ION Biosciences

What ION Biosciences does

ION Biosciences is a privately held life-sciences reagent and assay technologies company headquartered in San Marcos, Texas, founded in 2019 as the operating entity for a fluorescence-based ion indicator and assay franchise with two decades of underlying scientific lineage. The company manufactures fluorescent ion indicators (calcium, sodium, potassium, thallium, lithium, pH), branded assay kits (Brilliant Calcium, Brilliant Sodium 2, Brilliant Thallium and Thallium Gold, thallium-free hERG and GIRK kits), HaloTag-compatible probes for organellar ion channels, stable cell lines, and screening services, plus custom synthesis and contract chemistry from milligram to kilogram scale. Its core platform is proprietary fluorescence chemistry combined with the Wavefront Panoptic HTS instrument (Agilent Bravo plus FLIPR reader, 96-384 well, 6-laser multiplexing, 100 Hz acquisition), enabling high-throughput screens for ion channels, GPCRs, and SLC transporters with integrated automated patch-clamp validation.

ION serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology drug-discovery programs targeting the three largest membrane-protein target families: ion channels (~500 members, ~15% of approved drugs), GPCRs (~800 members, ~36% of approved drugs), and SLC transporters (~400 members). The customer base spans primary preclinical drug discovery, GPCR functional and biased-agonism research, SLC transporter ADME work, safety pharmacology including hERG cardiotoxicity, and the emerging organellar ion channel research field. The company addresses pain points around thallium-based assay safety, lack of true sodium-selective screens, and the historical inability to run HTS on intracellular membranes.

Revenue is generated through five streams: catalog product sales (catalog indicators and assay kits with publicly disclosed unit pricing, $82-$1,495), screening services (HTS campaigns in 96-384 well formats), assay development services (cell line engineering, multiplexed assays, organellar assays, complex protocols), custom synthesis (fluorescent probes, conjugatable indicators, contract chemistry), and cell-line sales. Distribution combines self-service e-commerce, consultative direct sales for enterprise services, and a global distributor network. Pricing for products is publicly posted; service pricing is quote-based. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, operates as ION Biosciences, LLC in Texas, and has 11-50 employees.

Name

ION Biosciences

Legal name

ION Biosciences, LLC

Website

https://ionbiosciences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ION Biosciences manufactures proprietary fluorescent ion indicators, assay kits, and HaloTag-compatible probes, and runs high-throughput screening services for ion channel, GPCR, and SLC transporter drug discovery programs at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Reagents

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Reagents, Chemicals & Assay Kits (Buffers, Antibodies, ELISA, Enzymes) (HLAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mass Spectrometry & Spectroscopy Instruments (HLAGAIAB), Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH), Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity) (HLAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Fluorescent ion indicators
• Ion channel assays
• Drug discovery reagents
• GPCR screening assays
• SLC transporter assays

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marcos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fluorescent Ion Indicators and Assays: Manufacture and sale of proprietary fluorescent ion indicators (calcium, sodium, potassium, thallium, pH) and ready-to-use assay kits for ion channels, transporters, and GPCRs. Products sold in various sizes with tiered pricing.
2. Screening Services: High-throughput screening (HTS) services for hit finding and lead optimization using proprietary fluorescence-based assays in 96-384 well formats. Includes GPCR assay services, ion channel assay services, SLC transporter assay services, and automated patch clamp validation.
3. Assay Development Services: Custom assay development including cell line engineering (stable cell lines), target-specific assay development, multiplexed assays, organellar ion channel assays, and complex liquid handling protocols.
4. Custom Synthesis and Contract Chemistry: Custom synthesis of fluorescent probes, conjugatable ion indicators, and contract chemistry services. Capabilities span from milligrams to kilograms scale with analytical instrumentation support (LCMS, NMR).
5. Cell Lines: Sale of validated stable cell lines expressing ion channels, transporters, and GPCRs for drug discovery screening.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ION Biosciences manufactures proprietary fluorescent ion indicators (calcium, sodium, potassium, thallium, lithium, pH) and ready-to-use assay kits for ion channels, SLC transporters, and GPCRs used in drug discovery screening. The company also provides high-throughput screening services, custom assay development, cell line engineering, automated patch clamp validation, and custom fluorescent probe synthesis for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers.

