BioCurious
BioCurious is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community biology lab in Santa Clara, California, providing shared BSL-1 lab space, equipment access, and workshops to citizen scientists, entrepreneurs, students, and corporate teams, with member-funded operations and donation support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSanta Clara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BioCurious does
BioCurious is a 501(c)(3) California-registered nonprofit operating a community biology laboratory at 3108 Patrick Henry Drive in Santa Clara, California. Itself-described as the world's largest community lab space for biology, the facility functions as a shared BSL-1 wet lab equipped with HPLC, spectrophotometers, thermocyclers, RT-PCR systems, ultracentrifuges, and microscopes, made available to amateurs, inventors, entrepreneurs, citizen scientists, hobbyists, and students who would otherwise lack access to such infrastructure.
The core product is tiered membership — monthly ($100/month) and annual individual plans plus family plans, with add-on storage modules (dry bins at $10/month, -80C freezer boxes at $20/month per six boxes, tissue culture room access at $150/month, and dedicated lab benches at $400/month) — augmented by 2-hour paid corporate innovation workshops billed via invoice and free community-led projects (Open Insulin, Real Vegan Cheese, BioPrinter, Cuttlefish, Kombucha Genomics) that are open to the public without membership. Distribution is community-led: Meetup.com drives event scheduling and acquisition, Instagram (@biocurious.cuttlefish) provides social presence, and earned media in Smithsonian, Nature, Forbes, Scientific American, Popular Science, PBS, and The New Yorker provides top-of-funnel visibility. Go-to-market mixes self-serve membership signups on the website with direct corporate sales for workshops and PayPal-based tax-deductible donations under EIN 273848068.
Operationally, BioCurious is governed by a volunteer board including Maria Chavez (President), Jay Hanson (Chairman, ex-Apple and Visioneer), Joe Bamberg (Treasurer, ex-Zoecon and Roche), Innokenti Toulokhonov (founder of Amid Biosciences), and cofounder Eri Gentry (also a White House Champion for Change in Citizen Science and former CEO of Livly). Advisory depth is provided by Eric Espinosa (PhD, Stanford biochemistry) and Ulrike Pflückhahn (PhD, cell biology lab lead). The organization has hosted externally recognized work, including the Stanford 2020 iGEM team's Gold Medal-winning COVID-19 test kit. There is no equity funding, parent company, or acquisition history disclosed in the inputs.
BioCurious firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BioCurious
- Legal name
- BioCurious
- Website
- https://biocurious.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BioCurious is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community biology lab in Santa Clara, California, providing shared BSL-1 lab space, equipment access, and workshops to citizen scientists, entrepreneurs, students, and corporate teams, with member-funded operations and donation support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BioCurious industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Biology Laboratory / Biotech Makerspace
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bioprocess Safety, Biosafety & Contamination Control Solutions (single-use integrity, environmental monitoring) (HLAAAJAO)
Keywords
Where BioCurious is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Clara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BioCurious business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Monthly and annual membership subscriptions providing access to lab space, co-working area, equipment use, storage, and class/event discounts. Family memberships available for parents with minors under 18.
- Premium Add-on Services: Additional paid services including dry storage bins ($10/month), -80C freezer storage ($20/month per 6 boxes), tissue culture room access ($150/month), and dedicated lab benches ($400/month).
- Corporate Workshops: 2-hour hands-on innovation workshops for corporate teams visiting from other companies, with invoicing and catering options.
- Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit accepting one-time donations via PayPal. Tax-deductible contributions with EIN 273848068.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Family Monthly Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Annual Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Dry Storage Bin Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | -80C Freezer Storage Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Tissue Culture Room Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Dedicated Lab Bench Add-on |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
BioCurious product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BioCurious operates a community biology laboratory in Santa Clara, CA, providing shared access to professional biotech equipment (HPLC, spectrophotometer, thermocyclers, RT-PCR, ultracentrifuge, microscopes) and co-working space through tiered memberships. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering safety training, add-on storage and bench options, member-led community projects (e.g., Open Insulin, Real Vegan Cheese, BioPrinter, Cuttlefish), and paid corporate innovation workshops.
Product overview
BioCurious is a community biology lab and makerspace that operates as a single integrated platform offering lab access, equipment, and educational programs. The core offering is membership-based access to a fully equipped BSL-1 laboratory with shared instruments (HPLC, spectrophotometer, thermocyclers, RT-PCR, centrifuges, ultra-low temperature freezers). Add-on modules include dry storage bins, freezer storage boxes, tissue culture room access, and dedicated lab benches. Educational services include corporate workshops for innovation training and community projects (BioPrinter, Cuttlefish Project, Open Insulin Project, Real Vegan Cheese, Kombucha Genomics) that are free and open to the public. The organization also accepts tax-deductible donations to support operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lab Membership Subscription-based membership providing individual and family access to lab space, shared biotech equipment, co-working area, personal storage, free safety training, and class/event discounts.
- Corporate Workshops Hands-on 2-hour lab workshops and innovation culture training sessions for visiting corporate teams, with optional catering and invoicing available.
