Vertebrate Antibodies

What Vertebrate Antibodies does

Vertebrate Antibodies Limited (VAL) is an Aberdeen-based, privately-held UK biotech company and wholly-owned subsidiary of EpitogenX. Founded in 2011, the company develops and supplies high-quality monoclonal antibodies for research and clinical applications across a broad species range including mammals (human, dog, rodent, rabbit, bovine, ovine, porcine, equine), birds (chicken, duck, turkey), fish (salmonids, zebrafish, carp, stickleback, shark), and pathogens (virus, parasite, bacteria). Its catalogue of over 150 antibody products is sold as hybridoma cells, condition supernatants, or purified reagents, delivered within two weeks of order, with 30-day payment terms. Custom antibody production, IHC validation, and recombinant protein services complement the catalogue.

The company's technical foundation is the proprietary EpitoGen Technology, a scaffold-protein-based platform that displays epitope antigens in optimal conformation for use in ELISA and lateral flow assays, combined with the EpitopePredikt machine learning tool (licensed via AiBiologics) for identifying immunodominant epitopes. These technologies underpin the company's expansion into human diagnostics, notably the AI-EpitoGen SARS-CoV-2 ELISA suite (Universal, Differential, Immunity, Spike Mutant) and the July 2025 launch of a Lyme VlsE Assay covering 27 Borrelia variants. VAL also licenses monoclonal antibodies exclusively to Cancer Research Technology for distribution through the Ximbio platform.

VAL's go-to-market combines direct sales (phone and email, quote-based pricing) with channel partnerships (Pivotal Scientific Limited Alliance, Ximbio, 2BScientific) and exclusive licensing arrangements. The company has historically been grant-funded rather than venture-backed, drawing on Scottish Government, BBSRC, and EU Horizon 2020 programmes (notably ParaFishControl at €7.8M and VetBioNet at €10M consortium budgets). Long-running collaborations with the University of Aberdeen, the Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre, NHS Grampian, and Marinnovac anchor both its R&D pipeline and its aquaculture and clinical diagnostic verticals.

Name

Vertebrate Antibodies

Legal name

Vertebrate Antibodies Limited

Website

https://vertebrateantibodies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Reagents

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomarker Assay & Reagent Development (LDT/IVD assay design, antibodies/standards/controls) (HLAAAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics (mAbs) (HLAAAAAA), Biologics & Immunotherapies (Non-vaccine) (HLAMAEAK)

Keywords

• Research antibodies
• Monoclonal antibody production
• Diagnostic assay development
• Life science reagents
• Biotechnology research products

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Antibody Products: Sale of research antibodies including mammalian, bird, fish, and pathogen-specific antibodies. Products available as hybridoma cells, condition supernatants, or purified form. Delivered within two weeks of order.
2. COVID-19 and Lyme Diagnostic Assays: Proprietary EpitoGen-based ELISA assays for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection and Lyme disease VlsE detection. These represent the company's diagnostic product offerings.
3. Licensing Agreements: Exclusive licensing of monoclonal antibodies to Cancer Research Technology (CRT) for research use, including antibodies to human targets and RSV virus. Products distributed via Ximbio platform.
4. Custom Antibody Production Services: Custom antibody production service for developing antibodies to specific targets as requested by researchers and industry.
5. IHC Validation and Recombinant Services: Supporting services including IHC validation service and recombinant protein production service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vertebrate Antibodies Limited manufactures and supplies high-quality monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins across mammalian, avian, fish, and pathogen species for basic, applied, and clinical research, delivered as hybridoma cells, condition supernatants, or purified form. The company also offers custom antibody production, IHC validation, and recombinant protein services, and uses its proprietary EpitoGen scaffold expression platform combined with EpitopePredikt AI to develop validated ELISA diagnostic assays such as the COVID-19 EpitoGen ELISA suite and the Lyme VlsE Assay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EpitoGen: Novel epitope/peptide expression platform where epitope antigen is fused in the middle of an inert scaffold protein, developed by Vertebrate Antibodies Ltd in collaboration with University of Aberdeen
• EpitoGen Universal SARS-CoV-2 ELISA
• EpitoGen Immunity SARS-CoV-2 ELISA
• EpitoGen Differential SARS-CoV-2 ELISA
• EpitoGen Spike Mutant SARS-CoV-2 ELISA

