Great Bay Bio
Great Bay Bio is a Hong Kong-based biopharmaceutical technology company developing an integrated AI+CMC platform — AlfaBodY, AlfaDAX, AlfaCell, and AlfaMedX — for antibody design, sequence optimization, site-specific integration cell line development, and cell culture media formulation, serving biopharma companies and CDMOs globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSha Tin, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Great Bay Bio does
Great Bay Bio (GBB) is a Hong Kong-headquartered biopharmaceutical technology company founded in 2019, operating from a 3,000 m² R&D and CMC facility at Hong Kong Science Park. The company develops and commercializes an integrated AI+CMC platform — branded the "Alfa-ecosystem" — comprising four proprietary technology platforms: AlfaBodY (AI-enabled structure-based antibody sequence design with closed-loop dry-wet iteration cycles), AlfaDAX (AI-powered sequence optimization for simultaneous humanization, affinity, and developability assessment), AlfaCell (AI-enabled site-specific integration cell line development described as the first commercially available SSI technology globally), and AlfaMedX (AI-enabled cell culture media development backed by a 10,000+ formulation database). Supporting tools include AlfaStaX for cell line stability prediction, AlfaOPA for no-screening media development, Alfaexpress for transient protein expression, and Klone4.0 for early-stage clone selection. The platform is patent-protected with nearly 100 patents filed and FTO clearance in the US and China; AlfaMedX-K1 has completed FDA Drug Master File filing. The Alfa-ecosystem claims to compress DNA-to-IND timelines from the industry-standard 18-24 months to approximately 10 months, with average AlfaCell titers above 6.9 g/L and bispecific antibody correct pairing rates of 84-100%.
GBB serves two primary enterprise customer segments: biopharmaceutical companies developing monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, ADCs, fusion proteins, and nanobodies (from molecule design through IND), and CDMOs/CROs seeking AI-enabled differentiation. Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) project-based platform services covering cell line development, antibody discovery, sequence optimization, and media development with quote-based custom pricing, (2) catalog culture media product sales (AlfaMedX-K1 and feed supplements) with ISO 9001:2015 certified production at 250,000 L/year capacity, and (3) licensing royalties — including an undisclosed Fortune 500 MNC media partnership generating global royalty distributions. GTM is enterprise field-sales driven, leveraging direct BD outreach, conference presence (BIO International, BPI, BIONNOVA, ASGH), and channel partnerships with CDMOs ChemPartner and Cheerland Life Science to deliver integrated AI-to-GMP solutions. Disclosed commercial traction includes 50+ completed AlfaCell projects at 89% delivery success rate, and partnerships spanning Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
As of late 2024 the company had raised approximately USD 28.8M across disclosed funding rounds (USD 3.8M convertible note in 2021 led by Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund; ~USD 10M Series A in 2021 led by Proxima Ventures; USD 15M Pre-Series B in 2022 led by Tiger Jade Capital with MNC participation; Series B first close in December 2024 led by Tiger Jade Pebble Accelerator). The company employs 101-250 staff and is led by co-founders Kingsley Leung (Chairman) and Dr. Michael Chen (CEO), with supporting executives covering commercial, finance, and CMC functions. Recognition includes EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023, Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2024, and HKSTP Elite Programme admission.
Great Bay Bio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great Bay Bio
- Legal name
- Great Bay Bio Group Limited
- Website
- https://greatbay-bio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Great Bay Bio is a Hong Kong-based biopharmaceutical technology company developing an integrated AI+CMC platform — AlfaBodY, AlfaDAX, AlfaCell, and AlfaMedX — for antibody design, sequence optimization, site-specific integration cell line development, and cell culture media formulation, serving biopharma companies and CDMOs globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great Bay Bio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI-enabled Biologics CMC Software & Services
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up/Scale-Down Platforms (DoE, high-throughput, modeling) (HLAAAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Upstream Bioprocessing Systems & Equipment (cell culture/fermentation, bioreactors, feeds/media) (HLAAAJAA), AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE), Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB)
Keywords
Where Great Bay Bio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sha Tin
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Great Bay Bio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Platform Technology Licensing & CDMO Services: GBB provides AI-enabled cell line development, antibody discovery, sequence optimization, and culture media development services to biopharma companies and CDMOs. Revenue is generated through one-time project fees for platform services (cell line development, antibody engineering, media development) and long-term licensing arrangements including out-licensing and royalty fee distributions based on global sales of developed media formulas.
