Virovek

What Virovek does

Virovek is a privately-held, commercial-stage biotechnology company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops, manufactures, and licenses proprietary viral vector platforms for gene and cell therapy applications, with a primary focus on adeno-associated virus (AAV) production. Its flagship technology, the patented BAC-to-AAV Sf9 system invented by founder Haifeng Chen, generates AAV using Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells and recombinant baculoviruses, achieving single-batch yields of up to 1E+17 vector genomes—reportedly 10-100x higher than conventional mammalian (HEK293) systems. The broader portfolio comprises seven distinct platforms: BAC-to-AAV, conventional HEK293 AAV production, Precision AAV Capsid Engineering (PACE), Hi-Fi recombinant baculovirus, lentivirus production, AdONE adenovirus, and toxic gene packaging technology. Virovek also offers plasmid and sterile bacmid purification services alongside a comprehensive analytical assay suite for vector quality control.

The company's customer base spans more than 100 academic, government, biotech, and pharmaceutical organizations, including NIH, Genentech, BioMarin, Tenaya Therapeutics, Charles River Laboratories, ARUP Laboratories, MIT, Stanford, UCSF, Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the University of Copenhagen, with licensees advancing therapeutic candidates from Phase I through BLA. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: custom viral vector manufacturing (project-based quotes from research to clinical grade), off-the-shelf AAV catalog products sold via the company's online store (store.virovek.com) with worldwide shipping, and licensing of proprietary platform technologies. Analytical assay services and plasmid/bacmid purification provide additional professional-services revenue. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Virovek is led by founder and Interim CEO Haifeng Chen (the BAC-to-AAV inventor, formerly VP of Research at Asklepios Biopharmaceuticals), Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Min Chen (ex-Gilead and Novartis), and CEO Peter L. Hoang, who was appointed in October 2023 to lead the company's next phase of growth. Senior ranks include a Therapeutics Development Group with leaders from Marker Therapeutics and Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, an Associate Director overseeing Sf9 operations with FDA-cleared IND experience, and a Head of Information Technology driving the e-commerce platform. No institutional venture capital funding rounds have been disclosed; ownership remains primarily founder-controlled.

Name

Virovek

Legal name

Virovek Inc.

Website

https://virovek.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Virovek is a Houston-based biotechnology company that develops and manufactures proprietary viral vectors for gene therapy, leveraging its patented BAC-to-AAV technology to deliver AAV at 10-100x industry yields to academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Viral Vector Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Viral Vector Manufacturing Services (AAV, lentiviral, adenoviral) (HLAAAKAD), Gene Therapy CMC/Process Development Platforms (capsid engineering, producer cell lines, plasmids, upstream/downstream) (HLAAACAN), Gene Therapy Analytical Testing & QC (potency, vg/ddPCR, infectivity, RCL/RCA) (HLAAACAK)

Keywords

• AAV manufacturing
• Viral vector production
• Gene therapy manufacturing
• Lentivirus production services
• Adenovirus vector services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hayward

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Viral Vector Manufacturing: Virovek manufactures custom AAV, lentivirus, baculovirus, and adenovirus vectors tailored to customer specifications for gene therapy research and clinical applications. Production ranges from research scale to clinical-grade manufacturing with scalable outputs from 1E+13 to 1E+17 vg per batch.
2. Off-the-Shelf Viral Vector Products: Pre-made AAV vectors of various serotypes encoding commonly used reporter genes (GFP, mCherry, LacZ, Luciferase, CRE) available for immediate purchase through online store. Ships worldwide with rapid turnaround.
3. Plasmid and Bacmid Purification Services: Scalable plasmid purification (100 μg to 100 mg) and sterile bacmid purification (10 μg to 10 mg) under sterile or non-sterile conditions with high purity (>90% supercoiled DNA) and endotoxin-free quality.
4. Analytical Assay Services: Comprehensive suite of analytical assays including AAV aggregation assay, capsid ELISA, sequencing, TCID50, dPCR, empty/full capsid analysis, endotoxin testing, flow cytometry, and residual host cell DNA/protein detection for quality control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Virovek manufactures custom and off-the-shelf viral vectors (AAV, lentivirus, baculovirus, adenovirus) for gene and cell therapy research and clinical applications, scaled from research to clinical-grade production (1E+13 to 1E+17 vg per batch). The company also provides plasmid and bacmid purification services and a comprehensive suite of analytical assays for vector quality control. Its differentiated foundation is the patented BAC-to-AAV manufacturing system using Sf9 insect cells, which produces 10-100x higher AAV yields than mammalian systems.