Products and services

• Mammalian Antibodies Research antibodies targeting mammalian species including Human, Dog, Rodents, Rabbit, Bovine, Ovis (sheep), Porcine, and Equus (horse), validated for ELISA, western blot, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry applications.
• Bird Antibodies Research antibodies for avian species including Chicken, Duck, and Turkey for veterinary and life science research.
• Fish Antibodies Research antibodies for aquatic species including Salmonids, Zebrafish, Carp, Stickleback, and Shark for aquaculture and comparative immunology research, including cytokines and T-cell markers for vaccine monitoring.
• Pathogen Antibodies Antibodies specific to pathogens including virus antibodies, parasite antibodies, and bacteria antibodies for detection and research applications.
• Flagellins Flagellin recombinant proteins for research and immune stimulation applications.
• Custom Antibody Production Service Custom monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production tailored to specific research needs and target antigens.
• IHC Validation Service Immunohistochemistry (IHC) validation service for antibody validation in tissue samples.
• Recombinant Protein Production Service Recombinant protein production service for generating active proteins for research and animal health applications.
• EpitoGen Universal SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assay COVID-19 antibody detection assay using 15 immunodominant epitopes from five SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and 45 prevalent mutations for maximum sensitivity population-level screening; reported 95-100% sensitivity and 99% specificity.
• EpitoGen Differential SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assay COVID-19 ELISA assay designed to differentiate between vaccination-induced and infection-induced antibody responses using 45 prevalent mutations.
• EpitoGen Immunity COVID-19 ELISA Test COVID-19 ELISA assay evaluating IgG antibody response following vaccination or natural infection, assessing responses against original and mutant SARS-CoV-2 strains including 16 prevalent spike mutations.
• EpitoGen Spike Mutant SARS-CoV-2 Assay ELISA assay for detection of antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 original strain and emerging mutants, evaluating vaccine performance and immunity impact with 16 prevalent spike mutations.
• Lyme VlsE Assay Diagnostic assay powered by Epitogen technology for Lyme disease detection, enabling strain-level identification of Borrelia species and enhanced diagnostic sensitivity across 27 VlsE variants.
• EpitoGen Technology Platform Proprietary epitope/peptide expression platform where epitope antigens are fused in the middle of an inert scaffold protein and displayed on its surface, suited for ELISA and lateral flow assays; enables high expression, increased stability, and excellent solubility of short epitopes in E. coli.
• EpitopePredikt AI Software AiBiologics machine learning software used in conjunction with EpitoGen Technology to scan viral antigens and identify immunodominant epitopes for diagnostic assay development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95-100% sensitivity and 99% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 EpitoGen assays
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• AiBiologicscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2021Partnership using AiBiologics machine learning software (EpitopePredikt) combined with EpitoGen Technology to develop SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assays with enhanced sensitivity.
• University of Aberdeen / NHS GrampiancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020COVID-19 assay development project funded by Scottish Government. VAL's AI technology EpitopePrediKt and recombinant technology used to develop high-throughput screening assay. Lead investigator Professor Mirela Delibegovic.
• MarinnovacminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Collaboration based in O Porriño, Spain to fast-track fish and shrimp disease prevention strategies through autogenous, experimental and licensed vaccines and diagnostic services.
• Pivotal Scientific Limited (PSL) AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2017Membership in PSL Alliance to facilitate sales growth and improve brand awareness through collective distribution network of life science products.
• VetBioNet ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016EU Horizon 2020 project (€10M budget) establishing network of BSL3 research facilities for epizootic and zoonotic diseases research. VAL develops antibodies for monitoring animal health and vaccine efficacy.
• ParaFishControl ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2015EU Horizon 2020 project (€7.8M budget) to increase sustainability and competitiveness of European aquaculture industry. VAL generates antibodies towards parasite-specific antigens. 18 public research groups, 3 industrial partners, 7 SMEs.
• Cancer Research Technology (CRT)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 April 2014Exclusive licensing agreement to license monoclonal antibodies for Research Only. Includes antibodies to human targets (BCLAF1, CYP enzymes, MMPs, etc.) and RSV virus antibodies with diagnostic and neutralizing activities.
• University of AberdeencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2012Multiple collaborations including Kick Start award with Professor Graeme Murray on colorectal cancer biomarkers and prognostic agents. Discovery of CYP26B1 as prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.
• Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre (SFIRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Knowledge Transfer and Exchange Award collaboration to develop assays for monitoring vaccine performance in salmonids. Monoclonal antibodies developed to key cytokines including IFNγ. Ongoing collaboration since 2012.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vertebrate-antibodies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Vertebrate Antibodies