What Apostle does

Apostle Inc is a privately held biotechnology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Pleasanton, California, that develops and commercializes proprietary magnetic nanoparticle-based nucleic acid isolation and preservation technologies for liquid biopsy and molecular diagnostics applications. The company's core technology platform, branded as MiniMax, includes cfDNA and cfRNA isolation kits that deliver approximately 40% higher cell-free DNA yield than incumbent Qiagen QIAamp kits, with phenol- and chloroform-free formulations. Apostle's product portfolio spans the MiniMax reagent family (cfDNA, cfRNA, combined cfNAs kits), the MagTouch 2000 automated extraction instrument in 24-well and 96-well formats (priced at $35,000 per unit), MiniEnrich size-selection and purification beads, MiniGenomics stool DNA isolation kits, cfDNA blood collection tubes (BCT), and the RiboCraft transfection reagent. The company has processed more than 20 million samples since founding and its technologies are cited in over 50 peer-reviewed publications including Nature Medicine, Cancer Cell, and Science Translational Medicine.

Apostle generates revenue through four streams: direct e-commerce sales of reagent kits and consumables (priced $16-$680 per kit), capital instrument sales of the MagTouch 2000, OEM and private-label supply to diagnostic companies including SneakPeek Test and BGI Genomics (including CE-marked kits for European markets), and laboratory services including cfDNA/cfRNA isolation and clinical CRO work. The company employs 51-100 staff and pursues a dual go-to-market combining self-service e-commerce for individual researchers with enterprise field sales to academic medical centers, government research institutions, and commercial diagnostic labs. Distribution of Haier Biomedical laboratory equipment (ULT freezers, CO2 incubators, biological safety cabinets) to leading institutions including Stanford, UCSF, and Washington University in St. Louis provides an additional channel revenue layer. Validated integrations with KingFisher Flex, Beckman Coulter Biomek, and Bio-Rad QX ONE ddPCR systems embed Apostle reagents into established laboratory automation ecosystems.

The company is owned by founders and management without disclosed institutional venture backing beyond a $5.68 million combined seed and Series A raise in 2017 and 2019; no subsequent funding rounds appear in the source data. Key leadership includes CEO David Ge, Co-founder and VP Bioinformatics Xin Guo, Co-founder and SVP Medicine Wenqi Zeng, Chairman Hongyu Zhao (Yale Biostatistics), and VP of Business Operations Eric Masingale. Named end-customers span NIH, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mayo Clinic, Stanford, UCSF, Columbia, Duke, Yale, and SpaceX/Axiom Space, with notable flagship partnerships including Beckman Coulter Life Sciences for co-validation and the Axiom-2 commercial space mission for astronaut bio-specimen collection.

Name

Apostle

Legal name

Apostle Inc

Website

https://apostlebio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Apostle Inc develops proprietary magnetic nanoparticle-based nucleic acid isolation kits and automated extraction instruments (MagTouch 2000) for liquid biopsy applications, serving academic research institutions, clinical diagnostic labs, OEM partners, and public health agencies across global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Diagnostics Reagents & Instruments

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/NAAT/NGS-based IVD) (HLAHAAAD), Molecular Diagnostics & Genomics Laboratories (HLAFAMAE)

Keywords

• Nucleic acid isolation kits
• Liquid biopsy reagents
• CfDNA extraction technology
• Magnetic nanoparticle diagnostics
• Automated nucleic acid extraction

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasanton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reagent Kits and Consumables: Sale of nucleic acid isolation kits (cfDNA, cfRNA, genomic DNA), kit components, magnetic nanoparticles, and laboratory consumables. Products sold in various sizes (e.g., 50 preps, 384 preps) through direct e-commerce.
2. Lab Instruments: Sale of automated nucleic acid extraction systems (MagTouch 2000), Haier Biomedical freezers and lab equipment. Instruments like MagTouch 2000 priced at $35,000.
3. Laboratory Services: cfDNA/cfRNA isolation services, clinical laboratory services, and CRO lab services offered to customers who prefer outsourcing.
4. OEM/Private Label: Apostle acts as OEM supplier for other diagnostic companies including SneakPeek Test (gender prediction test) and BGI Genomics (stool DNA isolation kit CE marked products).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Apostle develops and sells proprietary magnetic nanoparticle-based nucleic acid isolation kits and instruments for liquid biopsy and molecular diagnostics applications. Its core MiniMax product line isolates cell-free DNA and cell-free RNA from plasma and other samples with higher yield than leading competitors, complemented by the MagTouch 2000 automated extraction platform, blood collection tubes, size-selection beads, and a broad catalog of lab consumables and distributed Haier Biomedical equipment. The company also offers CRO and cfDNA/cfRNA isolation laboratory services and acts as an OEM supplier for diagnostic test developers.

