4Basebio
4basebio PLC is a UK-based manufacturer of synthetic DNA products using proprietary cell-free enzymatic amplification technology to supply GMP-grade DNA templates for mRNA vaccines, viral vectors, and gene editing applications to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What 4Basebio does
4basebio PLC is a UK-headquartered (Cambridge) manufacturer of synthetic DNA products serving the cell and gene therapy, mRNA vaccine, and gene editing markets. The company was spun out of 2Invest AG in 2020 and listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market in February 2021 (ticker: 4BB). It operates wholly-owned subsidiaries in the UK (4basebio UK Limited, 4basebio Discovery Limited) and Spain (4basebio S.L.U), with manufacturing and R&D concentrated in Cambridge and Madrid. The group reported 2025 revenue of £1.7M (81% growth YoY) against a widened £16.9M loss reflecting deliberate investment in commercial infrastructure and GMP capabilities.
The company's core offering is built on a proprietary cell-free enzymatic DNA amplification technology that eliminates the bacterial fermentation, antibiotic resistance markers, and long lead times associated with traditional plasmid DNA manufacturing. Its commercial product portfolio comprises opDNA (linear double-stranded DNA optimised for mRNA IVT templates), hpDNA (hairpin-ended DNA for viral and non-viral vector applications), osDNA (exonuclease-stabilised DNA for vaccines), and oeDNA (open-ended DNA for HDR gene editing). In May 2026 the company commercially launched a high-capacity enzymatic ssDNA platform capable of producing constructs up to 10,000 nucleotides for CRISPR applications. The non-viral Hermes nanoparticle delivery platform was spun out into a separately-funded entity in February 2026 with 4basebio retaining an equity stake.
Revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales to pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers under research supply and multi-year clinical supply agreements, with individual GMP clinical deals reportedly generating approximately seven-figure revenue over a 12-month period. The company holds 29 patent families, achieved MHRA GMP certification in April 2025, and serves over 125 customers including Tier 1 global pharmaceutical partners and clinical-stage biotech firms such as Helix Nanotechnologies and Neomatrix. A £40M equity raise in November 2024 from Elevage Medical Technologies (a Patient Square Capital platform) and M&G Investment Management is funding facility expansion, commercial team build-out, and product platform development.
4Basebio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 4Basebio
- Legal name
- 4basebio PLC
- Website
- https://4basebio.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- 4basebio PLC is a UK-based manufacturer of synthetic DNA products using proprietary cell-free enzymatic amplification technology to supply GMP-grade DNA templates for mRNA vaccines, viral vectors, and gene editing applications to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
4Basebio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Synthetic DNA Manufacturing / Nucleic Acid Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA) (HLAGAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE), mRNA/LNP & Nucleic Acid Therapeutics CDMO (HLAGABAF), Gene Therapy (Viral Vector/Plasmid) CDMO (HLAGABAE), Non-viral Gene Delivery & Gene Therapy (LNP, polymers, electroporation, physical methods) (HLAAACAC)
Keywords
Where 4Basebio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
4Basebio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Synthetic DNA Manufacturing and Supply: 4basebio manufactures and sells research-grade, HQ (high-quality), and GMP-grade synthetic DNA products to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for use in mRNA vaccine production, viral vector manufacturing, and gene editing applications. Revenue comes from product sales under supply agreements with pharmaceutical clients.
