Missouri Biotechnology Association

What Missouri Biotechnology Association does

Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO) is a private, nonprofit trade association founded in 2002 and headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri, operating as the only statewide membership organization that speaks with one unified voice to advance life sciences in Jefferson City, across the state, and in Washington, D.C. The association represents the broadest cross-section of Missouri's life sciences community — including large-cap pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, Bayer Crop Science, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Amgen, CSL Behring), contract and translational research organizations (MRIGlobal, KCAS Bioanalytical), agricultural biotechnology firms (Cover Cress, Novus International), academic and research institutions (Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center), and early-stage start-ups. MOBIO serves these members through four interlocking pillars: a statewide business-to-business network, bipartisan science and policy advocacy, workforce development programs (PROSPER, Science 2 Jobs, and BIOTECH for MO), and a Preferred Providers discount program.

MOBIO's core programmatic offerings include the PROSPER workforce development initiative (Partnering Resources, Opportunities & Students for Powerful Employment Results) that supports rural and underserved communities; the Science 2 Jobs (S2J) statewide outreach program delivered with Missouri Southern State University, Missouri Western State University, and MOSO CAPS, featuring portable labs, drone demonstrations, VR learning experiences, and BIO Immersion Tours; the BIOTECH for MO collaborative hub operated with BioSTL and BioNexus KC; the MOBIO Breakthrough virtual learning platform (monthly presentations hosted on YouTube); Leadership Luncheons (in-person networking limited to 10-15 attendees); Member Highlight spotlights; and a state-supported workforce training pipeline tied to Missouri Technology Corporation funding. Membership savings through preferred providers — including Thermo Fisher Scientific (30-40% discounts on lab equipment), UPS (up to 74% off shipping), Clean Harbors (40% off lab waste removal), ODP (up to 75% off office supplies), and Unifirst (up to 50% off workwear/cleanroom supplies) — generated over $3 million in member cost savings in the most recent reporting year.

The business model is membership-dues-funded (annual subscription billing) supplemented by state-administered workforce development grants flowing through the Missouri Technology Corporation. MOBIO is governed by a 40-plus-member Board of Directors and Executive Committee with senior government affairs representation from major pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, led by Board Chair Christopher Kennedy (CEO, Pacific Genetech) and Executive Director Kelly Gillespie. Operations are delivered by a staff of 10-12 located at the Jefferson City headquarters (P.O. Box 148). The organization operates exclusively within Missouri with no current international footprint, and strategic expansion is anchored by the Roy Blunt Health Science Innovation Center at Missouri Southern State University opening Summer 2026, which will add state-of-the-art simulation hospital, cadaver lab, radiologic technology, VR clinical training, and collaborative research lab capacity to the state's bioscience training infrastructure.

Name

Missouri Biotechnology Association

Legal name

Missouri Biotechnology Association

Website

https://mobio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO) is a nonprofit trade association and the only statewide voice for Missouri's life sciences community, serving pharma, biotech, agtech, and research organizations through advocacy, workforce development, and member savings programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: MOBIO generates revenue through annual membership fees from life sciences companies, higher education institutions, medical research organizations, start-ups, agri-science firms, and related organizations. Members receive benefits including advocacy representation, workforce development programs, business savings through preferred providers, and networking opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO) is a statewide nonprofit trade association that provides membership-based advocacy, workforce development, networking, and member savings programs to life sciences organizations in Missouri. Its core offerings include representation in Jefferson City and Washington D.C., the PROSPER/Science 2 Jobs/BIOTECH for MO workforce development initiatives, leadership events, MOBIO Breakthrough virtual learning series, and Preferred Provider discounts on R&D, laboratory, finance, facilities, and operational services.

Product overview

MOBIO is a statewide membership organization, not a technology product company. It offers a suite of programs and services for the life sciences community including workforce development initiatives (PROSPER, Science 2 Jobs, BIOTECH for MO), advocacy and policy representation, member networking events (Leadership Luncheons, MOBIO Breakthrough virtual presentations, Member Highlight spotlights), and a Preferred Providers discount program. The organization connects life sciences businesses, higher education, medical research, start-ups, and agri-science firms through advocacy, workforce development, and business savings programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROSPER: Workforce development initiative dedicated to Partnering Resources, Opportunities & Students for Powerful Employment Results.
• MOBIO Breakthrough

