Biocentis
Biocentis is a London-based life-sciences company, spun out of Imperial College London in 2022, that develops CRISPR-based gene drive insect control solutions targeting the Aedes aegypti mosquito and Drosophila suzukii fruit fly for governments, public health authorities, and agricultural buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Biocentis does
Biocentis is a London-headquartered life-sciences company founded in January 2022 as a spin-out of Imperial College London, developing programmable biology solutions for insect population control. The company's core technology combines CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive engineering with AI-driven digital twin simulation to produce genetically modified male insects that, when released, mate with wild females to produce non-viable offspring — a self-limiting and reversible suppression mechanism targeting the most fundamental elements of the insect genome. The platform is species-specific, leaving beneficial insects and ecosystems unharmed, and is designed for scalable rearing and field delivery.
Biocentis operates a focused product pipeline anchored by two lead solutions. The Aedes aegypti Control Solution targets the mosquito vector responsible for dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya, addressing a public health burden that affects an estimated 5.5 billion people at risk, 400 million annual infections, and over $40 billion in annual dengue-related economic damage. The Drosophila suzukii Control Solution targets the invasive spotted-wing drosophila threatening the global berry and cherry industry. The PesTwin digital twin module, developed with the University of Pavia under EU NODES Program funding, adds AI-based predictive analytics for pest population dynamics and field deployment optimization. IP foundation rests on three peer-reviewed Nature Biotechnology and Nature Communications publications by the co-founding scientists.
The company is pre-revenue, funded through approximately $19M of equity and grants from The Grantham Foundation, Algebris Investments, Neurone, Corbites, Novaterra, and Wellcome, plus over €3M from the Italian Fund for Applied Sciences. The business model is B2G/B2B, with future revenue expected from government field trial contracts, public health authority partnerships, and agricultural sector engagements across the US, Brazil, Timor-Leste, and additional key markets. Operations span London (HQ) and Milan (R&D labs), with an 11–50 person team led by CEO Giorgio Rocca (ex-BCG), CSO Andrew Hammond, CBO Federico Guelpa (ex-Oliver Wyman), Senior R&D Lead Kyros Kyrou, and CDO Kevin Gorman (ex-Oxitec).
Biocentis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Biocentis
- Legal name
- Biocentis Limited
- Website
- https://biocentis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Biocentis is a London-based life-sciences company, spun out of Imperial College London in 2022, that develops CRISPR-based gene drive insect control solutions targeting the Aedes aegypti mosquito and Drosophila suzukii fruit fly for governments, public health authorities, and agricultural buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Biocentis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biotechnology
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biotechnology & Gene-Edited Trait Development (AFAGAIAG), Insecticides (AFABAAAB)
Keywords
Where Biocentis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Biocentis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Equity Investment: $13M seed equity investment led by The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and Algebris Investments, with participation from Neurone, Corbites, Novaterra and a network of visionary entrepreneurs.
- Research Grants and Awards: $6M award from Wellcome, one of the leading global health foundations. Additional grant funding including over €3 million from Italian Fund for Applied Sciences and EU funding through NODES Program for PesTwin project.
- Field Trial Partnerships: Revenue expected from field trials in US, Brazil, and other key markets. Engagement with governments and public health authorities for deployment of insect control solutions.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Biocentis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Biocentis develops and deploys genetically engineered insects carrying self-limiting CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive traits that suppress populations of disease vectors (Aedes aegypti mosquitoes) and agricultural pests (Drosophila suzukii fruit flies). The platform combines genome engineering with AI-driven digital twin simulation to predict pest dynamics and optimize field deployments, and is delivered to public health authorities, international organizations, and agricultural producers through controlled field releases and partnership agreements.
Product overview
Biocentis offers a platform-plus-products architecture centered on its programmable biology technology platform. The core platform combines genome engineering and artificial intelligence to develop genetically engineered insects that reduce pest populations through mating-based fertility control. Two lead products target specific pests: the Aedes aegypti Control Solution addresses public health threats (dengue, Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya), while the Drosophila suzukii Control Solution addresses agricultural threats to fruit production. The PesTwin digital twin module augments the platform by providing AI-driven predictive analytics for pest population modeling and optimized field deployment. All solutions feature self-limiting genetic traits that are reversible and species-specific.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Aedes aegypti Control Solution
Quantifiable outcome
- Strong reduction in harmful insect population size through genetic control
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Biocentis
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Biocentis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Biocentis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- University of PaviacoreCollaborating with Biocentis on PesTwin project to develop AI-based digital twin simulation tools for predicting pest population evolution and damage.