- Clinical Supply Agreements: Multi-year clinical supply agreements for GMP-grade synthetic DNA supporting Phase I/II clinical trials of immunotherapy candidates. Expected to generate approximately seven-figure revenue over 12 months per agreement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Clinical supply agreements for GMP-grade synthetic DNA |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
4Basebio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
4Basebio manufactures and supplies proprietary synthetic DNA products — including opDNA™ (optimized plasmid DNA), hpDNA™ (hairpin DNA), osDNA™ (optimized stabilized DNA), and oeDNA™ (open-ended DNA) — produced via a cell-free DNA amplification process, targeting gene therapy, mRNA vaccine, viral vector, and gene editing applications. The company additionally offers the Hermes® nanoparticle non-viral delivery platform, an Enzymatic ssDNA platform, custom DNA and RNA manufacturing services, and a catalogue of DNA evaluation products for early-stage research customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- opDNA®: Partially opened, linear, double stranded DNA product ideally suited as a template for IVT production of mRNA
- hpDNA™
- osDNA™
- oeDNA™
- Hermes®
Products and services
- opDNA™ (Optimized Plasmid DNA) Optimized plasmid DNA manufactured via 4Basebio's proprietary cell-free DNA amplification process for use in gene therapy, mRNA vaccine, and viral vector applications.
- hpDNA™ (Hairpin DNA) Hairpin DNA format designed for gene editing and advanced therapy applications, produced via cell-free DNA amplification.
- osDNA™ (Optimized Stabilised DNA) Optimized stabilized DNA format designed for improved stability in therapeutic and vaccine applications, produced via cell-free DNA amplification.
- oeDNA™ (Open-ended DNA) Open-ended DNA format produced via cell-free DNA amplification, intended for advanced therapeutic and vaccine applications.
- Hermes® Nanoparticle Platform Non-viral nanoparticle delivery system for nucleic acid therapeutics, offered as both a technology platform and formulation development services for gene therapy and vaccine developers.
- Enzymatic ssDNA Platform Enzymatic platform for production of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), targeting gene editing and advanced therapy applications.
- DNA Evaluation Products Catalogue of research-grade synthetic DNA products for academic researchers, translational groups, and early-stage biotechs performing proof-of-concept and feasibility studies.
- RNA Services Custom RNA and mRNA production services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and research customers developing mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines.
- Hermes Formulation Services Custom formulation development services using the Hermes® nanoparticle platform to formulate nucleic acid payloads for gene therapy and vaccine developers.
- Custom Synthetic DNA Manufacturing Custom project-based manufacturing of synthetic DNA to customer specifications, including specialist DNA formats (opDNA, hpDNA, osDNA, oeDNA) for clinical and commercial-stage programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4x faster manufacturing compared to traditional plasmid DNA
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use 4Basebio
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
4Basebio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
4Basebio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.
- Dr. Jeff CollerminorBloomberg Distinguished Professor of RNA Biology and Therapeutics at Johns Hopkins University appointed to Strategic Advisory Board to guide scaling of synthetic DNA technology for mRNA synthesis, AAV vector manufacturing, and gene editing applications.
- Influenza Research Consortium (ConserV Bioscience, Pegasus Biotech, University of Leicester, NRC)majorUK-Canada collaboration receiving £1.2 million (C$2.2 million) funding to develop broadly protective influenza vaccine using next-generation nucleic acid vaccine and delivery technologies including 4basebio's Hermes platform.
- Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)majorAwarded CPI's tender to supply research and GMP-grade synthetic DNA for the RNA Centre of Excellence, supporting development and scale-up of novel RNA therapeutics and vaccines.
- NeomatrixcoreClinical material supply agreement for personalised cancer therapy using 4basebio's proprietary hpDNA and oeDNA products in Neomatrix's neoantigen cancer vaccine program, expected to start patient enrolment in early 2024.
- University of Alabama and Teesside UniversityminorResearch collaboration funded by $1 million Gilbert Family Foundation grant for three-year program developing gene therapy for Neurofibromatosis Type 1 using 4basebio's Hermes vector and hpDNA sequence.
- Heqet TherapeuticsminorJoint development agreement focused on development of non-viral vector incorporating Heqet's proprietary payload for cardiomyocyte regeneration and treatment of myocardial infarction.
- eTheRNA immunotherapiesmajorStrategic research collaboration evaluating 4basebio's synthetic osDNA technology as a template for eTheRNA's in vitro mRNA production, validating novel linear DNA constructs for mRNA synthesis.
