NeuCyte
NeuCyte is a privately held biotech that uses proprietary iPSC-derived neural cells (neurons, astrocytes, microglia) on its SynFire platform to support CNS drug discovery, target validation, and disease modeling for biopharmaceutical companies, academic researchers, and rare disease foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMountain View, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NeuCyte does
NeuCyte, Inc. is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, focused on the early phases of central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery. The company's core offering is the proprietary SynFire Technology platform, which uses human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural cells — specifically iNeurons (iNs), iAstrocytes (iA), and iMicroglia (iMG) — to model neurological disease, validate targets, produce custom cells, and screen therapeutic compounds. NeuCyte claims a 100% differentiation success rate from any genetic background and supports phenotypic and target-based screens through electrophysiology (MaxTwo/MaxWell microelectrode arrays), high-content imaging, and 3D neuroimmune microphysiological systems (assembloids).
The company's customer base comprises biopharmaceutical companies as the primary segment, supplemented by academic researchers and rare disease organizations focused on conditions including KIF1A-associated neurological disorder, DLG4-related synaptopathy, KCNT1 epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, ALS/FTD, and autism. NeuCyte generates revenue through three streams: NIH and foundation research grants, strategic research partnerships with pharma and academic medical centers (UCSF, Mount Sinai), and one-time sales of iPSC-derived cell products via a 2019 distribution agreement with REPROCELL covering North America and Europe. Recent activity (2023–2026) has centered on NIH-funded platform expansion into Alzheimer's high-throughput screening, rare disease foundation grants (KCNT1 2025, KIF1A.ORG 2021), and a January 2026 strategic partnership with Grann Pharmaceuticals for mRNA-based rare neurological disease therapeutics.
Commercial scale remains modest: the company employs 11–50 people, has not disclosed revenue, and has raised approximately $6.7 million in disclosed equity (Series A, 2018) plus targeted NIH and foundation grants. Go-to-market relies on scientific publications, conference presence (Society for Neuroscience, Society of Toxicology, ISSCR, AAIC), webinars, and direct enterprise engagement with pharmaceutical partners, supported by a Scientific Advisory Board drawn from UC Davis, Rutgers, Boston University, and Scripps.
NeuCyte firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NeuCyte
- Legal name
- NeuCyte, Inc.
- Website
- https://neucyte.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NeuCyte is a privately held biotech that uses proprietary iPSC-derived neural cells (neurons, astrocytes, microglia) on its SynFire platform to support CNS drug discovery, target validation, and disease modeling for biopharmaceutical companies, academic researchers, and rare disease foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NeuCyte industry classification
Industry- Product category
- iPSC-based Neuroscience Drug Discovery
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems) (HLAAAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Neurology/CNS Gene Therapies (HLAAACAH)
Keywords
Where NeuCyte is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mountain View
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NeuCyte business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- NIH Research Grants: Federal research funding for specific disease areas including Alzheimer's and rare neurological diseases
- Strategic Research Partnerships: Collaborations with pharmaceutical companies for drug discovery programs, assay development, and therapeutic development
- iPSC-Derived Cell Products: Sale of SynFire neural cells including iNeurons, iAstrocytes, and iMicroglia to biotech and pharma companies
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
NeuCyte product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NeuCyte develops and commercializes iPSC-derived human neural cell products and provides CNS drug discovery services built on its proprietary SynFire platform. The company sells iNeurons, iAstrocytes, and iMicroglia as off-the-shelf research reagents and offers custom cell production, assay development, disease modeling, and high-throughput phenotypic drug screening services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic customers. Its technology is used to model neurological and rare CNS diseases and to identify and validate therapeutic targets and drug candidates.
Product overview
NeuCyte offers a unified platform combining proprietary SynFire iPSC-derived neural cell products (iNeurons, iAstrocytes, and iMicroglia) with comprehensive services including assay development, functional phenotypic assessment, and custom cell production. The core SynFire Technology platform enables CNS disease modeling, target validation, and high-throughput compound screening using human cell-based models. The company differentiates iPS cells from any background into a range of neural cell types with a 100% success rate, supporting applications in Alzheimer's disease, ALS/FTD, rare diseases, epilepsy, autism, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SynFire: Proprietary iPSC-derived neural cell technology platform for CNS disease modeling, target validation, custom cell production, and compound screening. Includes SynFire iNs (induced neurons), iAstrocytes (iA), and iMicroglia (iMG) products.
Products and services
- SynFire iNeurons iPSC-derived human neurons generated using NeuCyte's proprietary SynFire platform, supplied as off-the-shelf research reagents for neuroscience research, disease modeling, and drug screening applications for pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic customers.
