COBIK

What COBIK does

COBIK (Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control) is a Slovenia-based private biotechnology organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Ajdovščina. It operates a contract bioprocess development and non-GMP manufacturing business targeted at biopharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions, and the broader European innovation ecosystem. Core services include bioprocess development (upstream and downstream processing, scale-up, technology transfer, PAT/QbD analytics), non-GMP manufacturing of plasmid DNA, recombinant proteins, virus-like particles and viruses in bacterial and insect cell systems, and full-cycle project management for national and EU-funded consortia.

The company's competitive position is built on internally developed platforms, including the COP-01/20 broad-spectrum bacteriophage cocktail targeting multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (in pre-clinical testing with Orthopaedic Hospital Valdoltra and UK phage therapy partners), the CO-CoVac-01 nanoparticle-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, an in-house plasmid DNA production process used to supply Slovenia's first gene therapy clinical trial (head-and-neck cancer, JAZMP-approved, conducted at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana), and an alternative-protein/cultured-meat bioprocess program. COBIK is the founding partner of the Biopharma Global Connect cluster and has co-established two spin-offs: Sferogen (vaccines, January 2023) and Tech4Meat (cultured meat, February 2024).

COBIK monetizes through professional-services contracts (custom bioprocess and manufacturing agreements with no publicly disclosed pricing) supplemented by public co-financing such as the ~€2.0M ERDF/Slovenian grant for SmartGene.si and ongoing ARIS-funded research projects. The organization is privately held, has 11-50 employees, and shows no disclosed external investor or parent ownership; its primary customers are Slovenian public institutions and selected EU biopharma partners, with growth driven by new spin-offs, EU consortia, and capacity expansion at the Ajdovščina facility.

Name

COBIK

Legal name

Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control

Website

https://cobik.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COBIK is a Slovenian contract bioprocess development and non-GMP manufacturer serving biopharma firms, academic institutions, and EU consortia, with proprietary pipelines in bacteriophage therapy, nanoparticle vaccines, plasmid DNA gene therapy, and alternative proteins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Bioprocess Development and Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cell Banking & Viral Seed Services (MCB/WCB/VSB) (HLAGAGAD), Fermentation-Derived Alternative Proteins Manufacturing (Precision Fermentation) (AFAKAGAH), Specialty & Novel Proteins (Single-Cell Protein, Cell-Cultured/Animal-Free Proteins) (AFAJAHAL), Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

Keywords

• Bioprocess development services
• Non-GMP manufacturing
• Plasmid DNA production
• Bacteriophage therapy development
• Vaccine bioprocessing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ajdovscina

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Non-GMP Manufacturing Services: Manufacturing of plasmid DNA, proteins, virus-like particles, and viruses for clients in biotech and academia. Provides production flexibility with batches at different fermentation volumes, adapting to client methods and workflows.
2. Bioprocess Development Services: Complete bioprocess development solutions including upstream, downstream, in-process control and analytical methods. Covers preparation of cell banks and virus stocks, process development, and analytical services.
3. Project Management Services: Complete project management support covering financial management, HRM, national/international project management, tender preparation, partner search, activity organization, reporting, and communication.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

COBIK provides contract bioprocess development (upstream and downstream processing, scale-up, technology transfer, analytical and in-process control methods using PAT and QbD), non-GMP manufacturing of plasmid DNA, recombinant proteins, virus-like particles and viruses in bacterial and insect cell systems, and complete project management for biotech, pharma and academic clients. In parallel, it develops a proprietary R&D pipeline of bacteriophage-based antibacterials (COP-01/20), nanoparticle viral vaccines (CO-CoVac-01), gene therapy production platforms, and alternative protein/cultured meat technologies commercialized via spin-offs Sferogen and Tech4Meat.

Product overview

COBIK delivers a portfolio of biotechnology services and pipeline products. The core services include Bioprocess Development (upstream/downstream development with PAT/QbD), Non-GMP Manufacturing (plasmid DNA, proteins, VLPs, viruses in bacterial and insect cells), and Project Management. The product pipeline comprises COP-01/20 (bacteriophage cocktail for multidrug-resistant S. epidermidis), CO-CoVac-01 (nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine), and Alternative Proteins (novel foods technology). Spin-offs include Sferogen (vaccines) and Tech4Meat (cultured meat).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bioprocess Development Full-service bioprocess development offering covering upstream and downstream development, in-process control and analytical methods, preparation of cell banks and virus stocks, scale-up, and technology transfer, delivered to biopharmaceutical and biotech clients using PAT and QbD best practices.
• Non-GMP Manufacturing Contract non-GMP manufacturing service for plasmid DNA, recombinant proteins, virus-like particles (VLPs) and viruses in bacterial and insect cell expression systems, with high production flexibility, batch adaptability, and multiple fermentation volumes for biotech, pharma and academic clients.
• Project Management End-to-end project management service covering financial management, HRM, national and international project coordination, tender preparation, partner search, activity organization, reporting, and communication for biotech, pharma, and consortium clients.
• COP-01/20 Bacteriophage Cocktail Proprietary broad-spectrum bacteriophage cocktail targeting multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis infections, including prosthetic joint infections. Features activity against biofilms, synergistic activity with antibiotics, and a superior manufacturing process; positioned for clinical testing in partnership with hospitals.
• CO-CoVac-01 Vaccine Candidate Next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate built on a novel nanoparticle-based platform that mimics SARS-CoV-2 particles to deliver safe and robust protection against a broad range of coronavirus infections, intended for use in vaccine development and pandemic preparedness.
• Alternative Proteins Technology Development of main components and innovative process solutions for production of clean, safe alternative protein products such as dairy and meat alternatives, supporting sustainable food systems and avoiding antibiotic use, including dedicated cultured meat production via the Tech4Meat spin-off.