- Leucid BiomajorJoint Development Agreement evaluating use of 4basebio's Hermes non-viral nanoparticle and hpDNA technology for enhanced delivery of genetic payloads to generate CAR-T cells for allogeneic, off-the-shelf therapies.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights7 records
4Basebio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon / Brammer Bio): Diversified life sciences giant with viral vector, plasmid, and biologics CDMO services through its Pharma Services segment; overlaps with 4basebio on gene therapy and mRNA supply.
- Charles River Laboratories: CDMO offering viral vector, plasmid DNA, and cell therapy manufacturing services through its Biologics Solutions segment; comparable end markets and customer base to 4basebio.
- Catalent (Novo Holdings): Large-scale CDMO with established cell, gene, and protein therapy services including plasmid DNA and viral vector manufacturing; competes with 4basebio at the larger pharma supply tier.
- Maravai LifeSciences: Parent of TriLink BioTechnologies and a leading provider of nucleic acid products for research, diagnostics, and therapeutics; broad incumbent in the synthetic nucleic acid supply chain.
Direct peers
- Touchlight Genetics: Developer of enzymatic doggybone DNA (dbDNA), the closest direct competitor to 4basebio's cell-free enzymatic DNA amplification platform for mRNA and gene therapy applications.
- GenScript ProBio: CDMO offering plasmid and viral vector manufacturing services for cell and gene therapy developers, with comparable synthetic DNA and viral vector manufacturing capabilities.
- TriLink BioTechnologies (Maravai LifeSciences): A specialist in mRNA raw materials, capping reagents, and synthetic nucleic acids — a direct peer in DNA/RNA supply for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. Now owned by Maravai LifeSciences.
- Aldevron: A leading CDMO for plasmid DNA, mRNA, and proteins serving gene therapy and cell therapy developers. Direct competitor in the same synthetic/plasmid DNA supply category, with deeper GMP scale and the backing of Danaher.
Emerging players
- Helix Nanotechnologies (HelixNano): mRNA therapeutics developer using 4basebio's opDNA for its cancer immunotherapy candidate HN-0001; an emerging player in the mRNA therapeutic space with overlapping customer base and technology.
- eTheRNA immunotherapies: mRNA immunotherapy developer with which 4basebio has a strategic research collaboration evaluating osDNA for in vitro mRNA production; competes as an emerging player in the same mRNA supply and development space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
4Basebio social profiles
Digital presence4Basebio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
4Basebio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
4Basebio subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
4Basebio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
4Basebio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 4Basebio
What does 4Basebio do?
4Basebio manufactures and supplies proprietary synthetic DNA products — including opDNA™ (optimized plasmid DNA), hpDNA™ (hairpin DNA), osDNA™ (optimized stabilized DNA), and oeDNA™ (open-ended DNA) — produced via a cell-free DNA amplification process, targeting gene therapy, mRNA vaccine, viral vector, and gene editing applications. The company additionally offers the Hermes® nanoparticle non-viral delivery platform, an Enzymatic ssDNA platform, custom DNA and RNA manufacturing services, and a catalogue of DNA evaluation products for early-stage research customers.
Is 4Basebio a public or private company?
4Basebio is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was 4Basebio founded?
4Basebio was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is 4Basebio based?
4Basebio is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 4Basebio make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Synthetic DNA Manufacturing and Supply is the primary driver. The others are clinical Supply Agreements.
Who are 4Basebio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon / Brammer Bio), Charles River Laboratories, Catalent (Novo Holdings) and Maravai LifeSciences. Direct peers are Touchlight Genetics, GenScript ProBio, TriLink BioTechnologies (Maravai LifeSciences) and Aldevron. Emerging players are Helix Nanotechnologies (HelixNano) and eTheRNA immunotherapies.
Does 4Basebio have an API?
No public API is recorded for 4Basebio.
What industry is 4Basebio in?
4Basebio's product category is Synthetic DNA Manufacturing / Nucleic Acid Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAGAC, mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA), with a secondary code of HLAAAKAE, Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services. Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 8731.