PlasmidFactory
PlasmidFactory is a German CDMO manufacturing custom plasmid and minicircle DNA across research-to-GMP quality grades for gene therapy, viral vector, CAR-T, and mRNA vaccine developers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBielefeld, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PlasmidFactory does
PlasmidFactory GmbH & Co. KG is a Bielefeld, Germany-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in plasmid and minicircle DNA production for the biopharmaceutical industry. Founded in 2000 and operating for 25 years, the company manufactures custom DNA across four quality grades (Research, CCC Classic, High Quality, and GMP) using proprietary bacterial fermentation processes. Its core technology portfolio centers on bespoke minicircle DNA — a supercoiled, bacterial-backbone-free expression cassette optimized for AAV vector and CAR-T cell production — along with antibiotic-free fermentation protocols, high-yield manufacturing (up to 10 g per run), and the ability to produce difficult-to-manufacture constructs such as PolyA120 and ITRAAV.
The company serves a B2B customer base of gene therapy developers, viral vector manufacturers, mRNA vaccine developers, and academic research institutions globally, with customers ordering via direct consultation with in-house scientists. Revenue is generated through project-based custom manufacturing contracts, off-the-shelf in-stock DNA product sales, and complementary services including capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) topology analysis, GMP-compliant storage, linearized DNA for mRNA production, and cloning services. The company reports more than 3,500 distinct plasmids and minicircles manufactured with a 99.9% success rate and operates a consultative, enterprise field-sales GTM motion targeting biotech and pharmaceutical customers requiring GMP-grade starting materials for clinical applications.
In September 2022, healthcare-focused private equity firm ArchiMed invested in PlasmidFactory to support capacity expansion aimed at meeting growing demand from gene and cell therapy developers; the investment amount was not disclosed. The company maintains a long-standing scientific collaboration with Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (over 10 years) on CAR-T cell production using its minicircle technology, and certifies its High Quality grade production in accordance with EMA guideline CHMP/BWP/2458/03 and its GMP grade raw materials to EMA/410/01 rev.3.
PlasmidFactory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PlasmidFactory
- Legal name
- PlasmidFactory GmbH
- Website
- https://plasmidfactory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PlasmidFactory is a German CDMO manufacturing custom plasmid and minicircle DNA across research-to-GMP quality grades for gene therapy, viral vector, CAR-T, and mRNA vaccine developers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PlasmidFactory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bioprocessing CDMO / Plasmid DNA Manufacturing
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Gene Therapy (Viral Vector/Plasmid) CDMO (HLAGABAE)
Keywords
Where PlasmidFactory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bielefeld
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PlasmidFactory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom DNA Manufacturing: Manufacturing service for custom plasmid and minicircle DNA tailored to customer requirements. Available in Research grade, CCC grade, High Quality (HQ) grade, and GMP grade. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project basis with pricing based on quality grade and quantity.
- In-Stock DNA Products: Pre-produced plasmid and minicircle DNA available off-the-shelf for immediate delivery. Includes plasmids and minicircles for AAV production, reporter constructs, pEPito plasmids, and molecular size markers. Revenue generated from product sales with standard pricing.
- Analytical and Support Services: Complementary services including CGE (capillary gel electrophoresis) analysis, GMP-compliant storage, linearized DNA for mRNA production, and cloning services. Revenue generated through service fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Research grade - Basic research applications |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CCC Classic grade - Optimized for research and pre-clinical |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | High Quality grade - For GMP-compliant production |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | GMP grade - Clinical and commercial applications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
PlasmidFactory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PlasmidFactory is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that produces custom plasmid and minicircle DNA across four quality grades (Research, CCC, High Quality, and GMP). Its offerings include in-stock plasmids and minicircles for AAV production, reporter constructs, pEPito plasmids, molecular size markers, and complementary services such as CGE-based topology analysis, GMP-compliant storage, linearized DNA templates for mRNA production, and cloning services.
