What TopoGEN does

TopoGEN, Inc. is a privately held US research diagnostics company founded in 1991 and operating from Columbus, Ohio, that supplies validated reagents, assay kits, antibodies, DNA substrates, stable reporter cell lines, and reference compounds for researchers working on topoisomerases and DNA repair. Its product portfolio spans approximately 87 catalog SKUs, including purified human topoisomerase I and IIα enzymes, bacterial DNA gyrases (E. coli, S. aureus), topoisomerase IV, TDP-1/TDP-2 enzymes, kinetoplast DNA substrates, drug screening kits, polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and GFP-based homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) reporter systems — the latter including CRISPR-Cas-enabled variants and pre-engineered HeLa, SH-SY5Y, and 3T3 stable cell lines. The proprietary ICE (in vivo complex of enzyme) assay for detecting topoisomerase-DNA cleavage complexes in cells is a platform differentiator, supported by founder-led protocol expertise.

TopoGEN generates revenue through two streams: one-time sales of research-use-only reagents and consumables priced from $95 to $5,995 via direct e-commerce and authorized global distributors, and contract research services — in vitro topoisomerase screens, bacterial gyrase and Topo IV screens, cell-context ICE assays, western blotting, and clinical-trial biomarker correlations — typically delivered with a 2–4 business day turnaround. Customers are primarily academic cancer and DNA-repair researchers and pharmaceutical/biotech drug discovery teams conducting mechanism-based screening for topoisomerase-targeting anticancer and antibiotic compounds. Marketing relies on scientific publications, Google Scholar visibility, social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube), and customer testimonials rather than outbound sales; no enterprise sales motion is evident.

The business is founder-operated and independent — there are no disclosed venture or growth-equity rounds, subsidiaries, parent entities, M&A activity, or external investors beyond a single $100,000 non-dilutive Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator grant received in May 2023. Headcount is reported at 51–100 employees, consistent with a small, niche-specialist operating model focused on depth of scientific expertise and catalog breadth rather than scale.

Name

TopoGEN

Legal name

TopoGEN, Inc.

Website

https://topogen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TopoGEN is a privately held US research reagents and contract research company founded in 1991 that supplies validated topoisomerase enzymes, assay kits, DNA repair reporter cell lines, and CRO screening services to academic cancer researchers and pharmaceutical drug discovery teams worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Reagents

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB), Biomarker Assay & Reagent Development (LDT/IVD assay design, antibodies/standards/controls) (HLAAAMAL)

Keywords

• Topoisomerase enzymes
• Cancer research reagents
• DNA repair assays
• Drug screening kits
• Contract research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buena Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Reagent Sales: One-time product sales of enzymes, assay kits, antibodies, DNA substrates, and topoisomerase-related drugs for research use only. Products are sold directly through the e-commerce website with global shipping.
2. Contract Research Services: CRO services including in vitro topoisomerase screening, bacterial gyrase and Topo IV screens, cell context topo screens, and custom drug discovery assays. Services offered with rapid 2-4 business day turnaround.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TopoGEN manufactures and sells purified topoisomerase and DNA gyrase enzymes, assay kits, drug screening kits, antibodies, DNA substrates, and engineered cell lines for topoisomerase research and mechanism-based anticancer/antibiotic drug discovery. The company also provides contract research (CRO) services including in vitro topoisomerase screening, bacterial gyrase and Topo IV screens, cell-context ICE assays, and custom biomarker analyses with a 2–4 business day turnaround. All products are validated and certified by company scientists for research use only.

