What pixlbio (formerly DefiniGEN) does

pixlbio (formerly DefiniGEN) is a privately held preclinical biology platform company that combines human iPSC-derived cell models with AI-driven high-content phenomics to support drug discovery and safety assessment for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. Founded in 2012 in Cambridge, UK and reincorporated in Uppsala, Sweden following the July 2025 merger of DefiniGEN and Phenaros, the company offers a unified portfolio comprising pixCells (iPSC-derived hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and intestinal organoids), pixCellPaint (automated Cell Painting and microscopy), and pixCellServices (end-to-end custom studies with AI analytics). Its proprietary differentiation protocols generate primary-like hepatocytes with validated CYP450 activity, albumin secretion, and stable function for 30+ days in culture, while its phenomics platform applies vision foundation models (DINOv3) and custom Cellpose-SAM segmentation to convert cellular imagery into structured phenotypic fingerprints for mechanism-of-action classification, toxicity prediction, and disease phenotype characterization.

The company monetizes through a hybrid model: catalog unit pricing for cryopreserved iPSC cell products (£1,500–£2,800 per vial across wild-type and disease models) and quote-based fees for custom studies, CRISPR gene editing services, and end-to-end research engagements. It serves a horizontal customer base anchored by pharmaceutical companies (named customers include AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Deep Genomics) with the company claiming adoption by 11 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supported by scientific content marketing, industry conference participation (ELRIG, Society of Toxicology, FIMM), and a recently launched SaaS platform with API-based experiment tracking and in-silico phenomic predictions. Strategic positioning is reinforced by participation in the FDA-3Rs Collaborative cross-platform DILI study, with the project's Letter of Intent accepted into the FDA ISTAND qualification program in January 2026, positioning pixlbio as one of eight selected commercial liver MPS developers in this landmark regulatory science initiative.

Name

pixlbio (formerly DefiniGEN)

Legal name

Pixl Bio AB

Website

https://pixl.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

pixlbio combines human iPSC-derived cell models (hepatocytes, stellate cells, intestinal organoids) with AI-driven high-content phenomics to deliver predictive preclinical data for drug discovery and safety assessment, serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers including AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Deep Genomics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Discovery Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems) (HLAAAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models) (HLAAAGAD), In Vitro Toxicology (Cell-based/Organ-on-chip) (HLAGAFAJ), In Vivo Discovery & Translational Models Platforms (humanized models, PK/PD, efficacy) (HLAAAIAK), In Silico / Computational Toxicology & PK/PD Modeling (HLAGAFAM)

Keywords

• IPSC cell models
• Drug discovery services
• Phenomics platform
• Disease modeling
• Hepatocyte models

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. iPSC-derived Cell Products: Sale of cryopreserved iPSC-derived hepatocytes, stellate cells, and intestinal organoids. Products available as wild-type, disease-specific, or CRISPR-edited formats. Revenue generated from unit sales of cell products at catalog prices.
2. pixCellServices - Custom Studies & Analytics: End-to-end research services including study design, experimental execution, AI analytics, and delivery of structured data packages with interpretation. From target validation to toxicology and mechanism-of-action studies.
3. pixCellPaint - Phenomics Services: Cell painting and high-content phenomics services providing morphological profiling data for customer cell models or pixlbio's own iPSC-derived systems.
4. CRISPR Gene Editing Services: Custom CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing services for creating disease models from customer iPSC lines or pixlbio's validated lines. Includes cell line evaluation, sgRNA design, transfection, clone screening, and final validation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

pixlbio develops and commercializes human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell models and an AI-driven phenomics platform for drug discovery, disease modeling, and preclinical safety assessment. The company sells cryopreserved hepatocytes (pixHep), hepatic stellate cells (pixStellate), intestinal organoids (pixIO), and disease-specific liver models (MASLD, A1ATD, PFIC2, UCD), alongside the pixCellPaint high-content assay, the pixlbio AI Phenomics Platform, and end-to-end pixCellServices contract research.

