GenTarget
GenTarget Inc is a privately held San Diego biotech tools company, founded in 2008, that sells a 500+ SKU catalog of pre-made lentiviral, AAV, and adenoviral vector products directly to academic researchers and pharma/biotech customers worldwide via e-commerce and distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GenTarget does
GenTarget Inc is a privately held San Diego-based biotechnology tools company founded in 2008 that manufactures and sells pre-made viral vectors — primarily lentiviral particles, adeno-associated virus (AAV), and adenovirus products — for gene delivery research. Its 500+ product catalog spans cDNA/ORF expression, fluorescent and luminescent reporters, CRISPR gene editing tools, 30+ signal pathway reporters, cell immortalization reagents, and stable cell lines, plus CAR-T and TCR lentivirus for immuno-oncology research. Core proprietary technologies include the SureTiter™ high-titer production system, the Tet-On/Tet-Off Optional Inducible Lentiviral System, the InTag™ trans-membrane protein tagging system, and the Eco™ Fusion in Vivo PCR cloning method; all catalog constructs are sequence-verified against NCBI accession IDs.
The company monetizes primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with standard catalog products priced at $395 per vial (200µl in DMEM) and concentrated or in vivo-ready formats at $650 per vial, and specialized dual-function products at $800 per vial. Domestic USA orders ship overnight on dry ice while international orders go via FedEx International Priority Express, and the company also supports a network of international distributors for expanded global reach. In addition to catalog sales, GenTarget offers project-based custom services including custom lentivirus production, stable cell line generation, protein expression, and antibody cloning/expression. Customers are split between academic life science researchers (primary segment) and pharmaceutical/biotech companies (secondary segment) conducting gene function studies, drug target validation, pathway analysis, and preclinical model development.
The business operates with 11–50 employees from a single San Diego headquarters, has no disclosed external funding rounds, and appears to be founder/management-owned. GenTarget's value proposition centers on eliminating the 4–6 week cloning and virus production bottleneck for researchers by providing ready-to-ship, validated reagents with extensive catalog breadth.
GenTarget firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GenTarget
- Legal name
- GenTarget Inc
- Website
- https://gentarget.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GenTarget Inc is a privately held San Diego biotech tools company, founded in 2008, that sells a 500+ SKU catalog of pre-made lentiviral, AAV, and adenoviral vector products directly to academic researchers and pharma/biotech customers worldwide via e-commerce and distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GenTarget industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biotechnology Research Tools
- 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
- Lentiviral Vector Gene Therapy Developers (HLAAACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AAV Vector Gene Therapy Developers (HLAAACAA), Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ), Genome Editing Gene Therapies (CRISPR/TALEN/ZFN; in vivo/ex vivo) (HLAAACAD)
Keywords
Where GenTarget is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GenTarget business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pre-made Viral Vector Products: GenTarget generates revenue primarily through the sale of pre-made, in-stock lentiviral particles, AAV viruses, adenoviruses, and related gene delivery products. Products are sold in standard formats (200µl per vial) or concentrated formats for in vivo applications. Revenue is one-time per transaction with repeat purchases for different targets.
- Custom Viral Vector Services: Custom lentivirus service, stable cell line generation, protein expression, and antibody cloning/expression services offered on a project basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard cDNA Expression Lentivirus (Human, Mouse, Rat) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concentrated/In Vivo-Ready Lentivirus Products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialized Luciferase-CRE Fusion Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
GenTarget product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GenTarget manufactures and sells pre-made, ready-to-ship viral vector products (lentiviral particles, AAV, and adenovirus) for gene delivery research, along with stable cell lines, pathway reporters, CRISPR tools, and cell-specific reporters. The company also provides custom services including custom lentivirus production, stable cell line generation, protein expression, and antibody cloning/expression. All pre-made products are sequence-verified and shipped in standard 200µl vials or concentrated PBS formats, eliminating 4-6 weeks of in-house cloning and virus production for life science researchers.