Product overview

Virovek is a commercial-stage biotechnology company specializing in viral vector development, optimization, and manufacturing for gene and cell therapy research. The company operates a unified platform business model centered around its patented BAC-to-AAV technology, which produces adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors at unprecedented scales of up to 1E+17 viral genomes per batch. The core product portfolio includes: AAV Vector Services (using both HEK293 and Sf9/BAC-to-AAV platforms), Lentivirus Vector Services, Baculovirus Production Services, Adenovirus Generation via the proprietary AdONE platform, Plasmid Purification, and Sterile Bacmid Purification. Supporting these manufacturing services is a comprehensive suite of Analytical Assays and the Virovek Online Store for product ordering. The technology platform encompasses seven distinct systems: Conventional HEK293 AAV Production, BAC-to-AAV Sf9 High Titer System, Precision AAV Capsid Engineering (PACE), High-Fidelity Recombinant Baculovirus System, Lentivirus Production, AdONE Adenovirus Platform, and Toxic Gene Packaging Technology. The company also licenses its technologies for partner use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AAV Vector Services High-titer AAV vector manufacturing and purification services offering both off-the-shelf vectors and custom-made vectors, with high-purity purification via double CsCl ultracentrifugation or affinity chromatography. Scalable from research to clinical-grade production.
• Lentivirus Vector Services Lentiviral vector services providing off-the-shelf and custom-made vectors with high transduction efficiency, optimized for gene delivery across numerous cell types, with 2-3 weeks turnaround for custom vectors and titers >1E+10 TU/100 mL.
• Baculovirus Production Services Advanced baculovirus manufacturing services using both Bac-to-Bac and Homologous Recombination systems, offering high fidelity, high yield, and versatility for applications ranging from vaccines to therapeutic proteins.
• Adenovirus Generation Services Adenoviral product generation using Virovek's proprietary AdONE technology featuring a one-day process for transfection, high efficiency, and customization with options for crude cell lysates and/or purified adenovirus.
• Plasmid Purification Services Scalable plasmid purification from 100 µg to 100 mg under sterile or non-sterile conditions with >90% supercoiled DNA, endotoxin-free quality, and comprehensive quality control.
• Sterile Bacmid Purification Services Scalable purification of bacmid DNA from 10 µg to 10 mg with high purity and sterility maintained throughout the purification process, validated for immediate transfection to generate recombinant baculovirus.
• Analytical Assays Comprehensive suite of analytical assays for development, characterization, and quality control of viral vectors and gene therapies including AAV aggregation assay, capsid ELISA, sequencing, TCID50 assay, dPCR, endotoxin assay, flow cytometry, and SDS-PAGE/Western Blot.
• Virovek Online Store E-commerce platform for purchasing premade AAV products, requesting custom orders, checking project status, and accessing resources and documentation; supports credit card payments via Stripe and purchase orders with worldwide shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-100x higher AAV yields than conventional mammalian systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AAVivocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026AAVivo is a Delaware-registered biotechnology company focused on next-generation AAV-based gene therapies. The company is supported by Virovek and uses Virovek's technology platform. AAVivo announced they will present groundbreaking in vivo CAR-T data at ASGCT 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aldevron: Aldevron manufactures plasmid DNA, proteins, and viral vectors used in gene therapy and cell therapy development. As a larger incumbent nucleic acid and viral vector supplier, it competes with Virovek in plasmid and viral vector services for gene therapy applications.
• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is a large life sciences CRO/CDMO offering viral vector manufacturing and preclinical services among its broad portfolio. As a named Virovek customer for preclinical research, it is also a competitor in upstream gene therapy CDMO services.
• Lonza Cell & Gene Technologies: Lonza is a global CDMO leader with significant viral vector manufacturing capacity for AAV and lentivirus. It competes with Virovek at the enterprise/commercial scale for large pharma gene therapy sponsors, although addressing a much broader customer base.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Viral Vector Services): Thermo Fisher offers viral vector manufacturing services through its pharma services segment, including AAV and lentiviral production. It is an incumbent CDMO competitor to Virovek at the large-sponsor end of the gene therapy market.

Direct peers

• Yposkesi: Yposkesi is a leading European viral vector CDMO specializing in AAV and lentiviral GMP manufacturing for gene therapy. It competes with Virovek in high-quality viral vector production, primarily serving European biotech and academic clients but with global reach.
• Forge Biologics: Forge Biologics is a purpose-built AAV and gene therapy CDMO operating a commercial-scale manufacturing campus. It competes directly with Virovek in the AAV contract manufacturing and process development segment for gene therapy developers and academic centers.
• Andelyn Biosciences: Andelyn Biosciences is a cell and gene therapy CDMO with AAV, lentiviral, and other viral vector manufacturing capabilities. It competes with Virovek as a multi-modality viral vector services provider for clinical and commercial gene therapy programs.
• Viralgen (AskBio/Bayer): Viralgen is a leading AAV CDMO serving gene therapy sponsors with end-to-end development and GMP manufacturing. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Virovek in scalable AAV manufacturing, including baculovirus-based production platforms.
• PackGene Biotech: PackGene is an AAV manufacturing and capsid engineering CDMO serving gene therapy researchers and developers globally. It competes with Virovek in custom and off-the-shelf AAV vector production, including capsid engineering services.
• Flash Therapeutics (formerly Vectalys): Flash Therapeutics specializes in lentiviral and AAV vector manufacturing services for gene therapy applications. It competes directly with Virovek in custom and catalog viral vector manufacturing for research and clinical-stage customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Virovek