- Polo GGB (Italy)coreItalian research institution collaborating on €3M+ grant project to explore novel genetic targets for Aedes aegypti control. Project presented in collaboration with Italian Fund for Applied Sciences.
- Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Ministry of Health)strategicEngagement with President Dr. José Ramos-Horta and Ministry of Health to discuss dengue control. Includes representatives from Ministry of Health, WHO, Red Cross, and National Laboratories.
- Imperial College LondoncoreSpin-out origin. Company builds on two decades of research by scientific founders at Imperial College London. Multiple team members hold honorary positions at Imperial.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Biocentis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World Mosquito Program: World Mosquito Program deploys Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to reduce dengue transmission across multiple countries. It competes with Biocentis for the same B2G/public-health vector-control budgets and similar deployment geographies.
- MosquitoMate: MosquitoMate commercializes Wolbachia-based mosquito population suppression as an alternative to chemical insecticides, targeting the same Aedes aegypti public-health use case as Biocentis. It is a direct competitor in the non-chemical vector control category.
- Target Malaria: Target Malaria is a research consortium advancing gene drive technology in Anopheles mosquitoes to reduce malaria transmission. It shares Biocentis' underlying CRISPR gene drive IP lineage and operates with similar B2G/government partnership models in Africa.
- Oxitec: Oxitec is the most directly comparable peer: it develops genetically modified mosquitoes (including self-limiting strains) for dengue and Zika control and deploys via field-trial partnerships with governments. Biocentis' CDO Kevin Gorman was previously Oxitec's CDO, and the two use closely related gene-drive-adjacent technologies targeting Aedes aegypti.
- Agragene: Agragene develops genetically engineered sterile insects (including Drosophila suzukii, the spotted-wing drosophila) for agricultural pest control. It is a direct competitor to Biocentis' agricultural product line, targeting the same fruit-fly pest with similar biotech-based interventions.
Broad incumbents
- Bayer Crop Science: Bayer Crop Science is a global incumbent in crop protection, including insecticides, seed treatments and trait development. It represents the incumbent alternative that Biocentis is positioning to disrupt with genetic biocontrol solutions.
- Syngenta: Syngenta is one of the world's largest agricultural chemical and seed companies with broad insecticide and crop-protection offerings. It is the incumbent competitor whose chemical-insecticide revenues Biocentis' self-limiting gene drives aim to displace over time.
- BASF Agricultural Solutions: BASF Agricultural Solutions is a global leader in conventional crop protection chemicals, including insecticides for fruit and row crops. It competes broadly with Biocentis in the agricultural pest-control end market.
- Verily (Debug Project): Verily's Debug project (Alphabet) developed automated sex-sorting technology to reduce Aedes aegypti populations through sterile-male releases. It is a larger, well-funded player pursuing the same species-specific mosquito control outcome via a different (non-gene-drive) mechanism.
Emerging players
- GreenLight Biosciences: GreenLight Biosciences develops RNA-based biopesticides as a targeted, non-chemical alternative to chemical insecticides. While the modality (RNAi) differs, it competes with Biocentis for the same agricultural pest-control customers seeking environmentally friendly alternatives.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Biocentis social profiles
Digital presenceBiocentis compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Biocentis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Biocentis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Biocentis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Biocentis 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 Biocentis
What does Biocentis do?
Biocentis develops and deploys genetically engineered insects carrying self-limiting CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive traits that suppress populations of disease vectors (Aedes aegypti mosquitoes) and agricultural pests (Drosophila suzukii fruit flies). The platform combines genome engineering with AI-driven digital twin simulation to predict pest dynamics and optimize field deployments, and is delivered to public health authorities, international organizations, and agricultural producers through controlled field releases and partnership agreements.
Is Biocentis a public or private company?
Biocentis is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Biocentis founded?
Biocentis was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Biocentis based?
Biocentis is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Biocentis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equity Investment is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Awards and field Trial Partnerships.
Who are Biocentis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World Mosquito Program, MosquitoMate, Target Malaria, Oxitec and Agragene. Broad incumbents are Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta, BASF Agricultural Solutions and Verily (Debug Project). GreenLight Biosciences is listed as an emerging player.
Does Biocentis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Biocentis.
What industry is Biocentis in?
Biocentis's product category is Biotechnology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAD, Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development), with a secondary code of AFAGAIAG, Biotechnology & Gene-Edited Trait Development. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.