What Cube Biotech does

Cube Biotech GmbH is a German biotechnology tools company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, specializing in reagents, kits, and contract services for membrane protein research. Its proprietary NativeMP™ platform uses a portfolio of more than 30 synthetic copolymers (including Cubipol, AASTY, DIBMA, SMA, and Ultrasolute™ Amphipol) that form polymer nanodiscs around membrane proteins, preserving their native lipid environment in place of traditional detergents — a workflow that the company demonstrates is compatible with cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, AS-MS, phage display, and antibody discovery. The company also markets protein purification consumables (PureCube Ni-INDIGO and Ni-NTA affinity resins, HighSpec Rho1D4 immunoaffinity resins, Strep-Tactin®XT/Twin-Strep-tag® products acquired via IBA Lifesciences), ready-to-run automation plates (NativeMP™ Plates on KingFisher Flex; PlateX MP™ on INTEGRA and Analytik Jena robots), and premium off-the-shelf NativeMP™ Targets such as ABCA1, ADRB2, GLP1R, and P2X4 priced up to US$17,760.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market combining a direct e-commerce storefront, US distribution via Fisher Scientific and VWR/Avantor, an international distributor network, and a US sales/logistics operation managed by Percorso Life Sciences. Revenue is generated through four streams: catalog consumables and kits sold at unit pricing, OEM/bulk custom agarose and bead production, quote-based fee-for-service custom membrane protein CRO work, and high-value NativeMP™ Target sales. Strategic customers include Bayer (crop-science use case), Orion Pharma (structural biology), Orogen Therapeutics, Allegria Therapeutics, Fraunhofer ITMP, and ProteoGenix, alongside more than 100 academic and research institutions. The company is privately held and backed by healthcare-focused private equity firm ARCHIMED, which invested in 2022 and placed Denis Ribon as Chairman. Cube Biotech completed the acquisition of IBA Lifesciences in January 2025, appointed former Sartorius CEO Joachim Kreuzburg to its board in Summer 2025, and secured the SLAS 2026 Europe New Product Award for PlateX MP™ in May 2026.

Name

Cube Biotech

Legal name

Cube Biotech GmbH

Website

https://cube-biotech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cube Biotech is a Germany-based biotechnology tools company that develops NativeMP™ copolymer reagents, affinity purification resins, automated membrane protein purification plates, and CRO services for pharma, biotech, and academic researchers working on membrane protein drug discovery and structural biology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Membrane Protein Research Reagents

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity) (HLAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bioprocess Consumables & Reagents (resins, membranes, media components, buffers) (HLAAAJAI)

Keywords

• Membrane protein stabilization
• Protein purification reagents
• Copolymer nanodisc technology
• Affinity chromatography resins
• Cryo-EM sample preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Monheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

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. Catalog Product Sales (Consumables & Kits): Direct one-time sales of catalog products (copolymers, nanodiscs, affinity resins, MagBeads, purification kits, NativeMP™ plates, PlateX MP™ plates, target proteins) via the company's online shop with publicly listed US dollar prices. Product examples include AASTY at $473, Cubipol at $695, MSP1D1-His at $204, NativeMP™ Rho1D4 Purification Plate at $1,158.
2. Custom Membrane Protein CRO Services: Quote-based fee-for-service custom protein expression, solubilization, stabilization, purification, and characterization projects for clients including pharma, biotech, and academia. Includes NativeMP™ platform projects (acquire complex membrane protein targets within weeks). Pricing not publicly disclosed.
3. OEM / Bulk Product Sales: Bulk quantities of agarose resins, magnetic beads, customized agaroses and magnetic beads, and nanodisc products provided to larger biotech and research institutes on-demand.
4. NativeMP™ Target Protein Sales (High-value Catalog): Premium-priced off-the-shelf membrane protein targets (e.g., ABCA1 at $15,360, ADRB2, GLP1R, P2X4) sold to pharma/biotech for drug discovery. Targets include GPCRs, transporters, ion channels, receptors, claudins, integrins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cube Biotech develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary copolymer-based NativeMP™ reagents and consumables for stabilizing membrane proteins in their native lipid environment, complemented by affinity purification resins (PureCube Ni-INDIGO, Ni-NTA, Rho1D4, Strep-Tactin®XT), automated 96-well screening and purification plates (PlateX MP™ for liquid handling robots; NativeMP™ Plates for KingFisher Flex), off-the-shelf NativeMP™ stabilized protein targets, and quote-based custom membrane protein expression / purification CRO services. Its products are used by over 100 research institutions and pharmaceutical/biotech companies worldwide for cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, antibody discovery, and drug discovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NativeMP™: Proprietary membrane protein stabilization technology platform using copolymer nanodiscs to keep membrane proteins in their native lipid environment.
• PlateX MP™
• PureCube
• HighSpec
• HisCube
• Cubipol
• Ultrasolute™

