ShiftBio

What ShiftBio does

ShiftBio is a Seoul-based biotechnology company founded on November 9, 2020, that develops programmable natural nanoparticle (NNP) drug delivery platforms built on engineered extracellular vesicles. The company's core technology is the NNP Platform, structured as a three-component Trinity: the NSM (Nanovesicle Sorting Motif) Scaffold enabling programmable targeting and multi-cargo loading via three major tetraspanins; NNP Design AI for in silico prediction of engineering outcomes before wet-lab validation, developed in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform; and a scalable GMP-ready NNP Manufacturing process. On top of this base platform, ShiftBio has built two specialized delivery systems—B-NNP, which uses a dual-targeting "Dock-and-Transcytosis" mechanism for blood-brain barrier crossing and deep CNS penetration, and I-NNP, an immune-guided carrier that exploits CD47 signaling to deliver payloads to inflamed and fibrotic tissues. Lead pipeline programs include SBI-101 (CD47-guided oncology, Pre-IND completed), SBI-102 (FDA Orphan Drug Designated for acute liver failure, TGA application submitted), SIRP-NNP, and HIF1α-NNP for macrophage reprogramming.

The company generates revenue through three streams: CSO (Contract Science Organization) services providing translational research and non-clinical pharmacology studies to clients (700 million KRW disclosed for Korea in 2022, with stated ambition to reach 5 billion KRW annually worldwide by 2025); technology licensing of platform assets including a 10 billion KRW exclusive license of LGP-S01 to LabGenomics (500M KRW commission plus 9.5B KRW in milestones); and platform partnerships where pharmaceutical and biotech counterparties bring therapeutic payloads and disease biology while ShiftBio provides organ-specific delivery engineering. Primary customers are pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking advanced delivery solutions for indications where conventional LNP, AAV, and ADC systems face toxicity, redosing, or extrahepatic targeting limitations—particularly rare diseases, inflammatory and fibrotic conditions, oncology, and CNS disorders.

ShiftBio is privately held and venture-backed, with approximately 6 billion KRW raised through 2022. Its Scientific Advisory Board includes leading extracellular vesicle and oncology researchers from Harvard/Dana-Farber, Johns Hopkins, and Cedars-Sinai, and co-founder Professor In-San Kim from KIST is a recognized pioneer in exosome-based cancer immunotherapy. The company participates in major global partnering events (BIO, EASL, ASGCT, ISCT, CNS Drug Delivery Summit) and maintains active programs across regulatory, manufacturing scale-up (via RoosterBio), and AI platform development (via Dassault Systèmes), with a new headquarters opened in Seoul in June 2026.

Name

ShiftBio

Legal name

SHIFTBIO INC.

Website

https://shiftbio.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ShiftBio is a Seoul-based biotech company developing programmable natural nanoparticle (NNP) drug delivery platforms built on engineered extracellular vesicles. It serves pharmaceutical and biotech partners seeking organ-specific delivery for rare diseases, cancer, inflammatory/fibrotic conditions, and CNS indications via licensing, CSO services, and co-development partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopharmaceutical Drug Delivery Platforms

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG), Neurology & Psychiatry (CNS) Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAF), AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)

Keywords

• Exosome drug delivery
• Natural nanoparticle platform
• Targeted therapeutics
• Extracellular vesicle delivery
• Rare disease therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSO Services: Customized Contract Science Organization (CSO) services providing translational research and non-clinical pharmacology studies tailored to client needs. Generates near-term revenue while R&D continues.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of platform technologies and pipeline assets to pharmaceutical partners. Includes exclusive licenses for proprietary technologies like LGP-S01 (ferritin-based anti-cancer nanocage).
3. Platform Partnerships: Collaborative development deals where partners bring payloads and disease biology; ShiftBio provides delivery solutions. Includes co-development agreements and milestone payments.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ShiftBio develops and licenses a programmable Natural Nanoparticle (NNP) drug delivery platform built on engineered extracellular vesicles (exosomes). The platform combines the NSM Scaffold for programmable targeting, NNP Design AI for in silico prediction, and GMP-ready NNP Manufacturing to deliver therapeutic payloads (ASO, siRNA, protein, mRNA, transcription factors) to tissues beyond the reach of conventional LNP/AAV systems, including the brain (B-NNP) and inflamed/fibrotic tissues (I-NNP). The company monetizes the platform through CSO services, technology licensing, and co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Product overview