Product overview

ION Biosciences is a life sciences company specializing in fluorescent ion indicators, assay kits, and screening services for early-stage preclinical drug discovery targeting ion channels, GPCRs, and SLC transporters. The company manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of fluorescent ion indicators spanning the visible spectrum: calcium indicators (Fluo-4 AM, Fura-2 AM, Fluo-Gold, ICR-1, BAPTA JF series), sodium indicators (ING-1, ING-2, SBFI), potassium indicators (IPG family, PBFI), and thallium indicators (Thallos, Thallos Gold, HaloTag-compatible variants). The assay kit portfolio includes branded assay solutions such as Brilliant Calcium/Gold, Brilliant Sodium 2, Brilliant Thallium/Gold/Snapshot, and the world's first Thallium-free hERG Potassium Channel Assay for safer cardiotoxicity screening. GPCR assay services leverage calcium flux, cAMP biosensors, and Gi/o GIRK thallium flux readouts, while ion channel services cover sodium, potassium, calcium, and non-selective cation channels. The proprietary HaloTag-compatible platform enables organellar ion channel assays for mitochondria, lysosomes, and nuclei. The Wavefront Panoptic HTS platform (FLIPR-based) powers 96-384 well screening with 6-laser multiplexing and 100 Hz acquisition rates. Custom synthesis services provide custom fluorescent probes, conjugatable ion indicators, and contract chemistry from milligrams to kilograms scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fluo-4 AM Green fluorescent, membrane-permeable calcium indicator (Ex 490 nm/Em 515 nm, Kd 355 nM) for high-throughput screening of GPCRs and ion channels in drug discovery programs.
• Fura-2 AM UV-excitable, ratiometric green calcium indicator (Ex 340/380 nm/Em 505 nm, Kd 145 nM) for accurate quantification of intracellular calcium in kinetic and imaging assays.
• Fura-2 LR AM (Leakage-Resistant) Leakage-resistant, ratiometric calcium indicator with identical spectral properties to Fura-2 AM (Ex 340/380 nm/Em 505 nm, Kd 145 nM) that retains intracellular dye for long-duration kinetic imaging.
• ING-2 AM Yellow-green fluorescent sodium indicator (Ex 525 nm/Em 545 nm, Kd 20 mM) with superior Na+ selectivity over K+ for high-throughput screening of sodium channels and transporters.
• Thallos AM Best-in-class thallium-sensitive fluorescent indicator (Ex 490 nm/Em 515 nm) with outstanding cell loading and compatibility with FITC-filter plate readers, microscopes, and flow cytometers for potassium and sodium channel screening.
• ION Thallos-HTL Localizable thallium indicator with HaloTag ligand for cell-specific and organellar targeting, enabling organellar ion channel assays in their native environment.
• IPG-4 AM Yellow-green fluorescent potassium indicator (Ex 525 nm/Em 545 nm, Kd 7 mM) and highest-affinity member of the IPG family, replacing legacy PBFI for detecting large intracellular K+ changes.
• Brilliant Thallium Gold Assay Red-shifted fluorescence-based thallium flux assay kit for potassium, sodium, and non-selective cation channel screening; the gold standard for fluorescence-based HTS for two decades.
• Brilliant Sodium 2 Assay Enhanced voltage-gated sodium channel screening assay measuring native sodium flux with larger screening windows and more robust assay performance for NaV drug discovery.
• Thallium-free hERG Potassium Channel Assay World's first thallium-free fluorescence-based potassium channel assay for cardiotoxicity screening using a safer, greener workflow with validated hERG kits.
• Thallium-free GIRK Potassium Channel Assay Thallium-free fluorescence-based assay for GIRK (G protein-gated inward rectifying potassium) channel screening measuring potassium dynamics directly.
• Brilliant Calcium Gold Assay Red-shifted complete assay kit for voltage-gated calcium channels that reduces false positives from autofluorescent compounds and enables multiplexing with green dyes.
• Gi/o GPCR-GIRK Thallium Flux Assay Functional GPCR assay kit measuring thallium flux through GIRK channels upon Gi/o GPCR stimulation, offering larger signal windows and better Z' factors than cAMP assays.
• Sodium-Dependent SLC Transporter Assay First FLIPR-compatible, HTS-ready assay for sodium-dependent SLC transporters measuring sodium flux directly, compatible with electrogenic and electroneutral sodium-co-transporting transporters.
• HEK293 Kv11.1 (hERG) Cell Line Stable HEK293 cell line overexpressing Kv11.1 (hERG) potassium channel, validated for cardiotoxicity screening and hERG channel assays in drug discovery.
• Calcein AM Cell-permeable viability dye measuring intracellular esterase activity for live/dead cell assays and cell viability screening in drug discovery workflows.
• High-Throughput Screening Services Full-service high-throughput screening capabilities for ion channel, transporter, and GPCR targets in 96-384 well formats, including assay development, cell line engineering, compound profiling, and automated patch clamp validation.