Product overview

pixlbio is a unified platform combining human iPSC-derived cell models (pixCells portfolio) with AI-driven phenomics for predictive drug discovery and safety assessment. The platform integrates three core product lines: pixHep (iPSC-derived hepatocytes), pixStellate (hepatic stellate cells), and pixIO (intestinal organoids) as the biological foundation; pixCellPaint for high-content cell painting and automated imaging; and pixCellServices for end-to-end research studies with AI analytics. pixCellPaint captures morphological fingerprints via Cell Painting, which pixlbio's AI models analyze to generate predictive insights for drug response, toxicity, and mechanism of action. The SaaS platform delivers structured data, dashboards, and consultative insights. Disease-specific models include MASLD, A1ATD, PFIC2, and UCD variants, alongside custom CRISPR-engineered models. The company was formed in July 2025 through the merger of DefiniGEN (iPSC expertise) and Phenaros (AI phenomics), headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• pixCells: Human iPSC-derived cell models including hepatocytes, stellates, and organoids engineered for physiological relevance, scalability, and stability.
• pixCellPaint
• pixCellServices
• pixIO
• pixStellate
• pixHep

Products and services

• pixHep Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocytes supplied as cryopreserved, single-donor cells for drug discovery, hepatotoxicity testing, and liver disease research, sold to pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D customers.
• pixStellate Human iPSC-derived hepatic stellate cells for in vitro modeling of liver fibrosis and stellate cell biology, used in combination with pixHep in fibrosis and co-culture applications.
• pixIO Human iPSC-derived intestinal organoids for gastrointestinal disease modeling, gut-toxicity testing, and pharmacology research, sold to pharma and biotech discovery teams.
• pixCellPaint High-content cell painting phenomics assay that produces multi-parameter morphological readouts from pixlbio's iPSC-derived cells, enabling quantitative phenotypic profiling for compound screening and target validation.
• pixCellServices End-to-end drug discovery and disease modeling research services in which pixlbio executes custom iPSC-derived model generation, assay design, pixCellPaint phenotypic screening, and AI-driven data analysis on behalf of pharma, biotech, and academic clients.
• pixlbio AI Phenomics Platform AI and machine learning platform that analyzes high-content imaging data from pixCellPaint and customer assays, extracting quantitative morphological features and supporting target identification, hit triage, and mechanism-of-action studies.
• Custom iPSC Disease Models Bespoke iPSC-derived disease models engineered to customer-specified genotypes or indications, including custom gene edits and customer-driven donor backgrounds for proprietary research programs.
• pixHep MASLD Model Disease-specific iPSC-derived hepatocyte model for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NASH/NAFLD), used to study hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in a human-relevant in vitro setting.
• pixHep A1ATD Model Disease-specific iPSC-derived hepatocyte model carrying Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) genotype, enabling study of misfolded protein accumulation and liver pathology in A1ATD drug discovery.
• pixHep PFIC2 Model Disease-specific iPSC-derived hepatocyte model for progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (PFIC2), used to model BSEP transporter dysfunction and cholestasis in vitro for rare liver disease drug discovery.
• pixHep UCD Model Disease-specific iPSC-derived hepatocyte model for urea cycle disorders (UCD), used to study ammonia detoxification defects and OTC/ASS1/CPS1 pathway dysfunction in vitro.
• pixHep / pixStellate Co-Culture Co-culture system combining pixHep hepatocytes with pixStellate cells to model hepatocyte-stellate cell cross-talk in liver fibrosis and inflammation studies, sold as an integrated disease modeling product.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to ~69% balanced accuracy in leave-one-out compound identification for DILI prediction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• FDA-CDERflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) co-leads the landmark cross-platform DILI study with the 3Rs Collaborative. Pixl Bio (operating as DefiniGEN at study initiation) was one of eight selected commercial liver MPS platforms contributing to the FDA ISTAND qualification program. Project Letter of Intent accepted into ISTAND in January 2026.