ShiftBio is a biotech company developing a programmable Natural Nanoparticle (NNP) drug delivery platform. The core NNP Platform consists of three integrated components: the NSM Scaffold for programmable targeting and multi-cargo loading, NNP Design AI for in silico prediction of engineering outcomes, and NNP Manufacturing for scalable GMP-ready production. The platform supports two specialized delivery systems: B-NNP for brain-targeted CNS delivery and I-NNP for immunology-driven delivery to inflamed/fibrotic tissues. Lead pipeline programs include SBI-101 and SBI-102, both utilizing CD47-guided SIRPα-mediated blockade. The company also has HIF1α-NNP as a second program for transcription factor delivery. ShiftBio operates a platform-based partnership model where collaborators bring therapeutic payloads (ASO, siRNA, protein, mRNA) and disease biology expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Five-set®: A product brand/platform technology mentioned on the company's website.
• Maxisome
• Fusosome
• InProDel
• NSM (Nanovesicle Sorting Motif)
• NNP (Natural Nanoparticle)
• SBI-101 / SBI-102
• SIRP-NNP
• HIF1α-NNP

Products and services

• NNP Platform Programmable Natural Nanoparticle (NNP) delivery platform that designs, models, and manufactures next-generation delivery vehicles end-to-end for pharmaceutical and biotech partners. Enables targeted, versatile, redosable, and scalable delivery of therapeutic payloads.
• SBI-101 CD47-guided I-NNP lead oncology anchor combining selective accumulation with SIRPα-mediated CD47-SIRPα blockade to target PD-1 blockade resistant cold tumors. Available to pharmaceutical partners for clinical co-development.
• SBI-102 CD47-guided I-NNP lead anchor combining selective accumulation with SIRPα-mediated CD47-SIRPα blockade for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. FDA Orphan Drug Designated for Acute Liver Failure with clinical trial application to TGA submitted.
• B-NNP (Brain Targeted Delivery Platform) Brain-targeted nanoparticle delivery platform using dual-targeting 'Dock-and-Transcytose' mechanism for blood-brain barrier crossing and deep CNS penetration to target brain parenchymal cells for neurodegeneration indications. Available to pharma/biotech partners.
• I-NNP (Immunology-Driven Delivery Platform) Immune-guided nanoparticle carrier targeting CD47 signaling to deliver therapeutic payloads to inflamed and fibrotic tissues including IBD, IPF, MASH, AKI, autoimmune, and oncology indications. Available to pharma/biotech partners.
• SIRP-NNP SIRPα-engineered natural nanoparticle program for immunology applications using CD47-SIRPα 'don't eat me' signal blockade to target inflammatory and fibrotic tissues while delivering therapeutic payloads; serves as lead anchor for the I-NNP platform.
• HIF1α-NNP Pipeline program utilizing NNP-mediated delivery of transcription factor HIF1α for in vivo macrophage reprogramming, promoting trained immunity for management of inflammatory diseases.
• ShiftBio CSO Services Customized Contract Science Organization (CSO) services providing translational research and non-clinical pharmacology studies tailored to client needs. Available to biopharma and academic partners as a paid service offering.
• LGP-S01 (Ferritin-Based Anti-Cancer Nanocage License) Exclusive licensing of ShiftBio's ferritin-based anti-cancer nanocage technology for CD47 blockade therapeutics. Covering patents KR 10-1953617 and US 10,905,774; licensed to LabGenomics.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dassault SystèmescoreTechnology or Integration · 19 June 2023Joint research collaboration on AI-driven Cell-Free Nanotherapy Platform Technology. Combines ShiftBio's drug development technology with Dassault's Insilico computer modeling and 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Focus on accelerating natural nanoparticle-based drug development through AI-powered design and validation. Dassault plans to establish Biotech Innovation Lab in South Korea.
• RoosterBio Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2022Strategic partnership for large-scale manufacturing process development of SBI-102, ShiftBio's main pipeline for rare diseases and cancer. Collaboration includes innovative business models and joint efforts on production scale-up. RoosterBio brings expertise in mesenchymal stem cell-based solutions.
• LabGenomicscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 25 August 2021Licensed exclusive rights for LGP-S01 ferritin-based anti-cancer nanocage technology (CD47 blockade). Contract worth 10 billion KRW (500M commission + 9.5B milestones). Related patents: Novel Nanocages and Their Uses (KR 10-1953617, US 10,905,774).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BioNTech: Global leader in RNA therapeutics with proprietary lipid nanoparticle delivery technology (validated via Comirnaty). The dominant incumbent defining the LNP baseline against which ShiftBio explicitly positions its NNP "next-gen" pitch; a key competitive reference and a likely partner-or-acquirer candidate as pharmaceutical majors look beyond legacy LNP.
• Generation Bio: Clinical-stage genetic medicines company developing a non-viral delivery platform (cell-targeted lipid nanoparticles, ctLNP) for redosable gene therapies across liver and extrahepatic tissues. Direct strategic rival in the extrahepatic/targeted delivery space that partners evaluate alongside ShiftBio for nucleic acid and gene medicine payloads.
• Arcturus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage RNA medicines company with proprietary LNP delivery platforms, including a STARR-enabled self-amplifying mRNA platform validated through COVID-19 partnerships and rare disease programs. Comparable as a delivery-platform business licensing to pharma, and overlapping with ShiftBio on the universal delivery-problem framing (LNP toxicity/redosing limits).
• Verve Therapeutics: Clinical-stage company developing in vivo base editing medicines for cardiovascular disease using LNP delivery to the liver. Although its lead modality is liver-directed (where NNPs are not differentiated), it represents the leading commercial benchmark for delivery-platform biotechs pursuing partnership-driven business models — frequently cited in the same conversations as ShiftBio.

