Cellscript
CELLSCRIPT is a privately-held Madison, Wisconsin-based biotechnology company that develops enzyme-based kits and reagents for mRNA synthesis, modification, and quality control, serving academic researchers, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, and CROs/CDMOs globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cellscript does
CELLSCRIPT is a privately-held biotechnology company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that develops and manufactures enzyme-based kits and reagents for mRNA synthesis, modification, and quality control. Founded in 2007 as part of EPICENTRE Biotechnologies and operating independently since 2011 following Illumina's acquisition of EPICENTRE, the company serves academic researchers, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, and CROs/CDMOs globally. Its products are cited in peer-reviewed publications including Nature, Science, and Cell, indicating adoption in high-impact research workflows.
The company's core product portfolio centers on proprietary mRNA synthesis and capping technologies, including the INCOGNITO™ line, which is built on exclusive licenses from the University of Pennsylvania for modified nucleoside mRNA technology derived from the Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. Additional platforms include Min-Immune™ Gold for self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and immunogenicity reduction, EZ-QC™ for quality control assays, and mScript™ for mRNA production. These enzymes and reagents are designed for research-grade use and tailored to applications such as mRNA vaccine development, iPSC reprogramming, and protein production. The company supports its catalog with a Knowledge Hub resource center and a Fall 2025 newsletter cadence.
CELLSCRIPT operates primarily through direct e-commerce sales via its website, with per-kit pricing visible to individual researchers and institutions, and complements this with custom mRNA synthesis services. The customer base spans academic institutions, biotech startups, large pharmaceutical companies, and CROs/CDMOs, with no disclosed anchor-customer concentration. Public information on employee count, funding history, or revenue is limited, consistent with its private, low-profile operating posture.
Cellscript firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cellscript
- Legal name
- CELLSCRIPT
- Website
- https://cellscript.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CELLSCRIPT is a privately-held Madison, Wisconsin-based biotechnology company that develops enzyme-based kits and reagents for mRNA synthesis, modification, and quality control, serving academic researchers, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, and CROs/CDMOs globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cellscript industry classification
Industry- Product category
- mRNA Synthesis Reagents
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC) (HLAAADAF), RNA Therapeutics Safety & Immunogenicity (innate immune activation, tox, off-target) (HLAAADAI), Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE)
Keywords
Where Cellscript is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cellscript business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- mRNA and RNA Research Kits: Sale of research use only kits for mRNA synthesis, including INCOGNITO™ modified nucleoside kits, mScript™ Complete systems, capping systems, polyadenylation kits, and quality control assays. Products are sold directly through the company website with pricing in U.S. dollars and payment terms of 30 days from invoice date.
- Custom mRNA Services: Custom mRNA synthesis services for research use, with both Research Use Only (RUO) and GMP-Grade material options available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Research Use Only (RUO) Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cellscript product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CELLSCRIPT develops, manufactures, and sells research-use-only enzyme kits and reagents for mRNA synthesis, including in vitro transcription kits, 5' RNA capping systems, 3' poly(A) tailing kits, dsRNA removal kits, and mRNA quality control assays. The company also offers custom mRNA synthesis services in both RUO and GMP-Grade formats. Its products are targeted at academic researchers, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical organizations developing mRNA-based therapeutics, vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies.
Product overview
Cellscript provides a comprehensive portfolio of RNA synthesis technologies organized across multiple product lines. The core offerings center on the mScript™ Complete mRNA Production Systems (including INCOGNITO™ variants with modified nucleosides like pseudouridine and N1-methyl-pseudouridine) that enable researchers to produce fully 5'-capped, 3'-polyadenylated mRNA for translation in cells. Supporting this are discrete workflow components: T7 transcription kits (canonical and modified nucleoside variants), ScriptCap™ capping enzymes and systems, A-Plus™ poly(A) polymerase for tailing, Min-Immune™ Gold for dsRNA removal, and EZ-QC™ assay kits for quality control. Additional products address circular RNA preparation (RNA 5' Polyphosphatase, RNase R, T4 RNA Ligase 2), reprogramming (INCOGNITO™ iPSCMax™), and general RNA tools (RNase inhibitors, adenylation kits). The company also offers DNA technologies (EasyXtract™ extraction, TempliAMP™ RCA) and a broad enzyme portfolio (RNase H, RNase I, RNase T1, Cap-Clip™). Custom mRNA synthesis services complement the catalog of over 30+ reagent kits and enzymes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- INCOGNITO™: mRNA and RNA production kits containing modified nucleosides such as N1-methyl-pseudouridine (N1meΨ) and pseudouridine (Ψ) for reduced innate immune response
- mScript™
- ScriptCap™
- A-Plus™
- Min-Immune™ Gold
- EZ-QC™
- Adenylator™
- iPSCMax™
- MessageMAX™
- ScriptGuard™
Products and services
- INCOGNITO™ T7 mScript™ Complete mRNA Production Systems (Ψ and N1meΨ variants) Complete mRNA synthesis systems incorporating modified nucleosides (pseudouridine or N1-methyl-pseudouridine) to produce 5'-capped and 3'-poly(A)-tailed mRNA with reduced innate immune response and high translation efficiency in mammalian cells. Targeted at academic and pharmaceutical researchers developing mRNA therapeutics.
