What MBD does

MBD (Medical & Bio Decision) is a South Korea-based biotechnology company founded in 2015 that develops 3D cell culture platforms for precision oncology and drug development. Its core technology, branded as Cellvitro, uses alginate or matrigel-based extracellular matrix environments in micropillar/well chip and 384/96-well plate formats to overcome the predictive limitations of conventional 2D cell culture, with a chip architecture that allows 100% media exchange without residues. The integrated platform includes the ASFA Spotter (non-contact high-speed liquid dispenser capable of handling viscous ECM samples at a 20nL minimum volume), the ASFA Scanner (high-content imaging system with automated XYZ stage and Cell Ez Analysis software for quantitative analysis), and sample preparation equipment (Chopper for tissue dissociation and Shaker with heating function).

MBD monetizes through four distinct revenue streams: (1) laboratory equipment and consumables sales (Cellvitro chips/plates, ASFA Spotter, ASFA Scanner, Chopper, Shaker); (2) clinical drug sensitivity testing services — the OncoSensi Test — contracted with Korean hospitals to guide personalized anti-cancer treatment; (3) contract research organization (CRO) services for pharmaceutical companies, including 3D-based high-throughput drug screening and CRISPR CAS/9 stable cell line development; and (4) technology licensing for international commercialization, exemplified by the 2025 Kiyatec agreement covering the U.S. market. Customer segments span pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Eli Lilly hepatotoxicity assay collaboration, JW C&C anticancer drug development), tertiary hospitals (Samsung Medical Center, Seoul Asan Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's, Ajou University Hospital, with OncoSensi Test deployed at 33 sites by December 2025), research institutes (Luxembourg Institute of Health, Vanderbilt UMC, UCSF, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), and ultimately cancer patients receiving personalized treatment recommendations. Distribution is sales-led B2B: direct enterprise sales in Korea combined with international licensing and joint-research partnerships (Kiyatec, CytoGen Japan, Charité Germany) for cross-border expansion.

Name

MBD

Legal name

주식회사 엠비디 (MBD Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://mbdbiotech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MBD is a South Korea-based biotechnology company that develops 3D cell culture platforms (Cellvitro chips, ASFA Spotter/Scanner) and OncoSensi Test drug sensitivity services for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutes in precision oncology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

3D Cell Culture and Precision Oncology Platforms

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Molecule Drug Product (Solid/Oral/Parenteral) CDMO (HLAGABAB), Contract Development & Manufacturing for Generics (CDMO/CMO) (HLAIABAI)

Keywords

• 3D cell culture
• Drug sensitivity testing
• Precision medicine platforms
• Laboratory automation equipment
• Cancer diagnostic services

Headquarters

HQ city

Suwon

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drug Sensitivity Testing Services: Anti-cancer drug sensitivity test services (OncoSensi Test) contracted to hospitals. Revenue from laboratory testing services for personalized cancer treatment.
2. Laboratory Equipment Sales: Sale of 3D cell culture products including Cellvitro chips/plates, ASFA Spotter, ASFA Scanner, and sample preparation equipment (Chopper, Shaker).
3. CRO Services: Contract research organization services including drug screening and stable cell line development for pharmaceutical companies.
4. Technology Licensing: License-out agreements for technology platforms including 2025 Kiyatec technology licensing for U.S. market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MBD manufactures and sells a proprietary 3D cell culture platform (Cellvitro® chips/plates) along with automated dispensing (ASFA® Spotter) and high-content imaging (ASFA® Scanner) instruments used by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and research institutes for anti-cancer drug sensitivity testing and drug screening. The company also operates a contract research organization (CRO) service and runs OncoSensi Test, a clinical drug sensitivity testing service contracted with hospitals in Korea and being expanded internationally via licensing.

Product overview

MBD offers a unified platform centered on Cellvitro® 3D cell culture technology for precision medicine and new drug development. The ecosystem includes ASFA® Spotter for automated non-contact liquid dispensing, ASFA® Scanner for high-content imaging and analysis, and Sample Preparation equipment (Chopper and Shaker). These products serve pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, universities, and research institutes for anti-cancer drug sensitivity testing and efficacy/toxicity evaluation. The company also provides CRO services using the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cellvitro: 3D Cell Culture Chip/Plate platform for cell biology research and drug screening
• ASFA Spotter
• ASFA Scanner
• OncoSensi Test

