Qkine

What Qkine does

Qkine is a Cambridge, UK-based specialist manufacturer of high-purity, animal-free recombinant growth factors, cytokines and complex bioactive proteins for life science research and cell therapy applications. The company operates from a single ISO 9001:2015-certified facility at Murdoch House, Cambridge, and produces its catalog using an E. coli-based expression platform engineered to deliver complete absence of animal-derived contaminants, lot-to-lot bioactivity consistency and ultra-high purity. Its portfolio spans the FGF, TGF-β, EGF, HGF, IGF, neurotrophin, PDGF, R-spondin and interleukin families, complemented by differentiated engineered variants such as the thermostable FGF2-G3 and the patent-pending optimized IL-34 PLUS sequence (GB 2514413.0), as well as ECM and plate-format consumables (QkPlate vitronectin plates) and distributed third-party media supplements (Defined Bioscience HiDef line, StemCultures DISC hydrogels).

The company serves four primary customer segments: stem cell and organoid researchers, cell and gene therapy manufacturers, cellular agriculture companies, and emerging technology developers working in organ-on-a-chip and bioprinting. Its go-to-market blends direct e-commerce through qkine.com, a 35+ country distributor network, and high-value enterprise channels including a multi-year supply and distribution agreement with BioLife Solutions for worldwide cell and gene therapy customers, a strategic partnership with Akron Bio for GMP manufacturing, reciprocal distribution with Pluristyx for clinical-grade iPSC workflows, and Canadian distribution via Cedarlane. Products are priced per unit (typically per microgram), with research-grade SKUs in the low hundreds of pounds and cell therapy grade GMP-equivalent SKUs commanding £3,000–£5,000 per 500–1,000 µg.

Qkine was founded in 2016 and has raised approximately £7–8 million across eight funding rounds from 2018 through December 2022, led by Parkwalk Advisors and Downing Ventures, with participation from O2h Ventures, Martlet Capital, Cambridge Angels and the University of Cambridge Enterprise. The company is privately held (Qkine Ltd, registered in England and Wales), employs between 11 and 50 people, and is in an active commercial expansion phase evidenced by seven strategic announcements in 2026 alone spanning new product launches, channel partnerships, and geographic entry into Canada.

Name

Qkine

Legal name

Qkine Ltd

Website

https://qkine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Qkine is a Cambridge, UK-based manufacturer of high-purity, animal-free recombinant growth factors and cytokines for stem cell, organoid, cell and gene therapy, and cellular agriculture applications, serving academic and biopharma customers across 35+ countries via direct sales and global distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recombinant Proteins

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Recombinant Protein Therapeutics (enzymes, hormones, growth factors) (HLAAAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cytokines, Interferons & Immunomodulatory Proteins (HLAAAAAC), Stem Cell–Based Regenerative Therapies (HLAAAGAA), Specialty & Novel Proteins (Single-Cell Protein, Cell-Cultured/Animal-Free Proteins) (AFAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Recombinant proteins
• Growth factors
• Cell culture reagents
• Stem cell research
• Cellular agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Recombinant Protein Sales: Qkine generates revenue through the sale of recombinant growth factors, cytokines, and complex bioactive proteins. Products are sold in various unit sizes with pricing ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds per unit. Both research use and cell therapy grade products are available.
2. Distribution Partnership Revenue: Revenue from distribution agreements with partners like Defined Bioscience for media supplements, and co-development products with StemCultures. Qkine distributes third-party products alongside its own manufactured proteins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Qkine manufactures and sells high-purity, animal-free recombinant growth factors, cytokines, and complex bioactive proteins produced in an E. coli expression system in their ISO 9001:2015-certified Cambridge facility. The portfolio serves stem cell maintenance and differentiation, organoid culture, cellular agriculture, and cell and gene therapy manufacturing, with both research-grade and cell therapy grade (GMP-equivalent) offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StemCultures: Co-developed products with StemCultures featuring hydrogel DISC technology for controlled growth factor release
• QkPlate
• HiDef

