSKM Yamanaka factors with reduced oncogenic risk. Aimed at pharmaceutical and biotech partners developing safer cellular rejuvenation therapeutics.

Quantifiable outcome

• SB000 shows twice the magnitude of cell methylome rejuvenation compared to OSKM Yamanaka factors, without inducing pluripotency or loss of cellular identity
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Milner Therapeutics InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Shift Bioscience is based at the Gurdon Institute, co-founded by Sir Tony Kouzarides who is Co-founder and Director of the Milner Therapeutics Institute. This provides access to the Cambridge life sciences ecosystem and potential collaboration opportunities.
• Sir Tony KouzaridescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Professor of Cancer Biology at Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, listed as one of top ten most cited scientists at Cambridge 1996-2017. Appointed as Scientific Advisor to shape company's scientific strategy and research direction.
• Jill Reckless (RxCelerate)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025CEO of RxCelerate appointed as Translation Advisor to guide indication selection based on proof-of-concept data and therapeutic modalities suited to rejuvenation biology.
• Laurence ReidminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025Veteran biotech entrepreneur with track record including CEO at Decibel Therapeutics (acquired by Regeneron) and Warp Drive Bio (merged with Revolution Medicines), appointed as Non-Executive Director to support business development framework.
• University of Toronto - Professor Bo WangcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2025Professor Bo Wang appointed as Senior Advisor to Shift Bioscience. Bo is Assistant Professor at University of Toronto, Chief AI Scientist for University Health Network, Canada CIFAR AI Chair from Vector Institute, and expert in AI-powered virtual cells.
• Frame Shift Bio-incubatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShift Bioscience is based at the Gurdon Institute thanks to the Frame Shift bio-incubator, an initiative of the Milner Therapeutics Institute at University of Cambridge, providing lab facilities and ecosystem support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Korro Bio: RNA-editing therapeutics company founded by Andrew Fraley, who is also Executive Chair at Shift Bioscience. Closely comparable in modality (oligonucleotide-based therapeutics), leadership pedigree, and stage.
• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: AI/ML-driven drug discovery platform combining high-throughput biology with computational models to identify novel therapeutic targets. Direct competitor in the AI-for-biologic-discovery category, with similar ambition to compress experimental timelines.
• Insilico Medicine: AI-driven drug discovery platform with a strong focus on aging and age-related diseases; pursues both internal pipeline development and pharma partnerships. Most directly comparable to Shift as a generative-AI biotech operating a target discovery platform with longevity orientation.
• Insitro: Machine learning-driven drug discovery company building predictive models of disease biology to identify novel targets. Comparable as an AI-platform biotech pursuing pharma partnerships and internal pipeline development.
• Judo Bio: Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics company also co-founded by Andrew Fraley. Direct strategic and operational peer given shared leadership, similar modality, and platform-plus-pipeline strategy.

Emerging players

• Arcturus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage RNA therapeutics company developing siRNA and mRNA modalities for rare diseases and liver indications. Comparable as an emerging player in RNA-based therapeutics with relevant delivery expertise for hepatic targets like SB101.
• Altos Labs: Cellular rejuvenation company with $3B+ in funding pursuing Yamanaka-factor-based reprogramming therapies. Emerging player with overlapping thesis on cellular rejuvenation but using a different, higher-risk modality.
• NewLimit: Epigenetic reprogramming startup focused on reversing cellular aging using partial reprogramming approaches. Closely aligned scientific thesis to Shift's SB000 program and an emerging competitor in safer rejuvenation therapeutics.

Broad incumbents

• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: Established commercial leader in siRNA therapeutics with approved products and deep pharma partnerships. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the siRNA modality that validates Shift's therapeutic approach; Laurence Reid previously served as CBO.
• Calico Life Sciences: Alphabet-backed longevity R&D organization with multi-billion-dollar funding focused on aging biology and therapeutics. Broad incumbent competing for talent, partnerships, and credibility in the same cellular aging and rejuvenation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShiftBioscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shiftbioscience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Shift Bioscience