- Media Product Sales: Sale of catalog culture media products (AlfaMedX-K1 and related feed supplements) for CHO-K1 cell lines. Annual production capacity of 250,000 L. Products are sold to biopharma companies for R&D and production use.
- Licensing Royalties: Royalty fee distribution based on global sales of licensed media formulations and platform technologies. Partnership with MNC includes out-licensing and royalty components.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Great Bay Bio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Great Bay Bio sells an integrated AI-enabled bioprocessing ecosystem (the Alfa-ecosystem) consisting of four proprietary platforms — AlfaBodY for antibody design, AlfaDAX for sequence optimization, AlfaCell for site-specific integration cell line development, and AlfaMedX for cell culture media development. The company delivers these capabilities as platform services, technology licensing, and catalog products (Alfaexpress transient expression kit, AlfaMedX commercial culture media) to biopharmaceutical companies and CDMOs.
Product overview
Great Bay Bio offers an integrated AI-powered bioprocessing ecosystem called the Alfa-ecosystem, comprising four core platforms: AlfaBodY (antibody design), AlfaDAX (sequence optimization), AlfaCell (cell line development), and AlfaMedX (culture media development). The ecosystem enables end-to-end drug development from DNA to IND in approximately 10 months. Supporting products include Alfaexpress Transient Expression Kit for rapid protein expression and Commercial Culture Media for CHO-K1 cell lines. Services include antibody discovery, sequence optimization, and cell line development. The platforms integrate AI, big data mining, and automation to address industry pain points of long timelines, high costs, and low success rates in biopharmaceutical development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GBB: Short-form abbreviation for Great Bay Bio used across the company's communications and branding.
- AlfaBodY
- AlfaDAX
- AlfaCell
- AlfaMedX
- AlfaStaX
- Alfaexpress
- Klone4.0
- AlfaOPA
Products and services
- AlfaBodY - Antibody Design Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 10 months DNA to IND vs. traditional 18-24 months
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Great Bay Bio
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Great Bay Bio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Great Bay Bio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- TaronmajorStrategic partnership to advance Hong Kong biopharmaceutical innovation, leveraging combined capabilities in AI-enabled drug development.
- Eureka TherapeuticsmajorPartnership to develop AI-powered antibody discovery model combining GBB's AlfaBodY platform with Eureka Therapeutics' antibody development expertise.
- Global Leading Biosimilar Enterprise (undisclosed)coreStrategic partnership to accelerate global adoption of the AlfaCell platform for biosimilar development.
- Prof. Chen from MITminorCo-development partnership with MIT professor to develop novel tumor antibody using GBB's AI-enabled platforms.
- CytivamajorDr. Michael Chen, CEO, attended Cytiva-hosted industry conference in Shenzhen Bay to present on AI-assisted drug development. GBB presented its full spectrum bioprocessing capabilities from molecular design to CMC stages.
- Chime BiologicsmajorDeepened strategic collaboration using AI to accelerate biopharmaceutical development. Building on prior cooperation to leverage GBB's AI platforms and Chime's biologics manufacturing capabilities.
- MEgarobomajorStrategic alliance with MEGAROBO to advance biopharmaceutical innovation capabilities.
- Uni-Bio / Pebble AcceleratormajorSigned agreement to co-develop novel weight-loss drugs combining Uni-Bio's drug development pipeline with GBB's AI-enabled platforms.
- Fortune 500 MNC (undisclosed)coreStrategic cooperation centered on AI-driven cell culture media development. Project encompasses technology platform access, out-licensing, and royalty fee distribution based on global sales of media formulas. Combines GBB's AlfaMedX AI platform with the MNC's global supply chain management capabilities.
- Xinyi TechnologyminorStrategic cooperation with Xinyi Technology to advance AI applications in bioprocessing.
- Cheerland Life SciencecoreStrategic alliance combining GBB's AI-enabled CDO platform with Cheerland's commercial-scale CDMO capability (1.31 million liters total production capacity). Jointly promotes AI-enabled commercial scale CDMO with initial focus on Greater Bay Area biopharma industry.