Product overview

Apostle is a biotechnology company developing and providing nucleic acid isolation and preservation technologies primarily for liquid biopsy applications. The product portfolio centers on the proprietary MiniMax technology platform (comprising cfDNA, cfRNA, and combined isolation kits), supplemented by MiniEnrich (DNA size selection and purification beads), MiniGenomics (genomic DNA isolation including stool DNA), and MagTouch (automated extraction instruments in 24-well and 96-well formats). Key add-on products include blood collection tubes, viral/pathogen isolation kits, and transfection reagents. The company also distributes Haier Biomedical laboratory equipment and offers a comprehensive line of lab consumables (900+ SKUs). Services include cfDNA/cfRNA isolation services and clinical laboratory/CRO services. The technology is validated in over 100 publications including high-impact journals (Nature Medicine, Cancer Cell, Science Translational Medicine) and was featured in Science journal (2019) as a new product. Notable applications include cancer detection, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), infectious disease surveillance, and space mission bio-specimen processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MiniMax: High-efficiency cell-free DNA/RNA isolation technology platform for liquid biopsy applications
• MagTouch
• MiniEnrich
• MiniGenomics
• BCT
• Triton
• CheckMeSafe
• RiboCraft

Products and services

• Apostle MiniMax High Efficiency cfDNA Isolation Kit Magnetic nanoparticle-based cell-free DNA isolation kit delivering best-in-class yield and purity from plasma and other biological samples, powering liquid biopsy applications including cancer detection, NIPT, and disease surveillance.
• Apostle MiniMax High Efficiency cfRNA Isolation Kit High-efficiency cell-free RNA isolation kit enabling early cancer detection and classification across multiple cancer types through cfRNA analysis from liquid biopsy samples without phenol or chloroform.
• Apostle MiniMax cfDNA/cfRNA (cfNAs) Isolation Kit Combined isolation kit for simultaneous extraction of both cell-free DNA and RNA from a single sample, enabling comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis for hematologic and solid tumors.
• Apostle MagTouch 2000 Nucleic Acid Extraction Automation System (24-well) Automated magnetic bead-based nucleic acid extraction instrument processing 24 samples per run with one-button operation; used extensively for COVID-19 testing with over 20 million samples processed during the pandemic.
• Apostle MagTouch 2000 Nucleic Acid Extraction Automation System (96-well) High-throughput automated nucleic acid extraction system processing 96 samples per run using magnetic bead technology for various biological sample types; priced at $35,000 per unit.
• Apostle MiniMax Cell-Free DNA Blood Collection Tube (BCT) Specialized blood collection tube for cfDNA preservation during blood collection, storage and transport, preventing genomic DNA contamination and preserving existing cfDNA from degradation.
• Apostle MiniGenomics Stool DNA Isolation Kit Magnetic nanoparticle-based kit for rapid extraction of high-quality genomic DNA from fresh or frozen stool samples, enabling colorectal cancer screening through DNA methylation biomarker analysis.
• RiboCraft Alpha Transfection Reagent Dual-function transfection reagent developed from Stanford University research, capable of both in vitro and in vivo RNA delivery including mRNA, siRNA, and gene-editing tools.
• Apostle Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kits Viral and pathogen nucleic acid isolation reagents including the Virus Total NA Isolation Fast Kit used for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance by Nevada State Public Health Laboratory.
• Apostle Lab Consumables Catalog Comprehensive 900+ SKU line of laboratory consumables including cell culture dishes, flasks, plates, serological pipettes, pipette tips, centrifuge tubes, and microcentrifuge tubes offered at 30%+ cost savings versus competitors.
• Haier Biomedical Lab Freezers and Equipment (Distributed by Apostle) Distribution of Haier Biomedical laboratory equipment including -86°C ULT Freezers, Biomedical Freezers, Pharmacy Refrigerators, CO₂ Incubators, Biological Safety Cabinets, and Liquid Nitrogen Storage systems to research institutions including Stanford, UCSF, and Washington University in St. Louis.
• Apostle cfDNA/cfRNA Isolation Services Laboratory services providing cell-free DNA and RNA isolation for research and clinical applications using Apostle's proprietary MiniMax technology for customers that prefer outsourced sample processing.
• Apostle Clinical Laboratory & CRO Services Contract research organization laboratory services and clinical laboratory testing services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients needing outsourced nucleic acid isolation and downstream analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% average improvement in cfDNA isolation yield vs Qiagen QIAamp (Beckman Coulter Technical Note 2022)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and flagship.

