What Numaferm does

Numaferm GmbH is a German biotech company founded in 2017 as a spin-off from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf that operates an integrated discovery-to-commercial production platform for peptides, pepteins (41-100 amino acids), and proteins using engineered E. coli microorganisms. The platform comprises Numascreen (phage display lead discovery with libraries exceeding 1 billion candidates), Numatech (high-titer expression platform incorporating Numaswitch, which uses bivalent Switchtags and inclusion bodies to achieve up to 100% refolding efficiencies, and Numasec, a secretion system delivering titers above 30 g/L with >95% purity), and Numacut TEV Protease (an AI- and directed-evolution-engineered enzyme for traceless protein cleavage). The company positions the bio-based process as delivering >90% cost-of-goods reduction and comparable carbon-footprint reduction versus chemical peptide synthesis, with 6-9 month timelines from gene to GMP drug substance.

The company generates revenue through three streams: (1) contract research services spanning lead discovery, cell line and process development, optimization and scale-up, and GMP material supply; (2) product sales, principally the Numacut TEV Protease enzyme sold via products.numaferm.com; and (3) technology licensing, exemplified by the 2023 Zoetis agreement for veterinary therapeutics. Go-to-market is sales-led direct B2B targeting pharmaceutical and life sciences buyers, supplemented by industry conference participation (BIO International, PEGS Boston, German Peptide Symposium, Swiss Biotech Day) and an established CMO partner network (Bachem, Polypeptide, Corden Pharma, Evonik, Northway Biotech, Fraunhofer) for commercial/GMP production. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, operates a 500 m² facility in Düsseldorf, and employs approximately 30 staff including 15+ PhD scientists.

Numaferm serves customers across human pharmaceuticals (Eli Lilly teriparatide biosimilar process development), animal health (Zoetis licensing), agriculture (RWTH Aachen co-developed peptide pesticide), and aquaculture (Tunatech GmbH antimicrobial peptides for fish). Backers include Evonik Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), the European Investment Fund, and grant funding from BMBF. The company has received multiple awards including the EuropaBio Most Innovative Biotech SME Award and the Next Economy Award (2018) for sustainability.

Name

Numaferm

Legal name

Numaferm GmbH

Website

https://numaferm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Numaferm GmbH is a Düsseldorf biotech founded in 2017 that operates an integrated discovery-to-GMP platform for peptides, pepteins, and proteins using proprietary engineered E. coli technology, serving pharmaceutical, animal health, agriculture, and aquaculture customers through contract services, licensing, and enzyme products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peptide Bioprocessing Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Recombinant peptide production
• Contract biopharmaceutical services
• Peptide expression technology
• Phage display screening
• Bioprocess development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services: End-to-end service offerings from lead discovery (Numascreen phage display), cell line and process development (Numatech), through to commercial and GMP supply. Services include lead optimization, analytics implementation, optimization and upscaling, and material supply for GxP studies.
2. Product Sales: Sale of Numacut TEV Protease, a proprietary enzyme product sold for research and bioprocessing applications. Product offered via products.numaferm.com e-commerce platform.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies (Numaswitch, Numatech) to partners for development and production of therapeutic molecules, as exemplified by the Zoetis licensing agreement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Numaferm provides end-to-end contract research, bioprocess development, and manufacturing services for peptides, pepteins (41-100 aa), and proteins using proprietary E. coli-based expression platforms (Numatech, Numaswitch, Numasec) and phage display lead discovery (Numascreen). The company also sells its AI-evolved Numacut TEV Protease enzyme directly through an e-commerce store and licenses its technology platform to partners such as Zoetis for veterinary therapeutics development.

Product overview

Numaferm is a German biotech company offering an integrated platform for peptide, peptein, and protein discovery, optimization, and production. The core offerings include: Numascreen (phage display lead discovery), Numatech (high-expression production platform containing Numaswitch and Numasec sub-technologies), and Numacut TEV Protease (enzyme for traceless protein cleavage). The Numatech platform addresses the full development pathway from discovery to commercial GMP supply through a partner network of CMOs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Numaswitch™: Biochemical production platform for peptides, pepteins, and proteins using Switchtags and inclusion body-based production processes with up to 100% refolding efficiency.
• Numascreen™
• Numatech™
• Numasec™
• Pepteins™
• Numacut™ TEV Protease

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost-of-goods reduced by more than 90% compared to chemical synthesis
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 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 capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ZoetisflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 6 July 2023Licensing agreement for development and production of defined veterinary therapeutics using Numaferm's peptein technologies. Zoetis, the global leading animal health company, gains access to Numaferm's proprietary expression platform for therapeutic protein and peptide development, enhancing their internal capabilities in this field.
• PolyPeptide Group AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Preferred partnership for sustainable peptide manufacturing innovations announced May 2023. Collaboration drives sustainable peptide manufacturing innovations combining PolyPeptide's CMO capabilities with Numaferm's production platform technologies.
• RWTH AachenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of bifunctional adhesive-antimicrobial peptide for agricultural pesticide applications. Project developing eco-friendly pesticides that are rain-resistant, safe, and do not pollute soil or food.
• Tunatech GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for development of various antimicrobial peptides (β-defensines, cathelicidins, hepcidines, histone-derivatives and piscidines) for aquaculture fish treatment applications.
• CMO Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished partner network of well-known CMO companies including Bachem, Polypeptide, Corden Pharma, Corden Biochem, Evonik, Northway Biotech, Richter Helms, and Fraunhofer for commercial and GMP production. The release of commercial/GMP supply takes as little as 6-9 months.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bachem: Global leader in peptide and oligonucleotide CDMO services. Directly comparable as both a peptide manufacturing partner and a potential competitor to Numaferm's bio-based production approach, with overlapping customer base in pharma and biotech.
• PolyPeptide Group: Specialty CDMO for peptides and oligonucleotides. Partner of Numaferm (preferred partnership, May 2023) and a direct competitor serving the same pharma customers seeking sustainable peptide manufacturing solutions.
• CordenPharma: CDMOs across peptides, lipids, carbohydrates, and injectables. Comparable as both a partner and competitor in the peptide manufacturing space that Numaferm targets.

Broad incumbents

• Evonik: Specialty chemicals incumbent and Numaferm investor (Evonik Ventures). Operates a large-scale CDMO business with peptide-related capabilities and could integrate or compete with Numaferm's bio-based platform.
• Lonza: Global CDMO leader with capabilities across biologics, peptides, and small molecules. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for outsourced peptide and biologics manufacturing contracts.
• Bio-Techne: Life sciences tools and reagents provider with protein/peptide reagent products. Comparable as a broader incumbent selling into the same research and bioprocessing customer base, and a potential alternative source of high-quality recombinant proteins.

Emerging players

• AmideBio: US-based peptide biotech focused on metabolic diseases using proprietary BioPure technology. Comparable as an emerging biotech commercializing novel peptide production methods and developing peptide therapeutics.
• PeptiDream: Japanese biotech with a proprietary Peptide Discovery Platform System (PDPS) for non-standard peptide therapeutics. Comparable as an emerging player with a peptide discovery and development platform targeting similar therapeutic customers.
• Crinetics Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage peptide therapeutics company developing novel oral and injectable peptides. Comparable as an emerging player commercializing peptide-based therapeutics, illustrating the downstream application potential for Numaferm's production platform.

Regional players

• Northway Biotech: European-based CDMO offering microbial and mammalian process development and GMP manufacturing. Comparable as a regional manufacturing partner/competitor within Numaferm's partner network for commercial/GMP supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/13059971/admin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Numaferm