Bento Biology Platforms

What Bento Biology Platforms does

Bento Biology Platforms is a private, US-based (Reston, Virginia) decentralized clinical trial (DCT) technology vendor founded in 2020 as Project BENTO and spun out of Hypatia Group in December 2021. The company builds a modular patient-experience platform that combines self-service biosampling kits (Bento Biology Box), an app engine for symptom diaries (Bento Bodyshop), a mobile symptom tracker (Bento Flare), and a blockchain-based governance and incentive layer (Bento DISCO). It targets pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors, clinical investigators, and patient communities—initially focused on lupus and autoimmune/inflammatory disease—with the value proposition of reducing clinic-visit burden, improving diversity in trial enrollment, and giving patients ownership and potential monetization rights over their biological data. The underlying architecture includes FDA-approved biosampling tools, a hyperkitting marketplace (Bento Cleanroom), a programmable wallet for participant rewards (Bento Wallet), and a 70-point KPI analytics layer (Bentometrics), all under an ISO 27001- and ISO 9001-certified operational posture.

The business model centers on subscription-style software licensing (Bodyshop, Flare, Bentometrics) and biosampling kit logistics, with an emerging data-monetization angle through DISCO where patients are positioned as data owners. Distribution is enterprise-direct via a small sales function (email and a 24/7 helpline), supplemented by mobile app stores for patient-facing tools and global direct-to-patient logistics for kits. Notable go-to-market channels include conference sponsorship (DPHARM, Global Genes, W3BX), patient advocacy partnerships (Lupus Research Alliance, Global Genes), and an unusual consumer-education partnership with Play2Learn on Roblox's MetaHug platform, suggesting a long-term patient acquisition strategy.

Bento operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hypatia Group, which provides AI software factory and consortium blockchain engineering heritage. The company employs 11–50 people, holds seven registered trademarks, has not disclosed venture funding rounds, and has not publicly disclosed revenue. Recent milestones include the CEO's GovExec 2024 Federal 100 Award, indicating traction in federally funded translational research, alongside continued product expansion and ecosystem buildout around the DISCO DAO.

Name

Bento Biology Platforms

Legal name

Bento Biology Platforms Inc.

Website

https://bentobio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bento Biology Platforms is a private Reston, Virginia-based decentralized clinical trial vendor that provides FDA-approved biosampling kits, mobile symptom tracking, and a blockchain-based patient data ownership layer (DISCO) to pharmaceutical sponsors, clinical investigators, and patient communities, initially focused on lupus and autoimmune diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decentralized Clinical Trial Technology

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized/Hybrid Trial Enablement (DCT) Platforms (HLACAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM), Site & Investigator Platforms (Site Payments, Feasibility, Activation) (HLACAOAJ)

Keywords

• Decentralized clinical trials
• Patient engagement software
• Biosampling logistics
• Digital health platform
• Blockchain clinical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biosampling and Biosensing Products: Bento Biology Box and Cleanroom provide FDA-approved biosampling tools for clinical trials with direct-to-patient and direct-to-clinic logistics, enabling self-service biospecimen collection without requiring phlebotomists.
2. Software Platform Licensing (Bento Bodyshop, Bento Flare): Stackable software modules for symptom diaries, patient-reported experience, and engagement protocols provided to pharma sponsors and clinical investigators. Mobile app available on App Store and Google Play.
3. Data Monetization (Bento DISCO): Patients can monetize their biological data as digital assets. Research institutions and pharmaceutical companies purchase access to datasets, with automatic payment to data owners (patients).
4. KPI and Analytics Services (Bentometrics): 70-point KPI System providing realtime performance data for direct-to-patient logistics, sample quality, patient engagement, and cohort intelligence.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bento Biology Platforms provides a modular decentralized clinical trial (DCT) platform combining self-service biosampling kits, mobile symptom tracking apps, programmable incentives, and a blockchain-based data ownership layer. Its products enable pharma sponsors and clinical investigators to run remote, patient-led trials while letting participants collect samples at home, track symptoms via mobile, and control/monetize their biological data as blockchain assets.