Products and services

• PlateX MP™ Plates Ready-to-run, lyophilized deep-well plates preloaded with 8 Cubipol copolymers plus Rho1D4, Anti-DYKDDDDK, or Strep-Tactin®XT MagBeads, enabling automated membrane protein screening and purification on INTEGRA and Analytik Jena liquid handling robots in approximately 2 hours. Built on five Cube Biotech patents; designed for pharma, biotech, and academic labs needing hands-off workflows.
• NativeMP™ Screening & Purification Plates (KingFisher™) Pre-filled 96 deep-well plates designed for the KingFisher Flex system, combining a NativeMP™ Screening Plate (16 selected copolymers) with tag-matched Purification Plates (Rho1D4, Strep-Tactin®XT, or Anti-DYKDDDDK) for parallel screening and purification of 2, 4, or 6 membrane protein targets in approximately 90 minutes, versus 20 hours manually.
• NativeMP™ Targets (off-the-shelf stabilized membrane protein targets) Off-the-shelf, full-length, active GPCRs, ion channels, aquaporins, ABC transporters, claudins, integrins, SLC transporters, and tetraspanins stabilized in copolymer nanodiscs, sold as ready-to-use assay positive controls or starting material for biophysical, biochemical, and cryo-EM studies by pharma and biotech drug-discovery teams.
• Cubipol Series Copolymers (Cubipol, Sulfo-Cubipol, Cubipol Biotin, Cubipol Amine, Cubipol Fluorescein, Cubipol Glycerol, Glyco-Cubipol, Cubipol PEG) Next-generation synthetic copolymers that form copolymer nanodiscs solubilizing and stabilizing membrane proteins in their native lipid environment; used in PlateX MP™ plates and as standalone reagents (e.g., Cubipol at US$695, Cubipol Biotin at US$1,388). Sulfo-Cubipol enabled the first human P2X4 cryo-EM structure.
• AASTY Copolymers (AASTY 6-45, 6-50, 6-55, 11-45, 11-50, 11-55, plus biotinylated variants) Next-generation AASTY copolymers for solubilizing and stabilizing membrane proteins in copolymer nanodiscs; sold per vial with biotinylated and screening-kit variants for use by pharma, biotech, and academic labs.
• DIBMA Copolymers (DIBMA 6, DIBMA 10, DIBMA 12, plus Glucosamine, Glycerol, Biotin, and Fluorescein variants) Synthetic DIBMA copolymers for membrane protein stabilization in copolymer nanodiscs, offered in multiple chain lengths and functionalized variants for diverse membrane protein targets and labeling workflows.
• SMA Copolymers (SMALPs) Styrene-maleic acid (SMA) copolymers forming SMA-Lipid-Particles (SMALPs) for detergent-free extraction and stabilization of membrane proteins; the foundational chemistry behind the SMALP method, including the second-generation SMALP BZ series co-developed with Prof. Bert Klumperman.
• Ultrasolute™ Amphipol Copolymers Next-generation amphipol copolymers (e.g., Ultrasolute™ Amphipol 18) sold as part of the NativeMP™ screening portfolio for membrane protein stabilization in cryo-EM and functional studies.
• MSP Nanodisc Products (MSP1D1-His and pre-assembled nanodiscs) Membrane scaffold protein (MSP) reagents such as MSP1D1-His lyophilized protein and pre-assembled nanodiscs for classical MSP-based membrane protein reconstitution, used as an alternative to copolymer-based NativeMP™ workflows.
• Ultrapure Detergents Ultrapure-grade detergents for solubilization and stabilization of membrane proteins, sold as the conventional alternative to copolymer nanodiscs in the NativeMP™ workflow.
• PureCube Ni-INDIGO His-Tag Affinity Resins & MagBeads Ni-INDIGO His-tag affinity agarose resins and magnetic beads offering up to 30× lower Ni leakage versus conventional Ni-NTA, with EDTA/DTT resistance, 80–100 mg/mL binding capacity, and 0.5 M NaOH CIP without stripping nickel; available as agarose, MagBeads, and complete kits (e.g., HisCube Ni-INDIGO MIDI Kit at US$799).
• PureCube Ni-NTA Affinity Resins & MagBeads High ligand-density Ni-NTA agarose and MagBeads for His-tag protein purification, providing >20% higher binding capacity than leading competitor Ni-NTA materials, used by labs needing high-yield routine His-tag purification.
• HighSpec Rho1D4 Affinity Resins & MagBeads High-purity Rho1D4 immunoaffinity agarose, MagBeads, FPLC columns, peptide, and antibody products with KD ≈ 20 nM, used for membrane protein purification in cryo-EM workflows by pharma, biotech, and academic structural biology labs.
• Strep-Tactin®XT Affinity Resins & MagBeads (incl. MagStrep®) Twin-Strep-tag®/Strep-Tactin®XT agarose and MagStrep®XT magnetic beads delivering >95% protein purity with picomolar affinity and binding capacities up to 31 mg/mL (agarose) or 42.5 mg/mL (magnetic beads); integrated into Cube Biotech's catalog following the January 2025 acquisition of IBA Lifesciences.
• GST-Tag Affinity Resins & MagBeads GST-tag affinity agarose resins, MagBeads, and GST-eGFP fusion proteins (DYKDDDDK- or Rho1D4-tagged) for GST-tagged protein purification and assay development.
• Custom Membrane Protein Services (CRO) Quote-based custom protein expression, solubilization, stabilization, purification, and characterization services delivered via the NativeMP™ platform; engagements include dedicated project managers and co-development with partners such as Bayer (Slo protein for eco-friendly pesticides). Pricing is quote-based.
• Drug Target Pipeline Service Drug Target Pipeline service combining NativeMP™ membrane protein targets with fast-track drug discovery partners spanning target identification through hit-to-lead, including AI-driven (Iktos), DNA-encoded library (X-Chem), antibody (Isogenica), AS-MS (Momentum Biotechnologies), and small-molecule (edelris) capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20× higher yield in 90 minutes vs. 20 hours manual workflow (NativeMP™ Plates)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Integration4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