Products and services

• Cellvitro® 3D cell culture chip and plate platform that provides an extracellular matrix environment based on alginate or matrigel, enabling 100% media exchange without residues. Used by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and research institutes for cell biology research and drug screening.
• ASFA® Spotter Non-contact high-speed liquid dispensing device for cell biology research and drug screening; features On-the-Fly mode for automated 3D cell culture, dispensing viscous Alginate or Matrigel-based ECM with cells at a minimum volume of 20nL.
• ASFA® Scanner High-content imaging system for rapid acquisition and analysis of high-quality images of cells or biological tissues; equipped with auto focus, automatic XYZ stage for multi-pillar and well plate imaging, and Cell Ez Analysis software for quantitative analysis.
• Sample Preparation Equipment (Chopper and Shaker) Sample preparation equipment including the Chopper for optimized tumoroid production (high-speed tissue dissociation within 5 minutes) and the Shaker with heating function (±10° Rocker Type, up to 45°C, 20–100 RPM) for use upstream of the Cellvitro platform.
• CRO Services Contract research organization services including 3D-based high-throughput drug screening using the Cellvitro Pillar platform, Calcein AM viability testing, specific protein antibody staining via immunofluorescence, and stable cell line development using CRISPR Cas9 technology for gene editing.
• OncoSensi Test Anti-cancer drug sensitivity testing service that uses patient-derived cancer cells in 3D culture to identify optimal treatment options for individual cancer patients; contracted with hospitals as a precision oncology diagnostic service.
• Radiation Sensitivity Test Service Radiation sensitivity prediction service using patient-derived cancer cells in 3D culture to evaluate tumor response to radiotherapy and support personalized radiotherapy planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• OncoSensi Test expanded to 33 hospitals in Korea
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CytoGen JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025MOU signed for commercialization of Precision Cancer Medicine in Japan's healthcare market. Collaboration to expand MBD's precision cancer medicine services into Japan.
• KiyateccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Strategic investment and partnership for U.S. commercial expansion. MBD's automation technology is being integrated into Kiyatec's Greenville, SC laboratory. The collaboration aims to accelerate launch of diagnostic panels for various cancers and improve operational efficiency for functional oncology testing.
• Central Bio Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025MOU for development of a New Drug Candidate Evaluation Platform utilizing PDO and PDOX models.
• Charité Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Established joint research laboratory with Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center in Germany for collaborative cancer research.
• Rensselaer Polytechnic InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on biochip platform research for turning biochips into personalized immunotherapy platforms for cancer patients. Working on screening treatment cocktails with chemotherapeutic drugs and monoclonal antibodies with NK cells.
• Luxembourg Institute of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished joint research laboratory (2020). Export of ASFA Spotters. Collaboration on personalized cancer drug screening research.
• KsilinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration agreement for personalized cancer drug screening (2018). France-based partner.
• Eli Lilly and CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on MBD 3D chip-based hepatotoxicity assay development.
• JW C&C New Drug Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed to develop innovative anticancer drugs using cancer organoid diagnosis platform.
• AzothbiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development contract for rare cancer treatment based on AI Model (2020).
• GC LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical contract to validate solutions for prognosis/prediction of personalized cancer treatment (2022).
• Vanderbilt University Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExport of ASFA Spotters (2023). Collaboration on personalized medicine research.
• University of California San FranciscominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on head and neck cancer and colon cancer chemoradiotherapy correlation using MBD 3D drug screening system.
• Cleveland State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on MBD 3D chip-based hepatotoxicity assay development.
• ThermoFisher ScientificminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales representative agreement signed in January 2017.
• NCCHE (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in Japan's Monstar Project for cancer research.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Mimetas: Dutch organ-on-chip company offering 3D tissue models for drug screening and toxicology. Competes with MBD's 3D cell culture platform from a different technological angle.
• Emulate: Developer of organ-on-chip platforms for preclinical drug testing and disease modeling. Competes conceptually with MBD's 3D cell culture approach and represents a next-generation alternative.

Direct peers

• Kiyatec: U.S.-based functional precision oncology company offering 3D cell culture drug response prediction services for cancer patients. Directly comparable as a peer in clinical-grade functional oncology testing and is itself MBD's U.S. commercialization partner.
• Champions Oncology: Provides patient-derived tumor models (PDX, organoids) and drug sensitivity testing services to pharma and oncology centers. Closely comparable service offering to MBD's OncoSensi Test with deeper U.S. footprint.
• Certis Oncology Solutions: Functional precision oncology company using patient-derived tumor models for individualized drug response prediction. Direct overlap with MBD's hospital-facing OncoSensi service model.

Broad incumbents

• Crown Bioscience (JSR Life Sciences): Global preclinical CRO offering PDX, organoid, and 3D cell-based drug screening services to pharma. Comparable in CRO drug screening services and oncology model platform but at significantly larger scale.
• Molecular Devices (Danaher): Major manufacturer of high-content imaging and laboratory automation instruments used in drug discovery and cell biology. Comparable in the ASFA Scanner product category as a much larger incumbent.
• Tecan: Global leader in laboratory automation, liquid handling, and detection instruments for life science research. Directly comparable in the non-contact liquid dispensing and imaging instrument categories (ASFA Spotter/Scanner).
• Hamilton Company: Manufacturer of precision liquid handling automation, lab robotics, and detection instruments. Overlaps with MBD's ASFA Spotter automation offering as a much larger, established incumbent.
• Lonza Group: Global leader in cell and gene therapy manufacturing, cell culture services, and biological products. Adjacent peer in cell culture platforms with broader CDMO scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MBD