Product overview
GenTarget Inc. is a biotech company specializing in pre-made lentiviral, AAV, and adenoviral products for gene delivery research. The product portfolio centers on the Premade Lentivirus line (cDNA expression, luciferase reporters, fluorescent markers, CRISPR tools, pathway reporters, cell immortalization, CAR-T/TCR research, shRNA/microRNA products), complemented by Premade AAV Virus and Premade Adenovirus. Supporting products include Stable Cell Lines, Cell-Specific Reporters, Lentivectors, and Eco PCR Cloning Kits. The company also offers a suite of services including custom lentivirus production, stable cell line generation, protein expression, and antibody cloning. Proprietary technologies include the SureTiter Lentiviral System for enhanced titers and the Optional Inducible Lentiviral System for tetracycline-controlled expression. Products are provided as ready-to-ship 200µl/vial in DMEM medium or concentrated PBS format, with most priced at $395.00 standard and $650.00 for concentrated formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SureTiter™: Lentiviral system technology brand
- InTag™
- Eco™
Products and services
- Premade Lentivirus Pre-made, in-stock lentiviral particles ready-to-ship for gene delivery applications including cDNA expression, luciferase imaging, fluorescent markers (GFP/CFP/YFP/RFP/BFP/NiRFP), CRE recombinase, SEAP reporter, Tet repressor, rtTA expression, lacZ enzyme, iPS stem cell factors, sub-cellular imaging, nano-lantern imaging, and cytoskeleton imaging. Sold as 200µl vials in DMEM or concentrated in PBS for in vivo use.
- Premade AAV Virus Pre-made adeno-associated virus (AAV) products for gene delivery research applications.
- Premade Adenovirus Pre-made recombinant adenovirus products for gene expression and research applications, including common markers and enzymes, GFP/CFP/YFP/RFP/BFP and controls, iPS stem cell factors, and ORF expression.
- Pathway Reporter Lentivirus Pre-made lentiviral reporters for monitoring signal transduction pathways including Androgen, Antioxidant, ATF6, C/EBP, CD44CR1, c-Myc, CREB, E2F, EGR1, Estrogen Receptor, FOXO, GATA, Glucocorticoid, Hedgehog, HNF4, Hypoxia, IRF, JAK-STAT, JNK/AP1, MAPK/ERK, MEF2, MTF1, NFAT, Notch, NFκB, PPAR, Progesterone, RAR, STAT3, TGF-β, TP53, Wnt, XBP1, and additional blue light inducible, heat inducible (HSP70), and mitochondrial pH-sensitive probes.
- CRISPR Gene Editing Products CRISPR tools including Cas9 expression lentivirus, gRNA lentivirus, CRISPRi/CRISPRa epigenomic modulators, and knock-in/knockout reagents for gene editing research.
- Stable Cell Lines Pre-made stable cell lines including luciferase reporter cells, fluorescent cells, CRISPR-ready cells, inducible expression cells, and assay cell lines for research use.
- Cell Immortalization Products Lentiviral products for cell immortalization including hTERT expression, SV40 Large T antigen, and p53 knockdown shRNA reagents.
- CAR-T and TCR Lentivirus Lentiviral products for CAR-T and TCR research including CAR-T lentivirus, TCR lentivirus, and cell antigens/receptors for immuno-oncology studies.
- Cell-Specific Reporters Cell-type specific reporters for astrocytes, neurons, cancer cells, stem cells, and other specialized cell types.
- Lentivectors Lentiviral vectors including CRISPR gRNA lentivectors, shRNA lentivectors, promoter-less lentivectors, and lentivirus packaging plasmids.
- shRNA and microRNA Lentivirus Validated and custom shRNA lentivirus for gene knockdown, along with microRNA and anti-miRNA lentiviral products.
- Eco PCR Cloning Kits PCR-based cloning kits using proprietary Fusion in Vivo Eco PCR Cloning technology for seamless, sequence-independent DNA assembly.
- Custom Lentivirus Production Service Custom lentivirus production services for researchers needing constructs not available in the pre-made catalog, offered on a project basis.
- Custom Stable Cell Line Generation Custom service for generating stable cell lines with specific genetic modifications for researchers and drug discovery teams.
- Fusion In Vivo PCR Cloning Service High-throughput cloning service using proprietary Fusion in Vivo Eco PCR Cloning technology for seamless DNA fragment assembly.
- Protein Expression Service Custom protein expression services for producing recombinant proteins.