Products and services

• Membership in MOBIO Annual membership program for Missouri life sciences organizations, providing access to advocacy representation, workforce development programs, business savings through preferred providers, and networking opportunities. Open to life sciences companies, higher education institutions, research organizations, start-ups, and agri-science firms.
• PROSPER Workforce Development Initiative A workforce development initiative dedicated to Partnering Resources, Opportunities & Students for Powerful Employment Results, supporting rural and underserved communities within Missouri's life sciences sector. Bridges additional assistance to rural and underserved communities in coordination with the Science 2 Jobs and BIOTECH for MO programs.
• Science 2 Jobs (S2J) Program A statewide program designed to increase awareness of workforce opportunities in health and agricultural sciences through tailored outreach and educational programs, featuring portable labs, drone demonstrations, VR learning experiences, and BIO Immersion Tours. Delivered in partnership with Missouri Southern State University, MOSO CAPS, and Missouri Western State University.
• BIOTECH for MO The Bioscience Industry Occupational Training and Equity Collaborative Hub for Missouri, a statewide centralized hub for education, industry, government, and community partners to design and implement programs that train and recruit individuals for key bioscience occupations. Run in collaboration with BioSTL and BioNexus KC.
• MOBIO Breakthrough Virtual Learning Series A monthly virtual learning platform exploring new and hidden biotech industry discoveries, business opportunities, and potential partnerships. Free presentations open to the life-science community with archived recordings available on YouTube.
• MOBIO Preferred Providers Program A purchasing discount program providing MOBIO members access to significant discounts on industry products and services including R&D, laboratory, finance, facilities, operations, communications and data categories. Includes partners such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Airgas, Clean Harbors, UPS, ODP, Chubb, Nikon Instruments, Unifirst, and ShareVault, with member savings exceeding $3 million annually.
• Leadership Luncheons In-person networking events limited to 10-15 attendees where host organization provides a brief introduction with optional tour, followed by member connection and collaboration time. Designed for executive engagement among Missouri life sciences leaders.
• Member Highlight An opportunity for members to spotlight their organization or technology to other members and elected officials, published on the MOBIO website and in the monthly Progress e-newsletter. Provides promotional visibility for member organizations.
• Policy Advocacy and Government Representation Direct advocacy representation in Jefferson City and Washington D.C. on behalf of Missouri's life sciences community, including pro-science and pro-business legislative policy advocacy. Notable advocacy outcomes include securing $94.9 million in federal SSBCI funds and a $30 million Missouri Technology Corporation budget increase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members saved over $3 million through preferred provider programs last year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and preferred provider.

• BioSTLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioSTL collaborates with MOBIO on the BIOTECH for MO initiative, a statewide workforce development platform for education, industry, government, and community partners to design and implement programs training individuals for key bioscience occupations.
• BioNexus KCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioNexus KC partners with MOBIO on the BIOTECH for MO initiative and Science 2 Jobs program, working together to strengthen Missouri's bioscience workforce and support underrepresented communities.
• Missouri Southern State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Science 2 Jobs (S2J) program, providing statewide outreach and educational programs to increase awareness of workforce opportunities in health and agricultural sciences.
• Missouri Western State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Science 2 Jobs (S2J) program offering opportunities to heighten awareness and cultivate interest in science-based programs and careers.
• MOSO CAPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Science 2 Jobs (S2J) program, collaborating on tailored outreach and educational programs for workforce opportunities in health and agricultural sciences.
• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)keyGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partnership for advocacy collaboration. MOBIO works with BIO to advocate for shared policy objectives and ensure elected officials hear the collective voice of Missouri's life sciences community.
• Thermo Fisher Scientificpreferred providerOthersPreferred provider offering MOBIO members 30-40% discounts on total spend, no charge for standard shipping, guaranteed 1-2 day shipping, and 1% Price Reduction Program.
• Airgaspreferred providerOthersPreferred provider offering MOBIO members 25% off packaged/bulk gas.
• Clean Harborspreferred providerOthersPreferred provider offering MOBIO members 40% off lab waste removal services.
• United Van Linespreferred providerOthersPreferred provider offering MOBIO members moving and storage discounts.
• UPSpreferred providerOthersPreferred provider offering MOBIO members up to 74% off shipping.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MassBio: Massachusetts statewide biotech trade association. Directly comparable to MOBIO in mission (state-level advocacy, networking, policy representation for life sciences companies), though operating at a much larger scale given Massachusetts' biotech dominance and well-developed member savings and workforce programs.
• BioSTL: St. Louis-based regional biotech organization supporting life sciences entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and workforce development. Closely comparable to MOBIO given both serve Missouri life sciences companies, co-lead the BIOTECH for MO and Science 2 Jobs programs, and act as regional ecosystem builders.
• California Life Sciences: California statewide life sciences trade association. Directly comparable to MOBIO as a state-level trade association advocating for life sciences companies, providing networking, workforce development, and policy advocacy, and operating a similar member benefits and supplier discount infrastructure.
• BioNexus KC: Kansas City-based regional life sciences advocacy and workforce organization. Directly comparable to MOBIO as a Missouri-focused biotech association collaborating on BIOTECH for MO and operating as a regional biotech hub on the Missouri/Kansas border.
• iBIO (Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization): Statewide life sciences trade association for Illinois. Closely comparable to MOBIO in structure and mission: state-level policy advocacy, workforce development, member services, and supplier discount programs serving life sciences companies, making it one of the cleanest functional analogues.

Broad incumbents

• PhRMA: National pharmaceutical industry trade association representing major drug companies. Comparable to MOBIO in operating model (advocacy-led trade association serving life sciences), though focused on branded pharma rather than the broader biotech/agtech mix and operating exclusively at the federal level.
• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): National biotech trade association advocating for life sciences companies at the federal level. Directly comparable to MOBIO as an advocacy-led membership organization serving biotech members; MOBIO is a formal BIO partner for state-federal advocacy coordination, illustrating the same operating model at different geographic scales.
• AdvaMed: National medical device and medtech trade association. Comparable to MOBIO in function as a life sciences trade association with policy advocacy and member services, though focused on the medical technology subsegment and operating at a federal scope.

Regional players

• BioKansas: Kansas state-level life sciences association. Comparable to MOBIO as a neighboring Midwest state biotech trade association with an analogous mission of supporting life sciences companies through advocacy, networking, and workforce development, though operating in a smaller biotech ecosystem.
• Indiana Health Industry Forum: Indiana state-level life sciences industry association. Comparable to MOBIO as a neighboring Midwest regional biotech trade association with parallel advocacy, networking, and workforce development activities, though serving Indiana's biotech ecosystem rather than Missouri's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MissouriBIO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3JJY-T44RoZJmGLF4Iup1A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missouri-biotechnology-association-mobio-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Missouri Biotechnology Association