What Cellecta does

Cellecta, Inc. is a private functional genomics tools and services company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company develops and commercializes pooled lentiviral libraries and related reagents that enable CRISPR knockout, CRISPRa activation, CRISPRi interference, and shRNA knockdown screens in mammalian cells. Its catalog spans approximately 118 products across CRISPR and RNAi libraries, Cas9/dCas9-expressing cell lines, lentiviral packaging reagents, NGS prep kits, and CloneTracker cell-barcoding libraries for single-cell Perturb-Seq workflows, alongside specialized assays including DriverMap AIR (TCR/BCR repertoire profiling) and DriverMap EXP (targeted RNA-Seq expression profiling from samples as small as 30 uL of dried blood). Differentiated technologies include proprietary HEAT/HECG tracrRNA modifications for enhanced Cas9 interaction, commercially unique dual-sgRNA CRISPRa/CRISPRi constructs, and integrated barcoding libraries for clonal tracking.

Cellecta monetizes through a hybrid of one-time catalog product sales and fee-for-service engagements. Library products price from $8,500 to $10,500; Cas9/dCas9 cell lines from $6,000 to $8,400; DriverMap AIR kits from $1,450; and cloning vectors and controls from $390 to $850. Service revenue is generated from full-service CRISPR/RNAi screening, custom library construction, cell engineering, sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis, all priced on a quote basis. Distribution is primarily direct via a Shopify-based e-commerce platform, supplemented by phone/email sales and an international distributor network. A promotional pricing mechanism ("Buy a Library, Get 30% off a Support Product," expiring September 30, 2026) signals active commercial levers.

The company serves three primary customer segments: academic and government research institutions (universities, NIH-funded labs, research hospitals), pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (target validation, CAR-T and immunotherapy development, drug-resistance studies), and CROs offering fee-for-service genomic screening. Marketing relies on scientific content, peer-reviewed citations, technical documentation, and conference participation (CCIC, SITC, AMP in 2026). Cellecta maintains two named leaders: founder and President Alex Chenchik, and Director of R&D Donato Tedesco. The company is funded in part through NIH grants and has not disclosed any external venture capital rounds or revenue figures. A May 2025 partnership with Neoteryx extends the DriverMap EXP platform into decentralized, at-home blood microsampling workflows.

Name

Cellecta

Legal name

Cellecta, Inc.

Website

https://cellecta.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cellecta is a private functional genomics company that develops and sells pooled lentiviral CRISPR and shRNA libraries, Cas9/dCas9 cell lines, immune-receptor profiling assays, and bioinformatics services to academic researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and CROs for drug-target and biomarker discovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Genomics Research Tools and Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

CRISPR & Functional Genomics Screening Platforms (pooled/arrayed screens, perturb-seq) (HLAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services (HLAGANAE), Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)

Keywords

• CRISPR pooled libraries
• RNAi screening services
• Functional genomics tools
• Lentiviral sgRNA libraries
• Immune receptor profiling

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

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 Products (Libraries & Reagents): Sale of CRISPR sgRNA libraries, shRNA knockdown libraries, lentiviral constructs, Cas9 cell lines, cloning vectors, and related molecular biology reagents for functional genomics research.
2. Screening Services: Full-service CRISPR/RNAi screening services including cell engineering, genetic screens, bioinformatics analysis, and sequencing services for customers who prefer outsourcing.
3. Analysis Services: Bioinformatics data analysis services for genetic screens, AIR profiling assays, and targeted RNA-Seq including standard and custom reports.
4. Custom Library Construction: Custom sgRNA and shRNA library design and production services targeting specific gene sets for research applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cellecta develops, manufactures, and sells pooled lentiviral CRISPR sgRNA libraries, shRNA knockdown libraries, and associated cell lines, reagents, and assays used by researchers for functional genomics screening. It also provides full-service CRISPR/RNAi screening, single-cell Perturb-Seq screening, NGS sequencing, DriverMap AIR (TCR/BCR immune receptor) profiling, DriverMap EXP (targeted RNA-Seq expression) profiling, and bioinformatics analysis for drug target and biomarker discovery.

Product overview

Cellecta is a functional genomics company offering a comprehensive platform of pooled lentiviral libraries and services for genetic screening. The portfolio centers on CRISPR and RNAi technologies including CRISPR Knockout, CRISPRa, and CRISPRi pooled sgRNA libraries, alongside shRNA knockdown libraries for gene silencing. Key product lines include CloneTracker XP barcode libraries for single-cell analysis, DriverMap AIR for T-cell and B-cell receptor profiling, and DriverMap EXP for targeted RNA-Seq expression analysis. The company provides end-to-end solutions combining pre-made and custom libraries (sgRNA, shRNA, barcode), Cas9/dCas9 cell lines, lentiviral packaging reagents, NGS analysis kits and services, and professional bioinformatics analysis. Services span CRISPR/RNAi screening, single-cell CRISPR screening, cell engineering, and sequencing services. The platform enables researchers to perform genome-wide or targeted genetic screens to identify drug targets and biomarkers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CloneTracker: Cell barcoding libraries and kits for clonal tracking and lineage analysis
• DriverMap AIR
• DriverMap EXP
• CRISPR-Test
• CloneTracker XP
• DECIPHER
• LentiFuge
• LentiTrans
• LentiPrep
• PromoterTest