- Community Projects Collaborative member-led biotech projects open to public participation, covering synthetic biology, open-source insulin production, vegan cheese, and genomics research.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free safety training and orientation included with all memberships
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BioCurious
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BioCurious technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
BioCurious partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BountiFoodsminorBountiFoods founder Poonam Narula interviewed about her experience at BioCurious, suggesting use of the lab for food technology development.
- LoliwareminorLoliware (seaweed-based edible cup company) founder Sea Briganti interviewed about experience at BioCurious, indicating prior use of the lab.
- Stanford iGEM TeamminorStanford's 2020 iGEM team used BioCurious lab facilities for their Self-Replicating COVID-19 Test Kit project. The team won a Gold Medal at the iGEM competition.
- Counter Culture LabscoreCollaboration partner on the Real Vegan Cheese project, an award-winning open-source initiative to make real cheese without animals using genetically engineered yeast. Both organizations contribute to shared project goals and community.
- Latin American Network of BioHacker SpacesminorBoard Member Maria Chavez serves as an adviser to this network, connecting BioCurious to the broader global biohacker community.
- Open Insulin ProjectcoreOpen-source project developing freely available protocol for insulin production. Maria Chavez is a leading member; project aims to make insulin affordable for the 387 million diabetics worldwide.
- Cuttlefish ProjectcoreBioCurious cofounder Maria Chavez is cofounder of the Cuttlefish Project, an ambitious effort to create the first immortal cell line for a mollusc species and fully sequence the cuttlefish genome.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BioCurious competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Counter Culture Labs: Oakland-based community biology nonprofit and explicit BioCurious partner on the Real Vegan Cheese project. Operates a similar BSL-1 shared lab model for citizen scientists and is the closest geographic and mission-aligned peer.
- Genspace: Brooklyn, NY-based community biotech nonprofit founded in 2009, considered the original U.S. community biology lab. Offers shared BSL-1 lab access, classes, and community projects targeting the same citizen-scientist and DIY-bio segments.
- Biotech Without Borders: NYC-based 501(c)(3) community lab providing shared biotech equipment access and education to the public. Operates with a very similar nonprofit, mission-driven, member-based lab access model.
- BUGSS (Baltimore Under Ground Science Space): Baltimore-based nonprofit community biology lab offering shared equipment and educational programs to citizen scientists. Directly comparable as a BSL-1 community lab with a similar educational mission.
- Open Science Network: California-based grassroots community biology nonprofit focused on open and affordable science. Comparable in mission, audience (citizen scientists, hobbyists), and shared equipment access model.
Emerging players
- The Open Insulin Foundation: BioCurious is a core partner on the Open Insulin Project. While focused specifically on open-source insulin production rather than general lab access, it shares the same DIY-bio, open-science audience and community-driven R&D model.
- MBC BioLabs: Bay Area biotech incubator providing shared lab space and equipment to early-stage startups. Targets a similar biotech entrepreneur segment as BioCurious but with a more commercial, venture-backed model.
- Bioartlab / Biohack the Planet: Community bio event series and lab spaces catering to biohackers, DIY biologists, and bioartists. Directly comparable audience and mission but operates more as events/collective than as a fixed BSL-1 lab.
Broad incumbents
- Asimov: Boston-based synthetic biology company building engineered cell lines and tools. Operates at a much larger commercial scale in adjacent biotech infrastructure, representing a broader industry player pursuing similar democratization themes.
- New England Biolabs: Established life science tools manufacturer and reagents supplier. Serves a similar biotech R&D customer base (academic, citizen, and commercial labs) but as a large commercial vendor of enzymes and reagents rather than a shared lab operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BioCurious social profiles
Digital presenceBioCurious financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BioCurious leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
BioCurious funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BioCurious 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 BioCurious
What does BioCurious do?
BioCurious operates a community biology laboratory in Santa Clara, CA, providing shared access to professional biotech equipment (HPLC, spectrophotometer, thermocyclers, RT-PCR, ultracentrifuge, microscopes) and co-working space through tiered memberships. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering safety training, add-on storage and bench options, member-led community projects (e.g., Open Insulin, Real Vegan Cheese, BioPrinter, Cuttlefish), and paid corporate innovation workshops.
Is BioCurious a public or private company?
BioCurious is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BioCurious founded?
BioCurious was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BioCurious based?
BioCurious is headquartered in Santa Clara, United States, in the North America region.
How does BioCurious make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are premium Add-on Services, corporate Workshops and donations.
Who are BioCurious's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Counter Culture Labs, Genspace, Biotech Without Borders, BUGSS (Baltimore Under Ground Science Space) and Open Science Network. Emerging players are The Open Insulin Foundation, MBC BioLabs and Bioartlab / Biohack the Planet. Broad incumbents are Asimov and New England Biolabs.
Does BioCurious have an API?
No public API is recorded for BioCurious.
What industry is BioCurious in?
BioCurious's product category is Community Biology Laboratory / Biotech Makerspace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAG, Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers), with a secondary code of HLAAAJAO, Bioprocess Safety, Biosafety & Contamination Control Solutions (single-use integrity, environmental monitoring). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.