Emerging players

• ReCode Therapeutics: Clinical-stage company developing lipid nanoparticle-based selective organ targeting (SORT) for genetic medicines including cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Most directly comparable to ShiftBio's mission of organ-specific extrahepatic delivery, with the analogous competitive thesis of overcoming conventional LNP extrahepatic limitations — a direct substitute technology in the same commercial conversation.
• Laronde (formerly Omega Therapeutics -> rebrand): Platform company developing Endless RNA (eRNA) therapeutics — a non-LNP, non-mRNA delivery approach with broad tissue targeting, programmable dosing, and repeat administration. Closest emerging analog to ShiftBio on the design thesis (programmable, redosable delivery for nucleic acid payloads) and useful for cap-table and platform-deal precedent comparisons.

Direct peers

• Capricor Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing exosome-based therapeutics (CAP-1002 and next-gen exosome programs) for rare diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Directly comparable in deploying engineered EVs as therapeutic vehicles with orphan-disease regulatory positioning similar to ShiftBio's I-NNP approach for acute liver and kidney indications.
• Codiak BioSciences: Was a clinical-stage leader in engineered exosome-based therapeutics (exoIL-12, exoSTING), built around a programmable extracellular vesicle platform with modular surface engineering and loading — the closest analog to ShiftBio's NSM Scaffold + NNP approach. Although the company wound down operations, its technology roadmap remains the benchmark for exosome delivery competitors and partners benchmark against.
• Evox Therapeutics: UK-based clinical-stage company engineering extracellular vesicles for delivery of nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules to difficult-to-reach tissues (including CNS). Comparable platform model: bespoke loading and surface engineering of natural EVs to enable repeat dosing and tissue-specific delivery, overlapping directly with ShiftBio's programmable NNP positioning.

Others

• RoosterBio: Strategic manufacturing partner to ShiftBio (SBI-102 scale-up) and a leading supplier of mesenchymal stem cell and EV/exosome production platforms and processes. Listed as OTHERS because, rather than competing, RoosterBio serves as a critical enabling supplier/manufacturer for cell-derived therapeutic EV production, directly comparable to the kind of infrastructure ShiftBio leverages for NNP Manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInkr.linkedin.com/company/shiftbio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ShiftBio