Product overview
PlasmidFactory is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) offering a comprehensive portfolio of plasmid and minicircle DNA products and services. The core offerings include Custom DNA manufacturing services for plasmid and minicircle DNA production across four quality grades (Research, CCC classic, High Quality, and GMP). In-Stock DNA products include pre-produced plasmids and minicircles for AAV production, reporter constructs, pEPito plasmids with S/MAR elements, and molecular size markers. Complementary Services and Analysis offerings include CGE Service (capillary gel electrophoresis-based topology quantification), GMP-compliant Storage Service, Linearized DNA for mRNA production, and Cloning Services. The company is the inventor of bespoke minicircle technology for AAV and CAR-T cell production and positions itself as a specialist providing flexibility, reliability, and efficiency from research through GMP scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom DNA Manufacturing
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.9% success rate across 3,500+ manufactured plasmids and minicircles
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use PlasmidFactory
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PlasmidFactory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
PlasmidFactory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Universitätsklinikum WürzburgcoreLong-standing scientific collaboration spanning more than 10 years with Prof. Dr. Michael Hudecek's team at Universitätsklinikum Würzburg. The partnership focuses on CAR-T cell production research using PlasmidFactory's minicircle technology, demonstrating the company's capabilities in advanced therapy applications.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PlasmidFactory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aldevron: Acquired by Danaher for ~$9.6B in 2021, Aldevron was the largest independent plasmid DNA CDMO serving gene therapy and vaccine developers globally — the most direct like-for-like competitor to PlasmidFactory before its acquisition.
- VGXI: US-based plasmid DNA contract manufacturer offering GMP-grade plasmids for gene therapy and cell therapy developers; comparable scale, customer base, and product focus to PlasmidFactory.
- Vibalogics: German-based CDMO specializing in viral vectors and plasmid DNA for gene therapy, with comparable GMP capabilities and customer overlap in the European cell and gene therapy market.
- Yposkesi: French CDMO specializing in AAV and lentiviral vector manufacturing that relies on plasmid starting materials; complementary supplier but competes for the same gene therapy developer customers.
- Cobra Biologics (Charles River): Now part of Charles River Laboratories, Cobra manufactures plasmid DNA and viral vectors for gene therapy and cell therapy — directly comparable CDMO services and customer segments to PlasmidFactory.
Broad incumbents
- Lonza: Global CDMO with cell and gene therapy services including plasmid manufacturing; significantly larger but overlapping customer base in clinical-grade plasmid supply.
- GenScript ProBio: Large CDMO division of GenScript offering plasmid and viral vector manufacturing; broader service portfolio and global footprint, but overlapping in gene therapy plasmid production.
- AGC Biologics: Global CDMO with cell and gene therapy services including plasmid and viral vector manufacturing; broader portfolio but overlapping gene therapy CDMO offering.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon): Global CDMO leader with plasmid DNA capabilities embedded in its pharma services division; much larger scale but competes for the same gene therapy customers at commercial volumes.
- Catalent: Large CDMO with cell and gene therapy capabilities including plasmid manufacturing; competes in upstream plasmid supply for AAV and lentiviral vector producers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PlasmidFactory social profiles
Digital presencePlasmidFactory compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
PlasmidFactory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PlasmidFactory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PlasmidFactory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PlasmidFactory 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 PlasmidFactory
What does PlasmidFactory do?
PlasmidFactory is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that produces custom plasmid and minicircle DNA across four quality grades (Research, CCC, High Quality, and GMP). Its offerings include in-stock plasmids and minicircles for AAV production, reporter constructs, pEPito plasmids, molecular size markers, and complementary services such as CGE-based topology analysis, GMP-compliant storage, linearized DNA templates for mRNA production, and cloning services.
Is PlasmidFactory a public or private company?
PlasmidFactory is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was PlasmidFactory founded?
PlasmidFactory was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PlasmidFactory based?
PlasmidFactory is headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PlasmidFactory make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom DNA Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are in-Stock DNA Products and analytical and Support Services.
Who are PlasmidFactory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aldevron, VGXI, Vibalogics, Yposkesi and Cobra Biologics (Charles River). Broad incumbents are Lonza, GenScript ProBio, AGC Biologics, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon) and Catalent.
Does PlasmidFactory have an API?
No public API is recorded for PlasmidFactory.
What industry is PlasmidFactory in?
PlasmidFactory's product category is Bioprocessing CDMO / Plasmid DNA Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAKAE, Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services, with a secondary code of HLAGABAE, Gene Therapy (Viral Vector/Plasmid) CDMO.