• 3Rs CollaborativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20253Rs Collaborative handles project coordination and dissemination for the landmark cross-platform DILI study co-led with FDA-CDER. Pixl Bio is a member of the Microphysiological Systems initiative.
• NIH-NIEHS/NICEATMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NICEATM provides independent data governance including compound selection, blinding, and statistical analysis for the cross-platform DILI study.
• Critical Path InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes context of use and qualification expertise to the FDA-3Rs Collaborative cross-platform DILI study supporting regulatory qualification of liver MPS technologies.
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAstraZeneca is a major pharmaceutical customer and represented on the technical leadership committee for the cross-platform DILI study. Also serves as host for the ELRIG Cell-based Screening 2026 conference at their R&D site in Gothenburg.
• SanoficoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSanofi selected pixlbio as recipient of the iDEA-TECH Awards Program recognizing their high-quality predictive models and expertise in Cell Painting, AI and predictive modelling.
• Merck & pharmaceutical consultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical leadership and compound selection guidance for the FDA-3Rs Collaborative cross-platform DILI study consortium.
• PhenarosflagshipOthersIn July 2025, DefiniGEN was acquired by Phenaros, forming pixlbio. Phenaros brought complementary capabilities in high-throughput Cell Painting phenomics, AI-driven image analysis, and predictive modeling from their Uppsala founding team.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InSphero: InSphero provides 3D microtissue and organoid-based assays including liver models for toxicity and disease research, competing directly with pixlbio's pixHep and pixIO products in pharma drug safety and metabolic disease applications.
• REPROCELL: REPROCELL provides upcyte hepatocytes and iPSC-derived hepatic cells for drug metabolism and toxicology, directly comparable to pixlbio's pixHep cell product line in addressing pharma needs for human-relevant liver models.
• Emulate: Emulate's Liver-Chip is a leading organ-on-chip platform using primary or iPSC-derived hepatocytes under controlled flow conditions for DILI and drug safety assessment. Direct competitor to pixlbio's pixHep-based offering and fellow FDA-3Rs study participant.
• MIMETAS: MIMETAS develops organ-on-chip platforms including liver models under the OrganoPlate brand, providing competing MPS solutions to pixlbio for DILI, metabolism, and disease modeling in pharma preclinical pipelines.
• CN Bio: CN Bio's PhysioMimix liver MPS platform offers single- and multi-organ microphysiological systems for DILI and ADME studies, directly competing with pixlbio in iPSC-derived liver models for pharma preclinical workflows. Both companies participate in the FDA-3Rs Collaborative cross-platform DILI study.
• Cyprotex (an Evotec company): Cyprotex offers preclinical DILI and ADME services including iPSC-derived hepatocyte assays, overlapping with pixlbio's pixCellServices for pharma customers. As part of Evotec, it represents a larger integrated CRO competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Lonza: Lonza manufactures primary and iPSC-derived hepatocytes at industrial scale and offers cell therapy and discovery services, providing a broad-incumbent alternative for pharma customers evaluating pixlbio's pixHep cell products.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher offers Gibco primary hepatocytes, iPSC-derived cell products, and high-content imaging instruments that overlap with pixlbio's pixCells and pixCellPaint offerings, representing a broad life-science tools incumbent.
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche): As a top-5 pharma with substantial internal iPSC, organoid, and high-content screening capabilities, Roche represents a broad incumbent that could either be a major pixlbio customer or a long-term competitor through internalization of similar capabilities.

Emerging players

• Organovo: Organovo focuses on 3D bioprinted human tissues including liver tissue for preclinical research, an emerging alternative to iPSC-derived hepatocyte models like pixHep with partially overlapping pharma use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pixlbio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 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 pixlbio (formerly DefiniGEN)