- T7 mScript™ Complete Standard mRNA Production System Complete mRNA synthesis system producing standard canonical nucleoside mRNA with reduced dsRNA content for translation in cells. Targeted at researchers who need translation-competent mRNA without modified nucleosides.
- INCOGNITO™ T7 Modified Nucleoside RNA Transcription Kits Family of in vitro transcription kits using modified nucleosides (pseudouridine, N1-methyl-pseudouridine, 5-methylcytidine) with high-yield T7-based enzymes such as T7-FlashScribe™ and standard T7-Scribe™ for reduced immune recognition. Targeted at researchers synthesizing modified RNA for therapeutics and basic research.
- T7-Scribe™ Standard RNA IVT Kit Standard in vitro transcription kit for RNA synthesis using T7 RNA polymerase with canonical nucleotides. Targeted at researchers performing routine RNA synthesis.
- ScriptCap™ Cap 1 Capping System Post-transcriptional capping enzyme system that adds Cap 1 structure to in vitro transcribed mRNA with approximately 100% capping efficiency. Targeted at researchers producing translation-competent mRNA for therapeutic and research applications.
- ScriptCap™ m7G Capping System Post-transcriptional capping system for adding m7G cap to RNA to enable translation. Targeted at researchers performing IVT RNA capping for research and therapeutic applications.
- ScriptCap™ 2′-O-Methyltransferase Kit Enzyme kit for adding 2'-O-methyl modification to RNA to convert Cap 0 to Cap 1 structure. Targeted at researchers converting existing capping reactions to Cap 1 format.
- MessageMAX™ T7 ARCA-Capped Message Transcription Kit Co-transcriptional capping kit using ARCA (anti-reverse cap analog) to produce capped mRNA in a single reaction. Targeted at researchers needing rapid co-transcriptional capping of mRNA.
- A-Plus™ Poly(A) Polymerase Tailing Kit Post-transcriptional polyadenylation kit for adding 3' poly(A) tails of 20-300+ adenosine residues to mRNA for enhanced translation and stability. Targeted at researchers producing mRNA for translation studies.
- Min-Immune™ Gold dsRNA Removal Kit Enzymatic removal kit for eliminating double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) contaminants from IVT RNA preparations to reduce immunogenicity. Targeted at researchers producing mRNA for therapeutic applications where dsRNA contamination is critical.
- EZ-QC™ mRNA Capping Efficiency Assay Kit Quality control assay for measuring mRNA 5'-capping efficiency. Targeted at researchers needing to verify the capping efficiency of mRNA samples.
- EZ-QC™ mRNA Cap 1 Efficiency Assay Kit Quality control assay for measuring Cap 1 formation efficiency in mRNA. Targeted at researchers needing to verify Cap 1 status of mRNA samples.
- EZ-QC™ mRNA Poly(A) Tail Length Assay Kit Quality control assay for measuring mRNA 3'-poly(A) tail length from 20-300+ adenosine residues. Targeted at researchers characterizing mRNA polyadenylation status.
- EZ-QC™ XBG mRNA Capping Efficiency Assay Kit Quality control assay for measuring mRNA capping efficiency using the XBG (Xrn-1 digestion-based) method. Targeted at researchers using the XBG-based capping efficiency workflow.
- INCOGNITO™ iPSCMax™ Ψ-mRNA Reprogramming Mix Optimized pseudouridine-modified mRNA mix for rapid and efficient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming from fibroblasts. Targeted at stem cell researchers and regenerative medicine labs.
- Adenylator™ DNA/RNA 5'-Adenylation Kit Kit for adding 5'-adenylate overhangs to DNA or RNA oligonucleotides for ligation applications. Targeted at researchers performing oligonucleotide ligation workflows.
- RNA 5' Polyphosphatase Enzyme for removing 5' phosphate groups from RNA for subsequent ligation or labeling. Targeted at researchers preparing RNA for circular RNA synthesis and labeling workflows.
- Cap-Clip™ Acid Pyrophosphatase Enzyme for removing 5' cap structure from mRNA for decapping applications. Targeted at researchers preparing uncapped mRNA for downstream studies.
- RNase R Ribonuclease enzyme for degrading linear RNA while leaving circular RNA intact. Targeted at researchers working on circular RNA preparation and analysis.
- T4 RNA Ligase 2 Enzyme for ligating RNA strands, commonly used in circular RNA preparation. Targeted at researchers performing RNA ligation workflows including circular RNA synthesis.
- RNase H Ribonuclease enzyme that cleaves RNA in RNA-DNA hybrids. Targeted at researchers removing RNA from RNA-DNA hybrid samples.