Product overview

Bento Biology Platforms is a digital decentralized clinical trial (DCT) company offering a modular platform architecture centered on patient-led clinical research solutions. The product suite centers on three core offerings: Bento Biology Box (self-service biosampling kits), Bento Bodyshop (symptom diary app engine), and Bento Flare (real-time symptom tracking). These are augmented by the Bento DISCO blockchain governance protocol, Bento Cleanroom (kitting logistics marketplace), Bento Wallet (incentive/microreward system), Bentometrics (70-point KPI tracking), and a biosampling menu of FDA-approved tools. The platform emphasizes decentralized science (DeSci), participate-to-earn tokenomics (DeFi), and gamified patient engagement with microsampling and direct-to-patient logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bento Biology Box: Out-of-the-Box-Experience (OOBE) for clinical trial participants with self-service biosampling in home, community clinics, or medical centers.
• Bento Bodyshop
• Bento Flare
• Bento DISCO
• Bento Cleanroom
• Bento Wallet
• Bentometrics

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved patient diversity and representation in clinical trials
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Play2LearncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2022Partnership to deliver gamified health education experiences on Roblox MetaHug platform. Bento Biology and Play2Learn partner to educate young people and families on the human genome, biohacking, biomedical research, and precision medicine through immersive games. Allows users to build avatars representing their biology and participate in the biotech economy as data owners.
• Lupus Therapeutics / Lupus Research AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020Initial pilot partner at onset of COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical operations subsidiary of the Lupus Research Alliance, collaborated with Bento to pilot technology solutions enabling new forms of community engagement designed by patients, optimized for inclusion, powered by Bento trust technology.
• Hypatia (Parent Company)coreOthersBento Biology is a spin-out company of Hypatia, an engineering firm with distinguished history building AI software factories and consortium blockchains for governments and the Fortune 500. Hypatia provides parent company support and infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Medable: Leading decentralized clinical trial platform offering eCOA/ePRO, telehealth, eConsent, and direct-to-patient logistics for pharma sponsors. Most direct competitor to Bento across the DCT stack.
• Science 37: DCT pioneer offering a 'metasite' model with virtual investigators, mobile nursing, and connected devices. Closely comparable to Bento's direct-to-patient biosampling and decentralized operations.
• THREAD Research: Decentralized and hybrid clinical trial technology platform with eCOA, ePRO, and telehealth modules serving pharma and biotech sponsors—directly overlapping Bento's modular DCT offering.
• ObvioHealth: DCT-focused CRO and technology provider offering remote monitoring, eCOA, and direct-to-patient sample collection—comparable to Bento's biosampling and symptom diary stack.
• Curebase: DCT software platform enabling sponsors to run decentralized and hybrid trials with virtual sites and home health services—comparable to Bento's decentralized site enablement thesis.

Broad incumbents

• Veeva Systems: Enterprise life sciences software suite including Veeva Vault CDB, eTMF, and clinical operations tools. A broad incumbent whose clinical trial platform overlaps with Bento's site and investigator tooling.
• IQVIA: Largest CRO with significant DCT and decentralized trial services via IQVIA Decentralized Clinical Trials. Competes for the same enterprise pharma RFPs and has the scale Bento lacks.
• Medidata (Dassault Systèmes): Industry-standard clinical trial technology suite (Rave EDC, eCOA, Rave RTSM) with growing DCT capabilities. Competes for the same enterprise pharma budget and reference customers.

Emerging players

• Castor: Cloud-based clinical trial platform offering EDC, ePRO, eConsent, and DCT enablement. A smaller, more affordable competitor with overlapping eCOA/ePRO functionality to Bento's Bodyshop and Flare.
• Reify Health (StudyTeam / Care Access): Clinical trial enrollment and decentralized infrastructure platform (StudyTeam, Care Access). Comparable as a DCT enabler focused on patient recruitment, site operations, and home-based trial delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BentoBiology
• Facebookfacebook.com/bentobiology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bento-bio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Bento Biology Platforms