- SynFire iAstrocytes
- SynFire iMicroglia
- Isogenic and Disease Modeling Platform
- Custom iPSC-Derived Cell Production Services
- Assay Development Services
- Functional Phenotypic Assessment (MEA Analysis)
- 3D Brain Microphysiological Systems
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% differentiation success rate into neurons, astrocytes, and microglia from any iPSC background
Companies that use NeuCyte
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NeuCyte technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
NeuCyte partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Grann PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic partnership to accelerate mRNA-based therapies for rare neurological diseases, combining NeuCyte's iPSC platform with Grann Pharmaceuticals' therapeutic development capabilities.
- UCSFcoreCollaboration on NIH-funded project to develop high-throughput drug screening platform using microfluidics and human cell-based models for Alzheimer's and related dementias. UCSF contributes expertise in neuroscience and ophthalmology research.
- Acoustic BiocoreCollaboration on NIH-funded project involving proprietary technologies for microfluidic drug screening platform development. Acoustic-Bio contributes acoustic-based technologies for the platform.
- KIF1A.ORGcoreCollaboration to develop iPSC-derived drug screening assays for KIF1A Associated Neurological Disorder, a rare genetic neurological condition.
- Mount SinaicoreCollaboration agreement for neurological disease research using iPSC-based models, combining institutional expertise with NeuCyte's platform technology.
- REPROCELLcoreDistribution agreement granting REPROCELL rights to distribute NeuCyte products in North America and Europe, expanding market reach for iPSC-derived cell products.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NeuCyte competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Axol Bioscience: Supplies iPSC-derived neural and other cell types, plus assay services, to pharma and academic researchers. Comparable iPSC-based CNS product and services portfolio.
- bit.bio: Uses iPSC and synthetic biology to produce defined human cell types at scale, including neural cell types. Direct competitor in iPSC-derived CNS cells and disease modeling.
- BrainXell: Provides iPSC-derived neurons and glia for CNS drug discovery and disease modeling. Highly comparable niche player in iPSC neural cell products and assay services.
- REPROCELL: Provides iPSC-derived products and neural cell reagents, and is NeuCyte's distribution partner in NA/Europe. Closest overlap in catalog iPSC neural cells and CNS disease modeling reagents.
- Ncardia: Specializes in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and neural cells for drug discovery and safety testing. Competes in the same iPSC-based CNS and neurotoxicology assay market.
- Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI): A leading commercial supplier of iPSC-derived cell products, including neural cells, used by pharma and academic researchers. Direct competitor in catalog iPSC neural cells and disease modeling.
Broad incumbents
- STEMCELL Technologies: Provides cell culture media, reagents, and iPSC-related products, including neural cell products. Broad incumbent in stem cell and neural cell culture tools that competes with NeuCyte's reagent side.
- Pharmaron: Global CRO offering discovery, in vitro biology, and CNS pharmacology services, including cell-based assays. Broad incumbent competing for outsourced CNS discovery and screening work.
- Charles River Laboratories: Large CRO with CNS drug discovery and safety assessment services, including iPSC-based neurotoxicology. Broad incumbent competing for similar pharma discovery and safety services budgets.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Cell Biology / Bioscience): A broad life-sciences incumbent that sells cell culture reagents, iPSC tools, and neurobiology research products. Competes with NeuCyte in adjacent product lines, especially catalog reagents and consumables.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NeuCyte social profiles
Digital presenceNeuCyte financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NeuCyte leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
NeuCyte funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NeuCyte 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 NeuCyte
What does NeuCyte do?
NeuCyte develops and commercializes iPSC-derived human neural cell products and provides CNS drug discovery services built on its proprietary SynFire platform. The company sells iNeurons, iAstrocytes, and iMicroglia as off-the-shelf research reagents and offers custom cell production, assay development, disease modeling, and high-throughput phenotypic drug screening services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic customers. Its technology is used to model neurological and rare CNS diseases and to identify and validate therapeutic targets and drug candidates.
Is NeuCyte a public or private company?
NeuCyte is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was NeuCyte founded?
NeuCyte was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NeuCyte based?
NeuCyte is headquartered in Mountain View, United States, in the North America region.
How does NeuCyte make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. NIH Research Grants are the primary driver. The others are strategic Research Partnerships and iPSC-Derived Cell Products.
Who are NeuCyte's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Axol Bioscience, bit.bio, BrainXell, REPROCELL, Ncardia and Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI). Broad incumbents are STEMCELL Technologies, Pharmaron, Charles River Laboratories and Thermo Fisher Scientific (Cell Biology / Bioscience).
Does NeuCyte have an API?
No public API is recorded for NeuCyte.
What industry is NeuCyte in?
NeuCyte's product category is iPSC-based Neuroscience Drug Discovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAJ, In Vitro Model Systems & Organoid Platforms (iPSC/organoids, microphysiological systems), with a secondary code of HLAAACAH, Neurology/CNS Gene Therapies. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.