- RNase I Ribonuclease enzyme for general RNA degradation. Targeted at researchers performing controlled RNA hydrolysis.
- RNase T1 Ribonuclease enzyme that specifically cleaves RNA after guanosine residues. Targeted at researchers performing RNA structure mapping and sequencing.
- ScriptGuard™ RNase Inhibitor RNase inhibitor for protecting RNA samples from degradation during handling and reactions. Targeted at researchers working with RNA to prevent sample loss from contamination.
- DNA EasyXtract™ Solution Solution for rapid extraction of DNA from various samples. Targeted at researchers performing routine DNA extraction.
- TempliAMP™ RCA Kit DNA rolling circle amplification kit for isothermal amplification of circular DNA templates. Targeted at researchers performing isothermal DNA amplification.
- Custom mRNA Services Custom mRNA synthesis services producing mRNA constructs to customer specifications for research applications, available in both RUO and GMP-Grade material tiers. Targeted at biotech and pharmaceutical researchers needing bespoke mRNA for pre-clinical and clinical development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Greatly reduced innate immune response compared to unmodified mRNA when transfected into mammalian cells
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cellscript
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cellscript technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cellscript partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cellscript competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT, Danaher): Produces synthetic RNA and mRNA products, including modified nucleoside mRNA, oligonucleotide synthesis, and related tools. A direct competitor in research-grade mRNA and oligo synthesis, with overlapping academic and biotech customer base.
- New England Biolabs: Major enzyme and reagent supplier with overlapping RNA product lines (RNA capping enzymes, polymerases, ligases, RNase inhibitors). Competes with CELLSCRIPT's enzyme and capping portfolio while serving similar academic and biotech customers.
- Aldevron (Danaher): Provides custom mRNA synthesis services, including GMP-grade materials for clinical-stage programs, directly competing with CELLSCRIPT's custom mRNA services. Comparable across manufacturing platform and target customer base in therapeutic mRNA developers.
- TriLink BioTechnologies (Maravai LifeSciences): Direct competitor in research- and GMP-grade mRNA synthesis, modified nucleoside mRNA, and clean-cap offerings. The closest like-for-like product competitor to CELLSCRIPT's INCOGNITO™ and mScript™ lines, with overlapping customers in academia, biotech, and pharma.
Broad incumbents
- Bio-Rad Laboratories: Diversified life sciences tools incumbent with RNA-related reagents, transcription kits, and QC products. A broader portfolio competitor; overlaps with CELLSCRIPT in research reagents but is not specialized in mRNA workflows.
- Promega Corporation: Supplies enzymes, nucleic acid reagents, and life sciences research tools including RNA polymerases and ligases. Overlaps with CELLSCRIPT's enzyme and reagent portfolio for academic and biotech customers.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Largest life sciences tools and reagents provider with extensive RNA synthesis, transcription, and gene therapy product offerings. Competes indirectly through breadth and bundled workflows across academic and pharma customers.
- GenScript: Large life sciences services and reagents provider offering gene synthesis, mRNA synthesis, and protein services. Overlaps with CELLSCRIPT's custom mRNA services and broader research reagent offerings across academic and biotech customers.
Emerging players
- eTheRNA immunotherapies: Specializes in mRNA-based immunotherapies and offers mRNA manufacturing and LNP formulation services. Comparable to CELLSCRIPT's custom mRNA services at the GMP/clinical interface, though primarily focused on its own therapeutic pipeline.
- Vernal Biosciences: GMP-grade mRNA manufacturing and custom synthesis services for clinical and pre-clinical developers. Directly competes with CELLSCRIPT's custom mRNA services among biotech and pharma customers seeking clinical-grade material.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cellscript social profiles
Digital presenceCellscript financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cellscript leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cellscript funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cellscript 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 Cellscript
What does Cellscript do?
CELLSCRIPT develops, manufactures, and sells research-use-only enzyme kits and reagents for mRNA synthesis, including in vitro transcription kits, 5' RNA capping systems, 3' poly(A) tailing kits, dsRNA removal kits, and mRNA quality control assays. The company also offers custom mRNA synthesis services in both RUO and GMP-Grade formats. Its products are targeted at academic researchers, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical organizations developing mRNA-based therapeutics, vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies.
Is Cellscript a public or private company?
Cellscript is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cellscript founded?
Cellscript was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cellscript based?
Cellscript is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cellscript make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. mRNA and RNA Research Kits are the primary driver. The others are custom mRNA Services.
Who are Cellscript's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT, Danaher), New England Biolabs, Aldevron (Danaher) and TriLink BioTechnologies (Maravai LifeSciences). Broad incumbents are Bio-Rad Laboratories, Promega Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific and GenScript. Emerging players are eTheRNA immunotherapies and Vernal Biosciences.
Does Cellscript have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cellscript.
What industry is Cellscript in?
Cellscript's product category is mRNA Synthesis Reagents. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAADAG, RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics), with a secondary code of HLAAADAF, RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.