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

• Joachim KreuzburgcoreOthers · 1 July 2025Joachim Kreuzburg (former Sartorius CEO) joined the Cube Biotech Board of Directors in summer 2025. Announcement on the News page: 'Joachim Kreuzburg joins Board of Directors — Board Update Summer 2025'.
• IBA LifesciencesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCube Biotech completed the acquisition of IBA Lifesciences, with announcements titled 'Cube Biotech Completes Acquisition of IBA Lifesciences — Two leading innovators of biotech join forces' and 'We're Growing Better Together! Cube Biotech and IBA Lifesciences have joined forces!' (pop-up banner and News tile on the homepage). The two organizations now jointly market Strep-Tactin®XT and Twin-Strep-tag® products.
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partnership with Bayer to develop eco-friendly pesticides using Cube Biotech's NativeMP™ platform to work on the Slo protein. Case study featured on the Membrane Protein Service page under 'Slo Protein for Bayer — We are developing eco-friendly pesticides to elevate agriculture to the next level'.
• Orion PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Orion Pharma (Espoo, Finland); referenced customer in R&D Target Pipeline with testimonial from Dr. Josef Messinger, Head of Structural Biology and Analytics. Logo featured on the Cube Biotech homepage and partner carousel.
• Momentum BiotechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership series: Part II. Joint work on mass spectrometry-based drug discovery for membrane-bound proteins. Co-presented webinar 'Affinity Selection Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) High-Throughput Screening of the GLP1 Receptor' identifying small-molecule binders of GLP1R using NativeMP™ + customized AS-MS workflow.
• NanoTemper TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partnership. Jointly published multiple application notes (App Note on NativeMP™ & Monolith X; App Note on NativeMP™ & Prometheus Panta for Cryo-EM workflows; App Note with Imperiali Lab at MIT for copolymer screening). Co-hosted webinars 'Optimization of Membrane Proteins for Cryo-EM with Nanotemper' and 'Breaking barriers in membrane protein drug discovery'.
• X-ChemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership series: Part V (September 2025). X-Chem is featured on the Drug Target Pipeline page as a fast-track drug discovery partner spanning target identification through hit-to-lead. Logo featured on the homepage partner carousel.
• IktosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership series: Part III. AI-driven drug discovery collaboration; logo and announcement featured on the News page.
• IsogenicaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership series: Part IV. Antibody / biologics discovery collaboration; featured as a news announcement on cube-biotech.com.
• NanoImaging ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership series: Part I. Cryo-EM services collaboration; featured as a news announcement on the Cube Biotech website.
• ProteoGenixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce target-specific antibodies via NativeMP™ platform plus ProteoGenix's phage display libraries and Xtencho™ platform. Co-developed 2 fully human antibodies against native human P2X4 (available for licensing). Co-hosted Intelligent Infusions webinar 'Next-Gen Antibody Discovery Enabled by the NativeMP™ & Phage Display Technology — P2X4 Case Study'.
• edelrisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner on the Drug Target Pipeline page (Fast-track drug discovery partners). Provides complementary drug discovery capabilities for the Cube Biotech pipeline.
• Allegria TherapeuticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner with Cube Biotech and Fraunhofer ITMP in the MastCURe research consortium. Awarded €1.3M from the Eureka Eurostars program (April 2026) to develop novel mast-cell directed therapies for chronic urticaria, targeting aberrant mast cell activation in over 60 million patients worldwide.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP (Immunology and Allergology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the MastCURe research consortium with Allegria Therapeutics and Cube Biotech. Co-recipient of €1.3M Eureka Eurostars funding (April 2026) for mast-cell directed therapies for chronic urticaria.
• Percorso Life SciencescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPercorso Life Sciences has assisted Cube Biotech with their North American operations since 2013 (almost 10 years). Percorso facilitates order processing, inventory management and provides sales channels into the North American Life Science, Biotech and Pharmaceutical markets.
• Fisher ScientificcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCube Biotech products distributed globally via Fisher Scientific catalog (fishersci.com); prominently featured as 'Buy also at' partner on multiple product pages.
• VWR / AvantorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCube Biotech products distributed via VWR / Avantor storefronts (us.vwr.com and avantorsciences.com); featured as 'Buy also at' partner on multiple product pages.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Anatrace: Anatrace (acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific) manufactures high-purity detergents and membrane protein reagents that are the conventional alternative to Cube Biotech's NativeMP™ copolymer nanodiscs. Both companies serve the same membrane protein research and structural biology customer base with overlapping product categories for GPCR, ion channel, and transporter workflows.
• Avanti Polar Lipids: Avanti Polar Lipids (acquired by Croda) supplies lipids, detergents, and lipid nanoparticles for membrane protein research, cryo-EM, and drug delivery — directly adjacent to Cube Biotech's membrane protein stabilization and NativeMP™ copolymer portfolio. Both serve academic and pharma membrane protein labs with complementary lipid- and polymer-based tools.
• IBA Lifesciences: IBA Lifesciences was acquired by Cube Biotech in 2025 and remains a key product brand within the combined portfolio. Prior to the acquisition it was a direct peer offering Strep-Tactin®XT / Twin-Strep-tag® affinity purification tools, and the two companies' customer bases and product lines are now fully integrated.