Products and services

• CRISPR Knockout Pooled Lentiviral sgRNA Libraries Pooled lentiviral sgRNA libraries used by researchers for unbiased phenotypic knockout screens in mammalian cell systems, enabling disruption of thousands of genes in a single experiment for functional genomics and drug target discovery.
• CRISPRa / CRISPRi Pooled Lentiviral sgRNA Libraries Pooled lentiviral sgRNA libraries for CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screens, including unique dual-sgRNA constructs that enhance activation or repression effects.
• Custom sgRNA Libraries Custom-designed CRISPR sgRNA pooled libraries targeting virtually any set of genes with customizable guide sequences and vector features for specialized screening applications.
• shRNA Knockdown Pooled Lentiviral Libraries Pre-made and custom pooled lentiviral-based shRNA libraries used for genetic screening experiments to discover and functionally characterize therapeutic targets.
• Custom shRNA Libraries Custom pooled shRNA libraries targeting any set of genes with embedded shRNA barcodes for simplified sequencing readout in functional genomics screens.
• CloneTracker XP CRISPR Barcode Libraries Pooled lentiviral libraries with barcoded sgRNA expression cassettes for Perturb-Seq, CROP-Seq, and CRISP-Seq single-cell analysis applications, enabling joint readout of guide RNA identity and transcriptomic response.
• Cas9 Cell Lines (Pre-made & Validated) Off-the-shelf, functionally validated Cas9-expressing mammalian cell lines (including 293T, 786-O, 5637, A375, A549, A2058) for CRISPR knockout screens.
• dCas9-Expressing Cell Lines for CRISPRa/CRISPRi Pre-made dCas9-expressing cell lines with various effector fusions (VPH, VPR, KRAB) for CRISPR activation and CRISPR inhibition experiments.
• CRISPR-Test Cas9 Activity Assays Flow cytometry-based assay kits to measure functional activity of Cas9 nuclease, dCas9-repressor, or dCas9-activator by quantifying GFP loss in engineered mammalian cells.
• NGS Prep Kits for sgRNA / shRNA Libraries Complete reagents and primers to generate sequencing-ready samples from genomic DNA for pooled lentiviral CRISPR, shRNA, and barcode libraries.
• DriverMap AIR TCR/BCR Repertoire Profiling NGS-based assays for profiling T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) sequences from DNA or RNA, offered in bulk and single-cell formats for human and mouse samples.
• DriverMap EXP Targeted RNA-Seq Expression Profiling Targeted RNA-Seq assays for gene expression profiling from limited samples, including human genome-wide and mouse targeted panels, with capability to profile as little as 30 uL of dried blood microsamples.
• DriverMap scAIR Profiling Kits Single-cell TCR/BCR profiling kits for human, mouse or hybrid samples providing high-resolution reliable TCR or BCR chain pairing data for adaptive immune receptor repertoire analysis.
• CRISPR/RNAi Screening Services Full-scale genetic screening services using pooled lentiviral sgRNA and shRNA libraries to identify genes controlling specific phenotypes such as viability, growth, and pathway activation, for researchers who prefer outsourcing.
• Single-Cell CRISPR Screening Service Single-cell CRISPR screening service using Perturb-Seq, CRISPR-Seq, and CROP-Seq workflows to study the effects of CRISPR-based perturbations on mRNA expression.
• Custom Cas9 and dCas9-Variant Cell Line Service Custom cell engineering service to generate stably expressing Cas9 or dCas9-activator/repressor cell lines validated with the CRISPR-Test assay for downstream screening applications.
• Sequencing Service for Samples from Genetic Screens Full-service NGS processing including DNA extraction, amplification, Illumina sequencing, and enumeration of shRNA, sgRNA, or barcode counts from pooled lentiviral library screens.
• Bioinformatics Analysis Services Professional computational biology services for functional genetic screening analysis, adaptive immune receptor profiling analysis, and targeted RNA-Seq analysis, including standard and custom reports.
• Tissue-2-Target Service Service linking tissue samples to target identification for biomarker and drug discovery applications.
• HLA Typing Service Service for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing using advanced sequencing methods to support immunology and transplantation research.
• LentiTrans Transduction Reagent Polybrene-based transduction reagent for enhancing lentiviral transduction efficiency in mammalian cell engineering workflows.
• LentiFuge Viral Concentration Reagent Reagent for concentrating lentiviral particles to achieve improved viral titer for transduction applications.
• LentiPrep Lentiviral Reagent Set Lentiviral reagent set with fluorescent control for monitoring packaging and transduction efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• HEAT sgRNA modifications improve Cas9 interactions for more robust knockout efficiency
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Neoteryx LLCcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Partnership announced May 2025 to combine Neoteryx's Mitra VAMS (Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling) devices with Cellecta's DriverMap EXP profiling kit for at-home finger-prick blood collection with whole-genome expression analysis. This integration enables minimally invasive dried blood microsampling (as little as 30 uL) combined with Cellecta's targeted RNA-Seq expression profiling, expanding applications for decentralized healthcare and home-based diagnostics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CELLECTA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cellecta