Quantifiable outcome

• First gene therapy trial approved in Slovenia for cancer treatment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tech4MeatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2024Spin-off company established by COBIK and partners working in novel food technologies dedicated to developing tech solutions for cultured meat production and alternative protein products.
• SferogencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2023Spin-off company co-established by COBIK devoted to research and development of safe, innovative and accessible vaccines. Goal is to create a portfolio of preventive and therapeutic vaccines providing broad, long-lasting protection and personalized therapeutic potential.
• UK Phage TherapycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for hospital use of COP-01/20 bacteriophage products in pre-clinical testing for multidrug-resistant infections treatment.
• Institute of Oncology LjubljanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject consortium partner for SmartGene.si gene therapy trial. Institute is holder of license to conduct first clinical trial with novel genetic drug for head-and-neck cancer treatment using COBIK-developed plasmid DNA production platform.
• SmartGene.si Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium includes COBIK, Iskra PIO, JAFRAL, Faculty of Electrical Engineering of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Developed gene therapy platform for cancer treatment.
• Lek Pharmaceutical Company d.d.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner for continuous chromatographic isolation of monoclonal antibodies isoforms. Lek co-funded the ARIS research project with COBIK.
• IRCCS Burlo Garofolo of TriesteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical expert partner in CATTEDRA Interreg project for innovative diagnosis of rare diseases in children.
• Pediatric Clinic of the University of LjubljanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical expert partner in CATTEDRA Interreg project for pediatric inflammatory disorders diagnosis and treatment.
• Jožef Stefan InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for fractal structures characterization and scale-up parameters project (J2-9440).
• University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in multiple projects including J2-9440 (fractal structures) and L4-7628 (mAb chromatography).
• National Laboratory of Health, Environment and FoodstuffsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in gut microbiota research program (P3-0387) studying association of gut microbiota with inflammatory diseases.
• Centre for Laboratory AnimalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for in-vivo mice model testing of bacteriophage efficacy for prosthetic joint infection in L3-2620 project.
• Biopharma Global ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cluster where COBIK is a founding partner, fostering collaborative networks in biopharmaceutical sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AGC Biologics: AGC Biologics is a global CDMO offering process development, GMP manufacturing, and analytical services for proteins, vaccines, and cell/gene therapies. It competes with COBIK's bioprocess development and manufacturing services but operates at a much larger scale with full GMP capabilities.
• GenScript: GenScript provides gene synthesis, protein production, peptide synthesis, and biopharma services globally. It overlaps with COBIK's plasmid DNA and recombinant protein manufacturing and serves similar biotech/academic customers at much larger scale.
• CordenPharma: CordenPharma is a global CDMO offering peptide, oligonucleotide, lipid, and biologic manufacturing services. It is comparable to COBIK's bioprocess development and manufacturing services for biotech clients across multiple modalities including proteins and nucleic acids.
• Eurofins Genomics: Eurofins Genomics provides DNA/RNA synthesis, plasmid production, and biopharma services globally. It addresses overlapping customers in plasmid DNA manufacturing and bioprocess services, with broader geographic reach and commercial scale than COBIK.

Direct peers

• Adaptive Phage Therapeutics: APT develops personalized bacteriophage therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections. It is directly comparable to COBIK's COP-01/20 pipeline (phage cocktail for MDR Staphylococcus epidermidis), targeting the same therapeutic area with deeper clinical-stage assets.
• Aldevron: Aldevron manufactures plasmid DNA, proteins, and other biological materials for biotech and gene therapy clients. It is directly comparable to COBIK's non-GMP plasmid DNA and recombinant protein manufacturing offering, though operating at much larger scale and with GMP capabilities.
• Vibalogics: Vibalogics is a CDMO specializing in viral vectors, live viruses, and bacteriophages for clinical and commercial supply. It overlaps with COBIK's virus/VLP manufacturing and bacteriophage pipeline (COP-01/20), serving similar biotech customers with comparable biological products.

Emerging players

• Mosa Meat: Mosa Meat is a leading cultured meat developer using cell culture technology for beef alternatives. It connects thematically to COBIK's Tech4Meat spin-off (cultured meat production) and shares the broader alt-protein mission COBIK is targeting.
• Polymun Scientific: Austrian CDMO specializing in liposomal formulation, virus production, and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing. It is comparable to COBIK's non-GMP virus and VLP manufacturing services with overlapping European biotech customer base.

Regional players

• BIA Separations (now Sartorius BIA Separations): Slovenia-based BIA Separations provides chromatographic technology and purification services for biomolecules, including bacteriophages and plasmids. It is a technology partner to COBIK and addresses overlapping customers in the same Slovenian/Central European biotech ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 COBIK