Broad incumbents

• Cytiva: Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences) is a large incumbent in protein purification and life sciences tools with broad portfolios in affinity chromatography, magnetic beads, and bioprocessing that overlap with Cube Biotech's PureCube Ni-INDIGO, Rho1D4, and Strep-Tactin®XT product lines. Cytiva competes on scale, catalog breadth, and bundled pricing in the same pharma and academic accounts.
• Bio-Techne: Bio-Techne (NASDAQ: TECH) is a large protein research tools company offering recombinant proteins, antibodies, and assay reagents that overlap with Cube Biotech's NativeMP™ Targets catalog and Protein Service CRO offerings. Bio-Techne competes on catalog breadth and global distribution in academic and pharma protein research.
• Sartorius AG: Sartorius is a major bioprocessing and lab products company offering protein purification, cell line development, and bioprocess tools that overlap with Cube Biotech's downstream purification portfolio and CRO services. The cross-membership of former Sartorius CEO Joachim Kreuzburg on Cube Biotech's Board underscores the strategic adjacency between the two companies in bioprocess and protein sciences.
• Promega Corporation: Promega is a privately held life-sciences tools company offering protein analysis, purification, and detection reagents with overlapping applications in protein purification (His-tag, GST-tag) and cell-based assays. Promega competes with Cube Biotech's PureCube affinity resin line in mid-market and academic labs.
• Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich): Merck KGaA's life science business (including Sigma-Aldrich) is a global incumbent in research chemicals, reagents, and consumables with overlapping product categories in protein purification detergents, affinity resins, and standards. Sigma-Aldrich competes with Cube Biotech across academic and pharma catalog procurement.
• Lonza Group: Lonza is a large contract development and manufacturing organization with adjacent capabilities in cell line engineering, protein expression, and bioprocess services. Lonza's protein production services overlap with Cube Biotech's CRO offering and drug target pipeline, and Lonza serves a similar pharma/biotech customer base.

Emerging players

• NanoTemper Technologies: NanoTemper Technologies is a strategic technology partner of Cube Biotech with joint application notes on NativeMP™ and Monolith X (MST) and NativeMP™ and Prometheus Panta for Cryo-EM workflows. The companies jointly enable membrane protein characterization workflows, positioning NanoTemper as a complementary rather than directly competing peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CubeBiotech/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2875317
• Xx.com/cubebiotech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cube Biotech