CIC biomaGUNE
CIC biomaGUNE is a non-profit biomolecular research center in Spain operating 11 research groups in biomaterials, molecular imaging, and bionanotechnology, serving public funders, pharma, and biotech clients with preclinical imaging, characterization services, and licensed protein engineering IP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersDonostia/San Sebastián, Spain
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CIC biomaGUNE does
CIC biomaGUNE is a non-profit biomolecular research center established in 2003 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain. It operates 11 research groups focused on understanding biological systems at the molecular and nanometer scale through three core areas: biomaterials, molecular imaging, and bionanotechnology. The center employs 169 staff and is a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) and affiliated with CIBER-BBN, with additional recognition as a Spanish ICTS (Infraestructura Científica y Técnica Singular).
The center's core technology stack includes a cyclotron for radiochemistry and PET tracer production, electron microscopy, NMR, and specialized labs for BioNanoPlasmonics and molecular imaging. It has produced translational platforms including Engineered Protein Nanoclusters, epiGPTope (an ML-based epitope generator), and energy storage materials, holding 5+ patents on protein nanostructures. The BigMed project and other data-driven biomarker initiatives indicate an emerging computational biology footprint.
Its business model blends three revenue streams: (1) competitive public research funding from the Basque Government, Spanish AEI, EU Horizon Europe, ERC, and foundations such as AXA and BBVA; (2) contract research services for pharmaceutical and biotech clients, including via the Scientist.com marketplace; and (3) licensing of patented protein engineering and nanotechnology IP. Certifications including AAALAC, HRS4R, and ISO 56001 underscore accredited, commercially viable research infrastructure. The center does not pursue equity-financed growth; expansion is grant-driven and incremental.
CIC biomaGUNE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CIC biomaGUNE
- Legal name
- ASOCIACIÓN CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN COOPERATIVA EN BIOMATERIALES - CIC biomaGUNE
- Website
- https://cicbiomagune.es
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- CIC biomaGUNE is a non-profit biomolecular research center in Spain operating 11 research groups in biomaterials, molecular imaging, and bionanotechnology, serving public funders, pharma, and biotech clients with preclinical imaging, characterization services, and licensed protein engineering IP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CIC biomaGUNE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biomedical Research Services
- NAICS
- Medical Laboratories (621511), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Imaging & Cardiac Safety Core Labs (ECOG/EEG/ECG) (HLAGAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations) (HLAGAEAA)
Keywords
Where CIC biomaGUNE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Donostia/San Sebastián
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
CIC biomaGUNE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Research Services: CIC biomaGUNE generates revenue through providing preclinical imaging services, characterization services, and other analytical services to external clients via its technological platforms and service catalogue.
- Licensing Opportunities: The center offers technology transfer services including identification and protection of intellectual property, licensing agreements, and commercialization of research outcomes.
- Research Funding: Non-profit research organization funded through competitive grants from Basque Government, Spanish Research Agency (AEI), European Commission, and other public funding bodies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Research and characterization services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
CIC biomaGUNE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CIC biomaGUNE is a non-profit research organization that provides preclinical imaging services, biomolecular characterization services, and R&D collaboration through seven technological platforms. Its service catalogue offers external clients — primarily academic researchers and biomedical companies — access to specialized infrastructure including electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, NMR, optical spectroscopy, surface analysis, biofabrication, and molecular imaging (MRI, radiochemistry, nuclear imaging) with an AAALAC-accredited animal facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Preclinical Imaging Services Preclinical imaging services delivered through the Molecular Imaging Facility, providing MRI, radiochemistry, nuclear imaging, and in vivo studies with an AAALAC-accredited animal facility. Targeted at academic researchers and biomedical companies requiring preclinical imaging for drug development and research.
- Characterization Services Biomolecular and nanomaterial characterization services delivered through six technological platforms: Electron Microscopy, Mass Spectrometry, NMR, Optical Spectroscopy, Surface Analysis and Fabrication, and Biofabrication. Targeted at external researchers and companies needing nanoscale and molecular characterization without capital investment.
- Licensing Opportunities Technology transfer and licensing of CIC biomaGUNE's patented innovations, including protein-based functional nanostructures, MRI contrast agents, fluorescence-based nano-immunoassay IVD platforms, and microfluidic biodiscovery systems. Targeted at companies commercializing biomedical and biotechnology research output.
- Service Catalogue Published catalogue of available research services detailing methodologies, deliverables, and pricing structure for external clients. Available as a PDF document from the center's website and serves as a primary entry point for procurement of characterization and preclinical imaging services.