- ChemPartnercoreStrategic alliance combining GBB's AI-enabled CDO development platform with ChemPartner's comprehensive biological drug CDMO capabilities. Provides an AI-enabled one-stop CMC solution with downstream capabilities including GMP pilot manufacturing and IND package submission. GBB gains access to ChemPartner's cGMP facilities and NMPA/FDA submission experience.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Great Bay Bio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BioMap: Asia-based AI foundation model company for proteins and biologics discovery. Closest geographic and product competitor to GBB's AI antibody design and biologics optimization offerings.
- AbCellera: AI-enabled antibody discovery platform with similar business model of licensing platform technology and developing antibody leads for pharma partners. Comparable in using AI to compress biologics discovery timelines.
- Cyrus Biotechnology: AI-driven protein design and optimization platform including antibody engineering capabilities. Comparable in using computational methods to design and optimize therapeutic protein sequences for pharma customers.
- Schrödinger: AI/ML-based computational platform for molecular design and biologics optimization. Overlaps with GBB's AlfaBodY and AlfaDAX in computational sequence design and developability scoring, and serves pharma/biotech enterprise customers via platform licensing.
Emerging players
- Insitro: AI/ML-driven drug discovery platform combining machine learning with biology. While focused on small molecule discovery, it competes for the same AI-biologics enterprise R&D dollars and partnership mindshare.
- PhenomeX (formerly Berkeley Lights): Single-cell biology and cell line development instrumentation provider. Adjacent competitor in cell line development workflow automation and clone selection for biologics production.
Broad incumbents
- Ginkgo Bioworks: Large synthetic biology platform company serving biotech customers with cell engineering and bioprocess development services. Comparable in applying AI/automation to organism engineering for customer programs.
- WuXi Biologics: World's largest biologics CDMO with extensive cell line development, media, and GMP manufacturing services. Direct competitor in cell line platforms and biologics CMC, with greater China market overlap.
- Lonza Group: Global CDMO leader offering cell line development, media, and CMC services that compete with GBB's AlfaCell, AlfaMedX, and downstream CDMO partnerships. Major incumbent investing in AI-enabled biologics development.
- Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Larger AI drug discovery platform with broader therapeutic ambition. Competes for AI-bio enterprise mindshare and partnership capital even though primarily small-molecule focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Great Bay Bio social profiles
Digital presenceGreat Bay Bio compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Great Bay Bio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great Bay Bio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Great Bay Bio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Great Bay Bio 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 Great Bay Bio
What does Great Bay Bio do?
Great Bay Bio sells an integrated AI-enabled bioprocessing ecosystem (the Alfa-ecosystem) consisting of four proprietary platforms — AlfaBodY for antibody design, AlfaDAX for sequence optimization, AlfaCell for site-specific integration cell line development, and AlfaMedX for cell culture media development. The company delivers these capabilities as platform services, technology licensing, and catalog products (Alfaexpress transient expression kit, AlfaMedX commercial culture media) to biopharmaceutical companies and CDMOs.
Is Great Bay Bio a public or private company?
Great Bay Bio is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Great Bay Bio founded?
Great Bay Bio was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Great Bay Bio based?
Great Bay Bio is headquartered in Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Great Bay Bio make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Platform Technology Licensing & CDMO Services are the primary driver. The others are media Product Sales and licensing Royalties.
Who are Great Bay Bio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BioMap, AbCellera, Cyrus Biotechnology and Schrödinger. Emerging players are Insitro and PhenomeX (formerly Berkeley Lights). Broad incumbents are Ginkgo Bioworks, WuXi Biologics, Lonza Group and Recursion Pharmaceuticals.
Does Great Bay Bio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great Bay Bio.
What industry is Great Bay Bio in?
Great Bay Bio's product category is AI-enabled Biologics CMC Software & Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAJAF, Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up/Scale-Down Platforms (DoE, high-throughput, modeling), with a secondary code of HLAAAJAA, Upstream Bioprocessing Systems & Equipment (cell culture/fermentation, bioreactors, feeds/media). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 3826.