Products and services

• Recombinant growth factors and cytokines High-purity, animal-free recombinant growth factors and cytokines spanning the TGF-β superfamily, FGF superfamily, EGF family, neurotrophins, interleukins, R-spondins, PDGF family, HGF family, IGF family, colony stimulating factors, and extracellular matrix proteins, designed for stem cell maintenance, differentiation, organoid culture, and other life science applications.
• Cell and gene therapy grade proteins Cell therapy grade recombinant proteins (e.g., recombinant human activin A cell therapy grade Qk001-CTG) manufactured as GMP grade equivalents with defined quality criteria, comprehensive documentation, and traceability for use in cell and gene therapy manufacturing and clinical production.
• Discovery and differentiation kits Curated kits of Qkine growth factors and cytokines designed to streamline discovery workflows and directed differentiation of stem cells into specific lineages for research applications.
• QkPlate vitronectin coated plates Pre-prepared dried human vitronectin-coated 6-well plates (Qk2001) enabling room-temperature storage and reproducible iPSC maintenance and differentiation, with additional formats planned.
• Encapsulated growth factors (StemCultures co-developed products) Encapsulated growth factor products combining Qkine high-purity proteins with StemCultures' hydrogel DISC technology for controlled growth factor release, improving reproducibility and scalability of 2D and 3D cell cultures.
• Food grade growth factor proteins High-quality food grade recombinant growth factor proteins developed for cultivated meat and other cellular agriculture applications requiring defined, animal-free, and scalable raw materials.
• Recombinant GDF-11 (BMP-11) and activin AB proteins Newly launched recombinant GDF-11 (Qk126) and activin AB (Qk127) proteins from the TGF-β superfamily, offered for cell growth, survival, and differentiation research applications.
• Defined Bioscience cell culture media supplements (distribution) Distributed cell culture media supplements including HiDef B8 stem cell growth medium, Ready-CEPT cell viability supplement, HiDef N-2 neural medium supplement, and HiDef ITS cell culture supplement, supplied by Qkine outside the US to complement its animal-free growth factor portfolio.
• IL-34 PLUS optimized recombinant protein Recombinant human IL-34 PLUS protein (Qk091) manufactured using a Qkine-optimized sequence (patent pending GB 2514413.0) that delivers highly and consistently superior bioactivity compared to mammalian and bacterially expressed alternatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Qkine TGF-β1 PLUS was found to be more bioactive than mammalian-expressed TGF-β1 from alternative suppliers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• Defined BiosciencestrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 June 2026Distribution agreement for Defined Bioscience's animal-free cell culture media supplements. Qkine supplies these products outside the US. Perfect pairing with Qkine's animal-free growth factors, cytokines and adhesion proteins.
• PluristyxstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Reciprocal distribution agreement pairing Pluristyx's proprietary iPSC lines with Qkine's ultra-pure, bioactive proteins. Companies offer a 'ready-to-use' solution for improved experimental consistency, reduced development timelines, and seamless transition from discovery to clinical applications.
• CedarlaneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026Official distributor of Qkine products in Canada. Cedarlane is a long-standing presence in the life science research community with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certification.
• BioLife SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 February 2026Multi-year supply and distribution agreement. BioLife received exclusive worldwide distribution rights for specific Qkine cytokine products and non-exclusive rights in the broader CGT market. Companies collaborate on packaging Qkine products using BioLife's CellSeal Connect vial system.
• Akron BiostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Strategic partnership combining Qkine's growth factor and cytokine technologies with Akron's GMP manufacturing capabilities. Aims to accelerate development and delivery of innovative, high-performance recombinant proteins for stem cell expansion, differentiation, and maturation in regenerative medicine.
• StemCulturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed products combining Qkine's high-purity growth factors with StemCultures' hydrogel DISC technology for controlled growth factor release. Products improve reproducibility and scalability of 2D and 3D cell cultures.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PeproTech (Thermo Fisher Scientific): Acquired by Thermo Fisher in 2022, PeproTech is the dominant recombinant growth factor and cytokine supplier and directly competes with Qkine in research-grade and GMP-grade proteins for stem cell, immunology, and cell therapy applications.
• R&D Systems (Bio-Techne): R&D Systems is one of the largest recombinant protein catalogs globally, supplying growth factors and cytokines for stem cell, organoid, and cell therapy research. Bio-Techne's scale, GMP capabilities, and expansive catalog make it a primary incumbent competitor.
• Stemcell Technologies: Stemcell Technologies offers a comprehensive portfolio of cell culture media, growth factors, and reagents for stem cell and organoid research. While a broader portfolio than Qkine, it competes directly in stem cell and organoid reagent markets.
• ReproCELL (Fujifilm): ReproCELL (now part of Fujifilm) supplies reagents and services for stem cell research and regenerative medicine, with growth factor offerings overlapping with Qkine's stem cell maintenance and differentiation protein portfolio.

Direct peers

• Miltenyi Biotec: Miltenyi Biotec manufactures GMP-grade cytokines and growth factors specifically for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, directly overlapping with Qkine's cell therapy-grade protein portfolio. Strong distribution in Europe and established CGT customer relationships make it a key competitor.
• CellGenix: CellGenix specializes in GMP-manufactured cytokines and growth factors for cell and gene therapy and regenerative medicine. Their portfolio and target customer base (CGT manufacturers) overlap almost exactly with Qkine's cell therapy-grade product line.
• Akron Bio: Akron Bio manufactures GMP cytokines and ancillary materials for cell and gene therapy. Qkine's January 2026 strategic partnership with Akron combines their GMP manufacturing with Qkine's growth factor technology, making Akron both a competitor and collaborator in the CGT cytokines space.

Emerging players

• ACROBiosystems: ACROBiosystems is a fast-growing recombinant protein supplier offering a broad catalog of cytokines and growth factors at competitive prices. While it competes mainly in research-grade segments, its scale and pricing pressure make it a credible emerging threat.
• Sino Biological: Sino Biological manufactures recombinant proteins including growth factors and cytokines for research and emerging cell therapy applications. Aggressive pricing and growing catalog create competitive pressure on research-grade protein pricing across the industry.
• Defined Bioscience: Defined Bioscience supplies defined, animal-free cell culture media supplements for stem cell and regenerative medicine applications. While focused on media supplements rather than proteins, their complementary product positioning led Qkine to enter a distribution agreement for non-US markets in 2026.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QkineBio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 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 Qkine