XenoSTART
XenoSTART is a nonclinical oncology CRO that provides patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing oncology therapeutics, operating as a preclinical business unit of The START Center for Cancer Research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What XenoSTART does
XenoSTART is a nonclinical oncology contract research organization that operates the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) platform for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing oncology therapeutics. Founded in 2007 and based in San Antonio, Texas, XenoSTART operates as a preclinical business unit of The START Center for Cancer Research, a parent organization with 100,000+ square feet of research facilities and a documented track record of contributing to FDA and EMA approved cancer therapies across 800+ completed and active studies.
The core offering is the PDX platform itself, in which patient-derived tumor tissue is implanted into immunocompromised mouse models to create patient avatars for oncology drug testing and translational research. Unlike conventional cell line models, PDX models preserve patient tumor heterogeneity and are positioned as more predictive of clinical response. The Minerva Imaging collaboration provides adjunct imaging capabilities for PDX studies. The primary customer segments are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with oncology drug pipelines requiring predictive preclinical models, served through a direct enterprise sales motion.
XenoSTART's revenue model is professional services: each engagement is a custom preclinical research project priced on study scope, with pricing not publicly disclosed. As a sub-unit of the START Center, it leverages the parent's established biopharma relationships and global research network spanning 8 locations across the United States and Europe (Spain, Portugal, Ireland). The company is led by Dr. Frank Smith, appointed President in February 2026, who was recruited from Champions Oncology, Charles River, and GSK to scale the PDX platform.
XenoSTART firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- XenoSTART
- Website
- https://xenostart.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- XenoSTART is a nonclinical oncology CRO that provides patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing oncology therapeutics, operating as a preclinical business unit of The START Center for Cancer Research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
XenoSTART industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Preclinical Oncology CRO Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In Vivo Discovery & Translational Models Platforms (humanized models, PK/PD, efficacy) (HLAAAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Preclinical, Toxicology & Translational Science Staffing FSP (HLAGAOAJ)
Keywords
Where XenoSTART is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
XenoSTART business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Preclinical Research Services: XenoSTART provides preclinical research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through its PDX platform, enabling oncology drug developers to conduct translational research that accelerates the translation of preclinical insights into clinical development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
XenoSTART product offering
Product offeringCore offering
XenoSTART provides preclinical oncology research services through its proprietary Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) platform, in which patient-derived tumor tissue is implanted into immunocompromised mice to create patient avatars for drug testing. The service enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to generate more clinically predictive preclinical data, supporting translational research that accelerates the path from preclinical insights to clinical development.
Product overview
XenoSTART is a preclinical business unit of The START Center for Cancer Research that operates as a focused platform offering patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models for oncology drug developers. The core offering is the PDX Platform, which enables pharmaceutical companies to conduct translational research using patient-derived tumor models, supporting the acceleration of preclinical insights into clinical development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) Platform
Companies that use XenoSTART
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
XenoSTART technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
XenoSTART partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Minerva ImagingcoreXenoSTART has a strategic collaboration with Minerva Imaging focused on Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) model development and services for oncology drug development. This collaboration enhances XenoSTART's capabilities in providing translational research solutions to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing oncology therapeutics.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
XenoSTART competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a global bioanalytical and preclinical testing services provider with a significant CRO footprint that includes preclinical and oncology research offerings. It competes with XenoSTART as a broad incumbent providing outsourced laboratory research services to biopharma.
- WuXi AppTec: WuXi AppTec is a leading global CRO/CDMO offering preclinical oncology research services, including in vivo efficacy and PDX studies for biopharma sponsors. It competes with XenoSTART for outsourced preclinical oncology work at large scale, particularly with US and European biotech sponsors.
- Labcorp Drug Development: Labcorp (formerly Covance/Fortrea-adjacent) operates a large CRO business providing preclinical, clinical, and diagnostic services to biopharma, including oncology. It competes with XenoSTART for preclinical oncology work as a broad incumbent with global scale and a wider service portfolio.
- Charles River Laboratories: Charles River Laboratories is one of the largest preclinical CROs globally, offering end-to-end discovery, safety assessment, and vivarium services including oncology PDX models. It is both a direct competitor in preclinical oncology and a benchmark large incumbent that XenoSTART's incoming president previously worked at.
Direct peers
- Crown Bioscience: Crown Bioscience is a global preclinical and translational CRO specializing in oncology models including a large PDX platform (HuPrime), serving pharma and biotech sponsors worldwide. Like XenoSTART, it focuses on patient-derived models for preclinical oncology drug development with global vivarium and imaging capabilities.
- Champions Oncology: Champions Oncology is a pure-play oncology preclinical CRO offering patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and ex vivo tumor platform services to biopharma. It is the most direct competitor to XenoSTART, serving the same oncology drug developers with the same PDX-based translational offering. Notably, XenoSTART's incoming president previously held a leadership role at Champions Oncology.
- MI Bioresearch: MI Bioresearch is a preclinical CRO focused on in vivo oncology studies and patient-derived xenograft models for biopharma clients. It is a comparable specialized PDX/preclinical oncology provider competing directly with XenoSTART for sponsor outsourced studies.
Emerging players
- The Jackson Laboratory: The Jackson Laboratory provides preclinical oncology research services, including patient-derived xenograft models and humanized mice, for academic and biopharma sponsors. It overlaps with XenoSTART in PDX-based translational research and is a relevant emerging player in the specialized preclinical oncology space.
- Taconic Biosciences: Taconic Biosciences is a supplier of research models, including specialized oncology and humanized mouse models used for preclinical oncology studies. While not a full-service CRO, Taconic overlaps with XenoSTART in the underlying mouse model infrastructure that PDX programs rely on.
- Reaction Biology: Reaction Biology offers preclinical and early discovery services including oncology-relevant assays and in vivo efficacy studies. It is an emerging/specialized provider that competes for outsourced preclinical oncology study budgets alongside XenoSTART.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
XenoSTART social profiles
Digital presenceXenoSTART financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
XenoSTART leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
XenoSTART funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
XenoSTART 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 XenoSTART
What does XenoSTART do?
XenoSTART provides preclinical oncology research services through its proprietary Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) platform, in which patient-derived tumor tissue is implanted into immunocompromised mice to create patient avatars for drug testing. The service enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to generate more clinically predictive preclinical data, supporting translational research that accelerates the path from preclinical insights to clinical development.
Is XenoSTART a public or private company?
XenoSTART is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was XenoSTART founded?
XenoSTART was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is XenoSTART based?
XenoSTART is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does XenoSTART make money?
One revenue line is on record: preclinical Research Services.
Who are XenoSTART's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Eurofins Scientific, WuXi AppTec, Labcorp Drug Development and Charles River Laboratories. Direct peers are Crown Bioscience, Champions Oncology and MI Bioresearch. Emerging players are The Jackson Laboratory, Taconic Biosciences and Reaction Biology.
Does XenoSTART have an API?
No public API is recorded for XenoSTART.
What industry is XenoSTART in?
XenoSTART's product category is Preclinical Oncology CRO Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAK, In Vivo Discovery & Translational Models Platforms (humanized models, PK/PD, efficacy), with a secondary code of HLAGAOAJ, Preclinical, Toxicology & Translational Science Staffing FSP. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.