- epiGPTope ML-Based Epitope Generator AI-accelerated development tool that uses machine learning models to design and classify novel epitopes for biomedical and technological applications. Used for synthetic biology and the construction of artificial neoepitope libraries through statistical analysis and tokenization of epitopes. Targeted at researchers in biomedical and synthetic biology applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 peer-reviewed publications with 4,000+ citations from Scientific Director alone
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CIC biomaGUNE
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CIC biomaGUNE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature10 records
CIC biomaGUNE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)coreCIC biomaGUNE is a founding member of BRTA, the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, which connects research centers across the Basque Country to promote collaborative research and technology transfer in strategic areas including biosciences.
- IkerbasquecoreIkerbasque is the Basque Foundation for Science that promotes research excellence by attracting and retaining top researchers to the Basque Country. CIC biomaGUNE hosts multiple Ikerbasque Research Professors.
- CIBER-BBNcoreBiomedical Research Networking Centre - Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine. CIC biomaGUNE participates in this national research network.
- CIC bioGUNEcoreSister CIC center specializing in different aspects of biomedicine. Joint activities including annual Christmas Lecture and collaborative projects.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CIC biomaGUNE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CIBER-BBN: Spanish national research network for Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine in which CIC biomaGUNE participates. Emerging/network peer given shared thematic scope and member-based delivery model for translational research.
Broad incumbents
- The Scripps Research Institute: US non-profit biomedical research organization focused on chemistry and molecular medicine. Broad incumbent given similar non-profit research services model, emphasis on biomedical innovation, and licensing/tech-transfer activities.
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI): German publicly funded research center focused on infectious disease and immune-related research. Broad incumbent given comparable platform infrastructure, public funding, and cross-disciplinary research groups.
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental research organization for molecular life sciences with multi-site, platform-rich infrastructure across Europe. Broad incumbent peer given comparable operating model, government funding base, and core facility service provision.
- Institut Pasteur: Paris-based non-profit foundation dedicated to biomedical research, with core platforms for imaging, proteomics, and animal models. Broad incumbent given comparable non-profit structure, research services, and international training programs.
- Weizmann Institute of Science: Israeli non-profit research institution with strong life sciences, chemistry, and nanotechnology programs. Broad incumbent given similar academic-research mix, technology platforms, and translational infrastructure.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Biomedicine: Germany-based MPI unit focused on molecular biomedicine and imaging with public funding and PhD/postdoc programs. Broad incumbent given similar public-research mission, imaging platforms, and training-oriented staffing model.
- Karolinska Institutet - Core Facilities: Swedish medical university operating shared core facilities for imaging, proteomics, and bioanalysis under public-research governance. Broad incumbent given similar shared-platform operating model and academic/industry service offering.
Direct peers
- IMDEA Nanociencia: Madrid-based non-profit research institute focused on nanoscience and nanotechnology with similar platform-based research services model. Direct peer given overlap in nanomaterials research, ERC-funded labs, and platform-based service offerings.
- CIC bioGUNE: Sister CIC center under the same Basque Research & Technology Alliance, focused on biomedical research in metabolism, cell biology, and disease. Direct peer given shared funding infrastructure, mission, and overlapping research services portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CIC biomaGUNE social profiles
Digital presenceCIC biomaGUNE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CIC biomaGUNE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
CIC biomaGUNE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CIC biomaGUNE 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 CIC biomaGUNE
What does CIC biomaGUNE do?
CIC biomaGUNE is a non-profit research organization that provides preclinical imaging services, biomolecular characterization services, and R&D collaboration through seven technological platforms. Its service catalogue offers external clients — primarily academic researchers and biomedical companies — access to specialized infrastructure including electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, NMR, optical spectroscopy, surface analysis, biofabrication, and molecular imaging (MRI, radiochemistry, nuclear imaging) with an AAALAC-accredited animal facility.
Is CIC biomaGUNE a public or private company?
CIC biomaGUNE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CIC biomaGUNE founded?
CIC biomaGUNE was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is CIC biomaGUNE based?
CIC biomaGUNE is headquartered in Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does CIC biomaGUNE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Services are the primary driver. The others are licensing Opportunities and research Funding.
Who are CIC biomaGUNE's main competitors?
CIBER-BBN is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are The Scripps Research Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Institut Pasteur, Weizmann Institute of Science, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Biomedicine and Karolinska Institutet - Core Facilities. Direct peers are IMDEA Nanociencia and CIC bioGUNE.
Does CIC biomaGUNE have an API?
No public API is recorded for CIC biomaGUNE.
What industry is CIC biomaGUNE in?
CIC biomaGUNE's product category is Biomedical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAJ, Imaging & Cardiac Safety Core Labs (ECOG/EEG/ECG), with a secondary code of HLAGAEAA, Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations). Its NAICS code is 621511 and its SIC code is 8071.