What Verndari does

Verndari, Inc. is a privately held, preclinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Napa, California, with research laboratories co-located at the UC Davis Medical Center Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology in Sacramento. The company develops VaxiPatch, a single-dose vaccination kit that delivers vaccines intradermally via a 36-needle stainless steel microarray patch (1.2 cm diameter), with each microneedle holding approximately 10 nanoliters of vaccine stabilized in a sugar glass formulation. The platform is paired with Verndari's proprietary VAS 1.0/1.1/1.2 adjuvant system built on QS-21 (and in some variants synthetic TLR4 agonist 3D-PHAD), and is designed to deliver vaccines painlessly without cold chain, support self-administration, and achieve dose-sparing of up to 15-fold relative to standard intramuscular injection. A co-formulated temporary blue dye provides visual confirmation of dose delivery.

The business model is currently grant- and partnership-driven rather than commercial: cumulative disclosed funding is approximately $2.7M from angel investors (2018) plus roughly $1.7M in BARDA DRIVe and related federal awards (2020). Verndari plans to generate revenue through future sales of VaxiPatch kits for influenza and emerging infectious disease antigens and through licensing of the platform to pharmaceutical manufacturers, but as of the latest inputs no commercial products have been launched and pricing is undisclosed. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and ecosystem-driven, anchored by UC Davis for translational research, BARDA and DTRA for federal funding and regulatory validation, unnamed global pharmaceutical technology and manufacturing partners for scale-up, and a global health equity partner (via 2023 MTA) for downstream LMIC distribution. Planned commercial channels include healthcare-provider administration, government and NGO bulk procurement for pandemic preparedness stockpiles, and ultimately direct-to-consumer mail-order self-administration.

Name

Verndari

Legal name

Verndari, Inc.

Website

https://verndariinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verndari is a preclinical-stage biotech developing VaxiPatch, a painless, room-temperature-stable microneedle patch that delivers vaccines intradermally with significant dose-sparing, targeting governments, global health organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers for pandemic preparedness and global vaccine access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vaccine Delivery Technology

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Vaccine Delivery & Administration Systems (needle-free, microneedle patches, intranasal/oral) (HLAAAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA) (HLAAAEAD), Vaccine Adjuvants & Formulation Systems (HLAIAEAI), Prophylactic Human Vaccines (routine, pediatric, adult) (HLAAAEAA), Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens) (HLAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Microneedle vaccine delivery
• Intradermal vaccination platform
• Thermostable vaccine patches
• Cold-chain-free vaccines
• Pandemic preparedness vaccines

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Revenue (Future): Once commercialized, Verndari plans to generate revenue through sale of VaxiPatch vaccination kits for existing vaccines (influenza) and new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases. The company is developing partnerships with pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing and commercialization.
2. Licensing Revenue (Potential): The company may license its technology platform to pharmaceutical partners for use with their vaccine formulations, generating licensing and royalty revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Verndari develops and is preparing to commercialize VaxiPatch, a proprietary single-dose vaccination kit that uses intradermal microarray (microneedle) technology to deliver vaccines painlessly through the skin. The stainless steel microneedle array deposits antigens in sugar glass for room-temperature stability, eliminating cold chain requirements and enabling dose-sparing immune response. The platform is currently in preclinical development targeting influenza, COVID-19, and other infectious disease vaccines for government, NGO, and pharmaceutical partners.

Product overview

Verndari offers a single core product platform: VaxiPatch, a proprietary single-dose vaccination kit using intradermal microarray technology. The platform consists of a microneedle dermal patch with a stainless steel microarray that delivers vaccines painlessly through the skin. The system includes proprietary adjuvant formulations (VAS 1.0, VAS 1.1, VAS 1.2) and uses sugar glass technology for temperature stabilization, eliminating cold chain requirements. The VaxiPatch is designed for dose-sparing (smaller doses than traditional injections), automated high-volume manufacturing, and potential self-administration. Applications include influenza vaccines (monovalent and quadrivalent formulations) and COVID-19 vaccines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VaxiPatch: A proprietary single-dose vaccination kit using intradermal microarray technology designed for pain-free, dose-sparing vaccine delivery that eliminates the need for cold chain shipping and storage.