• GPCR Assay Services Functional GPCR screening services for Gq, Gi, and Gs GPCRs identifying agonists, allosteric modulators, and biased agonism using calcium flux, cAMP biosensor, and thallium flux readouts.
• Ion Channel Assay Services Screening services for sodium, potassium, calcium, and non-selective cation channels using proprietary fluorescent assays, including cardiotoxicity profiling for hERG and other ion channels.
• Automated Patch Clamp Services Orthogonal electrophysiology validation extending fluorescence screening into voltage-controlled confirmation, including voltage-dependent activation/inactivation characterization, EC50/IC50 determination, and state-dependent inhibition confirmation.
• Cell Line Engineering Services Custom cell line development from vector design to monoclonal population using BacMam, plasmid, and lentiviral constructs for stable expression of ion channels, transporters, and GPCRs.
• Custom Fluorescent Probe Synthesis Custom synthesis of fluorescent probes from common scaffolds (fluorescein, rhodamine, BODIPY, coumarins) or from scratch, including organellar targeting, modified ion affinity, and enhanced photostability options.
• Conjugatable Ion Indicators Functionalization of ion indicators with reactive groups for linking to proteins, polymers, peptides, and solid-state surfaces, including biotinylated indicators and HaloTag ligands.
• Wavefront Panoptic HTS Platform High-throughput screening platform combining Agilent Bravo liquid handler with FLIPR fluorescence imaging plate reader, accommodating 96-384 well plates with 8 bays for tips and compound plates, 6 lasers for multiplexing, dual-excitation for optogenetics, and 100 Hz camera acquisition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Validated hERG and GIRK thallium-free kits available with better performance and safer workflows
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Molecular Devices: Molecular Devices (a Danaher operating company) sells the FLIPR fluorescence plate reader and IonWorks automated patch clamp systems that ION's assays are designed to run on, and also offers its own calcium/membrane potential assay kits — a direct competitor and ecosystem partner for HTS ion channel screening.
• AAT Bioquest: AAT Bioquest manufactures fluorescent ion indicators (calcium, sodium, potassium) and assay kits for drug discovery and life science research, overlapping directly with ION's Fluo, Fura, ING, and IPG product lines.
• Biotium: Biotium (acquired by Abcam/Danaher) is a developer of fluorescent dyes and probes including calcium and membrane potential indicators, overlapping with ION's catalog of fluorescent ion indicators and cell-health assays.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher's Molecular Probes brand is the legacy market leader for fluorescent ion indicators (Fluo-4, Fura-2, SBFI, PBFI) and offers an unmatched global reagent catalog, broad life sciences distribution, and balance sheet to compete on thallium-free and sodium-selective formats.
• MilliporeSigma: MilliporeSigma (the Sigma-Aldrich life science business of Merck KGaA) distributes a deep catalog of fluorescent probes, cell lines, and assay kits used in ion channel and GPCR research, and competes broadly with ION's catalog reagent line.
• Eurofins Discovery: Eurofins Discovery provides high-throughput screening, ion channel, and GPCR assay services to pharma and biotech — directly comparable to ION's screening, assay development, and automated patch clamp service offerings.
• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River's Discovery and Safety Assessment segment offers ion channel safety pharmacology (hERG/manual patch) and broader drug discovery services, competing with ION's cardiotoxicity screening and HTS service portfolio.
• Abcam: Abcam (owned by Danaher) supplies research-grade antibodies, dyes, and assay kits with global reach; its acquisition of Biotium strengthens overlap with ION's fluorescent indicator and cell-health product lines.

Emerging players

• Bio-Techne: Bio-Techne's Tocris Bioscience brand supplies specialty research reagents including calcium indicators and GPCR ligands; its GMP-grade reagents and analytical reagents portfolio overlap with ION's specialty catalog.
• Cayman Chemical: Cayman Chemical manufactures biochemicals, assay kits, and fluorescent probes used in ion channel, transporter, and GPCR research — comparable in product format and customer base to ION's catalog reagent business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ionbiosciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ionbiosciences
• Xx.com/ionbiosciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/IONBiosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ION Biosciences