• Beckman Coulter Life SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative partnership for technology validation and co-marketing. Beckman Coulter scientists published multiple technical notes and data sheets comparing Apostle MiniMax technology against competitors. Products are distributed through Beckman Coulter channels and featured in FDA documents.
• Haier BiomedicalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApostle is a major distributor of Haier Biomedical products including -86°C ULT freezers, biomedical freezers, pharmacy refrigerators, biological safety cabinets, and CO2 incubators. Products distributed to leading research institutions including Stanford, UCSF, and Washington University in St. Louis.
• BGI GenomicsnotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerApostle serves as OEM supplier for BGI Genomics' Stool Sample Collection Kit and DNA Isolation Kit for Methylation Detection, which received CE marking for European market. Apostle manufactures products under BGI brand.
• SneakPeek TestOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerApostle is the Original Equipment Manufacturer supplier for SneakPeek gender prediction test kits, providing cfDNA isolation technology for non-invasive prenatal gender testing.
• Fulgent GeneticsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLab Director Dr. Harry Gao praised Apostle's COVID-19 RNA extraction system and MagTouch automation during pandemic. Fulgent used Apostle products for high-volume SARS-CoV-2 testing with reliable results.
• SpaceX / Axiom SpaceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerApostle MiniMax technology selected for astronaut bio-specimen collection on Axiom-2 commercial space mission (SpaceX Health Mission). Published in npj Microgravity (Nature Publishing Group). First official manual for astronaut specimen collection includes Apostle technology as standard protocol.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Qiagen: Qiagen is the global leader in nucleic acid extraction kits (QIAamp, QIAsymphony) and is the explicit benchmark Apostle cites in its 40% yield improvement claim. Qiagen directly competes with Apostle MiniMax, MiniGenomics, and viral NA kits across virtually all of Apostle's target segments.
• Zymo Research: Zymo Research is a closely comparable private competitor offering cfDNA/cfRNA isolation kits, genomic DNA kits (including stool), and purification beads targeting the same liquid biopsy and molecular biology customers as Apostle. Like Apostle, it competes on yield and price while pursuing direct-to-lab e-commerce.
• Promega: Promega offers Maxwell and ReliaPrep automated nucleic acid extraction systems plus ReliaPrep cfDNA/cfRNA kits, directly overlapping with Apostle's MagTouch and MiniMax product lines. Both companies target clinical research labs with integrated reagent/instrument bundles.
• Norgen Biotek: Norgen Biotek is a smaller, privately-held Canadian competitor specializing in nucleic acid and cfDNA/cfRNA isolation kits from diverse sample types including stool, blood, and urine, closely mirroring Apostle's sample-type breadth and academic-customer base.
• Macherey-Nagel: Macherey-Nagel manufactures NucleoSpin and NucleoMag DNA/RNA isolation kits and magnetic-bead based kits that compete head-to-head with Apostle's MiniMax and MiniGenomics lines, particularly in European and academic research labs.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher sells competing sample-prep chemistries (MagMAX, Invitrogen PureLink), the KingFisher Flex automated extraction platform that Apostle's MiniMax kit is validated against, and bundles these with downstream qPCR/sequencing reagents. It is the dominant broad-line incumbent Apostle must displace in larger accounts.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad sells the QX ONE droplet digital PCR system (which Apostle's MiniMax is validated for use with) and other molecular biology consumables. It is a downstream-instrument incumbent whose installed base influences reagent purchasing decisions in the same labs Apostle targets.

Emerging players

• Covaris: Covaris provides automated sample-prep technologies (Adaptive Focused Acoustics) used upstream of cfDNA workflows for cell-free DNA and FFPE applications. It represents a different technical approach to the same sample-prep bottleneck Apostle addresses with magnetic nanoparticles.

Others

• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences: Beckman Coulter is both a strategic partner (publishing validation technical notes for Apostle kits and featuring them in FDA documents) and a competitor via AMPure XP purification beads (which Apostle's MiniEnrich directly displaces) and Biomek liquid handlers. The dual partner/competitor dynamic makes it the closest ecosystem peer.
• BGI Genomics: BGI is both an OEM partner (CE-marked stool DNA kits manufactured by Apostle) and a broader molecular diagnostics services provider. The relationship illustrates how Apostle's chemistry gets embedded into much larger global diagnostic platforms while exposing Apostle to channel-power dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ApostleInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apostle-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 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 Apostle