SpyBiotech
SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotech developing vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue platform, with a lead HCMV candidate in Phase I trials.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SpyBiotech does
SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2017 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford, headquartered in Oxford, UK with a US office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company develops vaccine candidates against infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue technology, which enables covalent, irreversible conjugation of antigens to vaccine delivery platforms such as virus-like particles (SPYVLP platform) and adenoviral vectors (SPYVECTOR platform), providing controlled orientation and density of antigen presentation. Its lead candidate, SPYVLP01, targets human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and completed enrollment in a 120-participant Phase I trial in the UK in July 2024; additional programs include a COVID-19 VLP vaccine partnered with the Serum Institute of India and three Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) vaccine candidates being advanced with the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute.
The company operates a hybrid business model combining proprietary clinical development with licensing and co-development partnerships. Revenue streams, to the extent they exist, derive from milestone and licensing payments under agreements such as the exclusive global license with the Serum Institute of India, sponsored research collaborations with academic institutions, and non-dilutive grant funding (notably a $4.1M Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant for the SpyVector program). The company does not yet sell approved products and pricing details for pipeline candidates are undisclosed. Customer segments are defined by use cases: the HCMV vaccine opportunity (estimated at over $1.0-1.5B annually) and the EBV vaccine opportunity (estimated at $1.0-1.5B for mononucleosis prevention and up to $10B for MS-linked indications), addressing high-unmet-need populations including pregnant women, transplant recipients, and immunocompromised individuals.
SpyBiotech firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SpyBiotech
- Legal name
- SpyBiotech Limited
- Website
- https://spybiotech.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotech developing vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue platform, with a lead HCMV candidate in Phase I trials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SpyBiotech industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vaccines and Biopharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA) (HLAAAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens) (HLAAAEAC), Pandemic Preparedness & Rapid-Response Vaccines (HLAIAEAF)
Keywords
Where SpyBiotech is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SpyBiotech business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vaccine Development and Commercialization: SpyBiotech develops proprietary vaccine candidates targeting infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SPYVLP and SPYVECTOR platforms. Revenue is generated through advancement of clinical candidates toward regulatory approval and commercialization, with a focus on high-value markets such as HCMV and EBV vaccines.
- Licensing and Technology Partnerships: SpyBiotech licenses its SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology to partners such as the Serum Institute of India for vaccine development. Exclusive global licensing agreements provide commercial rights while SpyBiotech retains platform technology capabilities. The company also provides technology access to academic collaborators for co-development.
- Grant Funding: The company receives grant funding from foundations (e.g., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) to advance platform technology development and specific vaccine programs such as the SpyVector platform for pan-coronavirus vaccines.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SpyBiotech product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops vaccine candidates against infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue technology. The company operates two proprietary platforms — SPYVLP (virus-like particle display) and SPYVECTOR (recombinant adenovirus) — and licenses the underlying technology to large vaccine manufacturers such as the Serum Institute of India while advancing its own internal pipeline (lead candidate SPYVLP01 targeting HCMV, plus COVID-19 and EBV programs).
Product overview
SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing vaccines using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue technology. The company operates two main platform technologies: the SPYVLP Platform for displaying antigens on virus-like particles and the SPYVECTOR Platform for adenovirus-based vaccines. The lead product candidate is SPYVLP01 targeting human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in Phase I trials. Additional pipeline includes COVID-19 VLP vaccines (developed with Serum Institute of India) and EBV vaccine candidates (developed with University of Oxford). The technology enables rapid, efficient, and stable antigen binding to vaccine delivery platforms with broad applicability across infectious diseases, cancer, and chronic diseases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SPYVLP Platform Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine platform that uses the proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue to covalently and irreversibly bind antigens to licensed VLP carriers (e.g., Hepatitis B surface antigen) with controlled orientation and high density, enabling rapid, modular plug-and-display vaccine design for infectious disease and cancer applications.
- SPYVECTOR Platform Recombinant adenovirus vaccine platform that enables covalent surface decoration of adenovirus vectors with pathogen antigens in addition to genetic encoding, boosting antibody response while maintaining T cell response and shielding against anti-vector immunity to allow repeated administration.
- SPYVLP01 (HCMV Vaccine Candidate) Lead internal vaccine candidate targeting human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) using the SPYVLP Hepatitis B virus-like-particle platform; assessed in a UK Phase I trial for safety and immunogenicity at two doses with a six-month dosing schedule.
- COVID-19 VLP Vaccine (Serum Institute Partnership) Virus-like particle vaccine targeting COVID-19, developed in partnership with the Serum Institute of India, which uses SpyTag/SpyCatcher to display the coronavirus spike protein receptor-binding domain on Hepatitis B surface antigen VLPs; the Serum Institute retains manufacturing and commercialization rights.
- EBV Vaccine Candidates (University of Oxford Collaboration)
Quantifiable outcome
- In non-human primate studies, a COVID-19 vaccine using SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology showed neutralising antibody titres (>10^4) above the range of protection provided by other licensed vaccines in pre-clinical studies.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SpyBiotech
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SpyBiotech technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
SpyBiotech partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of OxfordcoreSpyBiotech entered a sponsored research agreement with the University of Oxford for EBV vaccine development. Professor Sandy Douglas and his team at the Jenner Institute will advance three EBV vaccine candidates using SpyBiotech's SPYVLP platform through Phase I clinical trials. The collaboration combines Oxford's academic research capabilities with SpyBiotech's proprietary technology platform. SpyBiotech provides platform access and receives pre-clinical and clinical data from the collaboration.