Products and services

• VaxiPatch

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 15-fold higher immune response with 1/15 the dose compared to existing influenza vaccine (B/Colorado/06/2017 strain)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• Global Health Equity PartnerstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Verndari signed a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with a global health equity partner in Q2 2023 to advance vaccine accessibility.
• Global Vaccine ManufacturerstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Under a research evaluation agreement with a global vaccine manufacturer, Dr. Ellison developed and validated a scalable tangential flow method to reformulate a cell-based quadrivalent flu product for testing on VaxiPatch.
• UC Davis Mouse Biology ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Preclinical testing of VaxiPatch COVID-19 vaccine candidate conducted at UC Davis Mouse Biology Program. The program amended an existing influenza protocol to test COVID-19 vaccine in rats, achieving approval in less than 72 hours. The collaboration leverages UC Davis expertise in translational animal models and study design.
• California National Primate Research Center at UC DavisstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Verndari is in discussions with the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis to conduct further testing in rhesus macaques, a powerful animal model for COVID-19. This follows initial rodent testing at the Mouse Biology Program.
• UC Davis Venture CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Verndari has been a member of the University of California, Davis Venture Catalyst Program since March 2016. The company joined the START program which provides UC Davis-affiliated innovators and entrepreneurs resources, training, tools and connections to develop successful startups. Verndari's laboratories are co-located at UC Davis Medical Center campus in Sacramento.
• Leading Global Nonprofit Vaccine OrganizationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerndari entered into an agreement with a leading global nonprofit organization dedicated to developing vaccines and antibodies for emerging infectious diseases. The partnership tests the feasibility of the nonprofit's viral vector vaccine technologies on the VaxiPatch platform. Both organizations share a mission to translate scientific discoveries into globally accessible public health solutions.
• Leading Pharmaceutical Technology CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerndari is actively engaged with a leading pharmaceutical technology company that specializes in the design and production of innovative oral, transdermal, and intradermal drug delivery systems. The partnership is advancing manufacturing capabilities and preparing for commercialization.
• Global Manufacturing Technology Development FirmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerndari is partnered with a manufacturing technology development firm that is a global leader in designing, engineering, and developing manufacturing systems across a wide range of healthcare areas including microarray development. This partnership supports high-volume automated manufacturing of VaxiPatch.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NanoPass Technologies: NanoPass develops MicronJet, a microneedle-based intradermal delivery device used for vaccines including influenza. Comparable to Verndari on intradermal vaccine delivery and dose-sparing claims, with a more clinically advanced but device-based (not patch-based) approach.
• Micron Biomedical: Micron Biomedical develops dissolvable microneedle vaccine and drug delivery patches, including influenza vaccine candidates. Directly comparable to Verndari on platform modality (microneedle patch), target indication (flu vaccines), and intended benefit of thermostable, self-administered vaccination.
• Vaxxas: Vaxxas develops high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) technology for vaccine and therapeutic delivery, the most direct competitor to Verndari's VaxiPatch. Both target pain-free, thermostable, dose-sparing intradermal vaccination and compete for the same BARDA/NIH funding and global pharma partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Emergent BioSolutions: Emergent BioSolutions is a major vaccine manufacturer and government contractor with pandemic preparedness capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent with deep BARDA/government procurement relationships that Verndari may eventually seek to partner with or compete against for stockpiling contracts.
• Sanofi Pasteur: Sanofi Pasteur is one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers with extensive influenza and pandemic preparedness programs. Comparable as a large incumbent with whom Verndari could partner for reformulation of cell-based influenza vaccines on VaxiPatch.
• Seqirus (CSL): Seqirus, a CSL company, is a leading influenza vaccine manufacturer and pandemic preparedness supplier. Comparable as a major cell-based flu vaccine manufacturer relevant to Verndari's reformulation of cell-based quadrivalent flu products on the VaxiPatch platform.
• GSK (Shingrix/Mosquirix franchise): GSK developed the AS01B adjuvant (used in Shingrix and Mosquirix), which Verndari's VAS adjuvant system is modeled after. Comparable as a large incumbent in adjuvanted vaccines and a potential partner/licensing counterparty for Verndari's reformulation efforts.
• BD (Becton Dickinson) - Pharmaceutical Systems: BD's Pharmaceutical Systems segment supplies prefilled syringes and injection devices for vaccine delivery, including auto-injector and intradermal delivery technology. Comparable as an established incumbent in vaccine delivery devices with broader portfolio reach but less specialization in microneedle patches.

Emerging players

• Vaxess Technologies: Vaxess Technologies develops a microneedle patch platform (MIMIX) for vaccine and therapeutics delivery using silk fibroin stabilization. Directly comparable emerging player pursuing the same vision of painless, thermostable, self-administered vaccine patches.
• Corium (popLAB/Population Bio): Corium has developed transdermal and intradermal drug delivery technologies, including microarray-based systems for vaccines. Comparable as an alternative delivery platform pursuing painless, self-administered therapeutics, though focused more broadly on transdermal drug delivery than vaccines specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/verndariinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verndariinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Verndari