- Antibody Cloning and Expression Service Custom service for antibody cloning and recombinant antibody expression.
Quantifiable outcome
- Pre-made products ship immediately, saving 4-6 weeks compared to custom virus production
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GenTarget
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GenTarget technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
GenTarget partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International DistributorssupportingGenTarget maintains a network of international distributors to expand global market reach and facilitate local sales and support for customers outside the United States.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GenTarget competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VectorBuilder: VectorBuilder is a direct competitor offering custom and pre-made viral vectors (lentivirus, AAV, adenovirus) via an e-commerce platform with similar gene delivery tools and design services. Closely comparable in product category, business model, and target researcher customer base.
- Addgene: Addgene is a major non-profit plasmid and viral vector repository serving academic researchers with ready-to-ship genetic tools. It competes directly with GenTarget's pre-made lentivirus and CRISPR product catalog, though operating as a non-profit repository model.
- Applied Biological Materials (abm): abm offers pre-made lentivirus, AAV, adenovirus, and CRISPR tools through a direct e-commerce model serving life science researchers. Highly comparable in catalog approach, pricing structure, and customer segment to GenTarget.
- System Biosciences (SBI): SBI specializes in lentiviral and AAV vectors, including pathway reporters, CRISPR tools, and exosome research reagents. Directly competes with GenTarget in the pre-made lentivirus and cell-specific reporter categories for academic researchers.
- Cellecta: Cellecta provides lentiviral-based CRISPR and shRNA tools for gene editing and knockdown studies. Comparable to GenTarget's CRISPR and shRNA lentivirus product lines serving similar academic and biotech customers.
- OriGene Technologies: OriGene offers viral vectors, CRISPR reagents, and overexpression tools for gene function studies, with a broad catalog comparable to GenTarget. Operates in the same lentivirus/AAV/CRISPR product space for researchers.
- Cyagen Biosciences: Cyagen provides custom and pre-made lentivirus, AAV, and adenovirus products alongside cell line generation services. Comparable in offering mix and e-commerce-driven model to GenTarget.
- Cell Biolabs: Cell Biolabs offers viral vectors, cell-based assay kits, and lentiviral tools for academic and biotech research. Overlaps with GenTarget in lentiviral and adenoviral products and shares similar customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Takara Bio: Takara Bio is a larger established life sciences tools company with lentiviral vector systems (Lenti-X), AAV products, and CRISPR reagents. Broader portfolio with deeper resources than GenTarget but overlapping significantly in researcher-targeted gene delivery tools.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher is a massive life sciences tools incumbent offering viral vector production services, lentiviral packaging plasmids, and gene delivery reagents through its broad portfolio. Does not focus on the pre-made viral vector niche but competes indirectly for research budgets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GenTarget social profiles
Digital presenceGenTarget financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GenTarget leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
GenTarget funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GenTarget 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 GenTarget
What does GenTarget do?
GenTarget manufactures and sells pre-made, ready-to-ship viral vector products (lentiviral particles, AAV, and adenovirus) for gene delivery research, along with stable cell lines, pathway reporters, CRISPR tools, and cell-specific reporters. The company also provides custom services including custom lentivirus production, stable cell line generation, protein expression, and antibody cloning/expression. All pre-made products are sequence-verified and shipped in standard 200µl vials or concentrated PBS formats, eliminating 4-6 weeks of in-house cloning and virus production for life science researchers.
Is GenTarget a public or private company?
GenTarget is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GenTarget founded?
GenTarget was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GenTarget based?
GenTarget is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does GenTarget make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Pre-made Viral Vector Products are the primary driver. The others are custom Viral Vector Services.
Who are GenTarget's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VectorBuilder, Addgene, Applied Biological Materials (abm), System Biosciences (SBI), Cellecta, OriGene Technologies, Cyagen Biosciences and Cell Biolabs. Broad incumbents are Takara Bio and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Does GenTarget have an API?
No public API is recorded for GenTarget.
What industry is GenTarget in?
GenTarget's product category is Biotechnology Research Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAACAB, Lentiviral Vector Gene Therapy Developers, with a secondary code of HLAAACAA, AAV Vector Gene Therapy Developers. Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.