- MIT / University of Kansas / Bioreliance / Beth Israel DeaconessminorMulti-institutional collaboration including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Kansas, Bioreliance, and Beth Israel Deaconess, along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, contributed to research published in Science Advances demonstrating SpyTag/SpyCatcher vaccine platform potential against COVID-19 and other coronaviruses in non-human primates.
- Scripps ResearchminorScripps Research used SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology for display of SARS-CoV-2 RBD on ferritin nanoparticles for vaccine development, demonstrating that the receptor-binding domain and stabilized spike displayed on ferritin nanoparticles elicited potent immune responses.
- Serum Institute of India (SIIPL)coreSpyBiotech signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with the Serum Institute of India for the development of a novel VLP vaccine targeting COVID-19. The partnership leverages SIIPL's manufacturing scale (world's largest vaccine manufacturer by doses, ~1.6 billion doses annually) and SpyBiotech's SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology to display coronavirus spike protein on Hepatitis B surface antigen VLPs. The Phase I/II trial was initiated in Australia in September 2020. SIIPL retains manufacturing and commercialization rights for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate under this agreement.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SpyBiotech competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vaccitech: Clinical-stage biotech developing vaccines using a chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx) platform — the same viral vector backbone that powers SpyBiotech's SPYVECTOR platform. Both companies are Oxford-originated and target infectious disease and oncology indications through adenoviral delivery.
- Novavax: Develops recombinant nanoparticle/VLP-based vaccines (Matrix-M adjuvant + self-assembling nanoparticle antigens) — a structurally analogous approach to SpyBiotech's SPYVLP platform that displays antigens on particulate carriers to enhance immunogenicity.
- VBI Vaccines: Develops enveloped VLP (eVLP) vaccines targeting infectious diseases including cytomegalovirus (CMVaccine) — a direct competitor to SpyBiotech's SPYVLP01 in the same HCMV indication, using a similar VLP-display approach.
- Vaxcyte: Develops conjugate and protein-based vaccines using cell-free protein synthesis to display antigens on VLP-like carriers — a platform-architecture peer to SpyBiotech's SpyTag/SpyCatcher VLP display technology, with overlapping target indications in infectious disease.
- Affinivax: Developed the Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS) for VLP-display of polysaccharide and protein antigens — a near-direct technological analog to SpyBiotech's protein superglue platform. Affinivax was acquired by GSK for up to $3.3 billion, demonstrating the strategic value of VLP-display platforms in the eyes of large vaccine players.
- Icosavax: Develops VLP-based vaccines using computationally designed two-component particles to display antigens — a comparable platform-architecture play in infectious disease vaccines, including RSV and hMPV programs that overlap with SpyBiotech's infectious disease focus.
Broad incumbents
- Moderna: mRNA-based vaccine leader with a clinical-stage HCMV candidate (mRNA-1647) directly competing with SpyBiotech's SPYVLP01 in the same lead indication. Represents a much larger, better-capitalized incumbent pursuing the same opportunity with a different technology modality.
- GSK: Established vaccine major with active HCMV and EBV vaccine programs (and acquirer of Affinivax). The Chairman Eddie Gray and Senior Medical Advisor Norman Begg both came from GSK, reflecting its role as both a strategic competitor and the most likely strategic acquirer of platform vaccine companies like SpyBiotech.
- Merck: Major vaccine incumbent (Gardasil, Vaxneuvance) with a substantial infectious disease pipeline that competes in similar indications as SpyBiotech and has historical efforts in CMV vaccines. Large enough to be a potential strategic acquirer of platform vaccine technology.
Emerging players
- CureVac: Clinical-stage mRNA vaccine company with overlapping infectious disease targets (COVID-19, flu, rabies). Norman Begg, SpyBiotech's Senior Medical Advisor, also serves on CureVac's Scientific Advisory Board, reflecting an adjacent emerging-player relationship in vaccine technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SpyBiotech social profiles
Digital presenceSpyBiotech financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SpyBiotech leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
SpyBiotech funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SpyBiotech 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 SpyBiotech
What does SpyBiotech do?
SpyBiotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops vaccine candidates against infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein superglue technology. The company operates two proprietary platforms — SPYVLP (virus-like particle display) and SPYVECTOR (recombinant adenovirus) — and licenses the underlying technology to large vaccine manufacturers such as the Serum Institute of India while advancing its own internal pipeline (lead candidate SPYVLP01 targeting HCMV, plus COVID-19 and EBV programs).
Is SpyBiotech a public or private company?
SpyBiotech is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SpyBiotech founded?
SpyBiotech was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SpyBiotech based?
SpyBiotech is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SpyBiotech make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Vaccine Development and Commercialization is the primary driver. The others are licensing and Technology Partnerships and grant Funding.
Who are SpyBiotech's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vaccitech, Novavax, VBI Vaccines, Vaxcyte, Affinivax and Icosavax. Broad incumbents are Moderna, GSK and Merck. CureVac is listed as an emerging player.
Does SpyBiotech have an API?
No public API is recorded for SpyBiotech.
What industry is SpyBiotech in?
SpyBiotech's product category is Vaccines and Biopharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAEAD, Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA), with a secondary code of HLAAAEAC, Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.