Product overview

TopoGEN is a research diagnostics company providing a comprehensive portfolio of products and contract research services for researchers working with topoisomerases and engaged in mechanism-based drug discovery and development for cancer research. The product portfolio consists of: (1) topoisomerase and gyrase enzymes including Human Topo I, Human Topo II Alpha, E. coli Topo IV, E. coli DNA Gyrase, S. aureus DNA Gyrase, TDP-1, and TDP-2; (2) assay kits for measuring topoisomerase and gyrase activity including Topo I/II Assay Kits, Drug Screening Kits, ICE Assay Kit, TopI-NucEx and TopII-NucEx extraction kits, and the Gyrase Drug Screening Kit; (3) DNA substrates including kDNA, linear kDNA, decatenated kDNA, and pHOT-1 plasmid DNA variants; (4) topoisomerase and gyrase inhibitor research drugs including camptothecin derivatives (topotecan, irinotecan, 9-amino, 9-nitro, 10-hydroxy) and Topo II poisons (doxorubicin, daunomycin, etoposide, amsacrine, genistein, ellipticine, HU-331) plus ciprofloxacin; (5) validated antibodies including polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to Human Topo I, Topo II Alpha, Topo III Alpha/Beta, and antibody kits for immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation; (6) molecular weight markers for western blot and gel applications; (7) stable cell lines and kits for DNA repair research including HeLa, SH-SY5Y, and 3T3-based Homologous Recombination (HR) and Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) GFP reporter cell lines with I-Sce1 or CRISPR-based activation; (8) transient transfection-based HR and NHEJ repair reporter kits; (9) kit replenishments including buffers, ATP, SDS, and stop solutions; and (10) contract research services including in vitro topo screening, bacterial gyrase screens, cell context ICE assays, clinical trial biomarker correlations, western blotting, and topo activity quantification. All products are validated and certified by TopoGEN scientists for research use only (RUO).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Topoisomerase I Enzyme Purified recombinant human topoisomerase I enzyme for cancer research and drug discovery applications.
• Mutant Human Topoisomerase I Mutant variant of human topoisomerase I for research applications.
• Human Topoisomerase II Alpha Enzyme Purified human topoisomerase II alpha enzyme for research and drug screening.
• E. coli Topoisomerase IV Enzyme Purified E. coli topoisomerase IV enzyme for bacterial topo research.
• E. coli DNA Gyrase Enzyme Purified E. coli DNA gyrase enzyme for bacterial research and antibiotic drug discovery.
• S. aureus DNA Gyrase Enzyme Purified Staphylococcus aureus DNA gyrase enzyme for bacterial research.
• Human TDP-1 Enzyme Purified human tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 enzyme for DNA repair research.
• Human TDP-2 Enzyme Purified human tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 enzyme for DNA repair research.
• Human Topoisomerase I Assay Kit Complete kit for measuring human topoisomerase I activity in research samples.
• Human Topoisomerase II Assay Kit Complete kit for measuring human topoisomerase II activity in research samples.
• Human Topoisomerase ICE Assay Kit Immunocomplex of enzyme (ICE) assay kit for detecting topoisomerase-DNA cleavage complexes in cells.
• Gyrase Drug Screening Kit (kDNA Based) Kit for screening gyrase-targeting drugs using kinetoplast DNA as substrate.
• Topoisomerase I Drug Screening Kit Kit for high-throughput screening of Topo I targeting compounds.
• Topoisomerase II Drug Screening Kit Kit for high-throughput screening of Topo II targeting compounds.
• E. coli Topoisomerase IV Drug Screening Kit Kit for screening Topo IV targeting antibacterial compounds.
• Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) Catenated kDNA substrate for topoisomerase II and gyrase assays.
• Supercoiled pHOT-1 Plasmid DNA Substrate Supercoiled plasmid DNA substrate for topoisomerase I relaxation assays.
• Camptothecin (Topo I Poison) Natural topoisomerase I poison from Camptotheca acuminata sold as a research reference compound.
• Doxorubicin (Topo II Poison) Topo II poison control compound for cancer research.
• Etoposide (VP16)

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cell Signaling Technology: CST is a leading provider of validated antibodies and supporting reagents widely used in DNA-damage response and oncology research. It competes with TopoGEN's antibody and reagent portfolio in overlapping academic and pharma channels.
• Bio-Techne (Novus Biologicals): Bio-Techne's Novus Biologicals division offers a broad catalog of antibodies, proteins, and kits spanning DNA-damage and oncology research. It is a broader incumbent competing with TopoGEN's specialty reagent offering.
• Enzo Life Sciences: Enzo Life Sciences offers a broad life-science research reagent portfolio covering enzymes, antibodies, and assay kits relevant to DNA damage and cell biology. It is a broader incumbent competing on catalog breadth with TopoGEN's specialized topoisomerase products.
• Santa Cruz Biotechnology: Santa Cruz Biotechnology supplies a wide catalog of research antibodies and reagents to academic and industrial researchers. It is a broader incumbent that competes with TopoGEN's antibody portfolio.

Direct peers

• Cayman Chemical: Cayman Chemical manufactures biochemical reagents, assay kits, and research compounds including oncology and cell biology tools. It overlaps TopoGEN's screening kits and topoisomerase reference compounds for drug discovery programs.
• Inspiralis: Inspiralis (UK) specializes in topoisomerase and DNA gyrase enzymes and screening services for antibiotic discovery. It is the closest direct niche peer to TopoGEN in the topoisomerase/gyrase reagent and CRO market.
• BPS Bioscience: BPS Bioscience manufactures recombinant enzymes, assay kits, and cell lines for drug discovery, including DNA repair and oncology targets. It overlaps TopoGEN across assay kits, enzymes, and reporter cell lines used by pharma and academic customers.
• AAT Bioquest: AAT Bioquest develops biochemical assay kits and fluorescent reagents for life science research. It is comparable to TopoGEN in the assay-kit and reagent category across oncology and cell biology.
• ProQinase: ProQinase provides kinase-focused and broader cell-biology assay services and reagents for oncology drug discovery. It is comparable to TopoGEN's CRO screening services and specialty enzyme products in supporting pharma drug discovery pipelines.
• Eurofins DiscoverX: DiscoverX (now Eurofins) provides cell-based and biochemical assay kits for drug discovery, including DNA-damage and repair pathway tools. It competes with TopoGEN's HR/NHEJ reporter kits and drug screening service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/topogen
• Facebookfacebook.com/165849966762581
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/topogen-inc.
• Xx.com/topogen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 TopoGEN