Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

What Institute of Molecular Biotechnology does

The Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) is a publicly funded research institute operating under the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austrian Academy of Sciences, OeAW), located at Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3 in Vienna's 3rd district as part of the Vienna BioCenter campus. Founded in 1999, IMBA conducts fundamental molecular biotechnology research across 13 active research groups, focusing on stem cell biology, RNA biology, cell fate decisions, and cancer immunotherapy. The institute employs approximately 250 staff from around 40 nationalities and has secured 25 ERC Grants, including a recent ERC Advanced Grant awarded to Jürgen Knoblich.

IMBA does not sell commercial products or services. Its operating model is based on institutional funding from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and competitive European research grants. The institute engages the scientific community through publications, seminars (Monday Seminars, SY-Stem, Microsymposium, Dev Stem), and a portfolio of training programs including the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, postdoctoral positions, master thesis projects, and the VBC Summer School. Partnerships are concentrated within the Vienna BioCenter cluster, which IMBA describes as one of the leading international biomedical research centres in Central Europe.

Recent research highlights indicate active publication output in RNA fate regulation and breast cancer immunotherapy, positioning IMBA as both a fundamental research entity and a contributor to translational science. The institute distributes its work through academic publications, conferences, and educational programs targeting PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and life sciences students globally, while its primary funder and stakeholder remains the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Name

Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

Legal name

Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

Website

https://imba.oeaw.ac.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) is a publicly funded research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, conducting molecular biotechnology research in stem cell biology, RNA biology, and cancer immunotherapy across 13 research groups at the Vienna BioCenter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

mRNA Therapeutics (vaccines, protein replacement, immuno-oncology) (HLAAADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Immunology & Inflammation Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAD)

Keywords

• Molecular biology research
• Stem cell biology
• RNA biology research
• Cancer immunotherapy studies
• Biomedical research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: Publicly funded research institute supported by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) and competitive European research grants, including 25 ERC Grants secured by researchers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMBA is a publicly funded research institute that conducts fundamental molecular biotechnology research through 13 active research groups, focusing on stem cell biology, RNA biology, cell fate decisions, and cancer immunotherapy. It also delivers doctoral and postdoctoral training programs, operates scientific facilities and services, and hosts scientific seminars and symposia.

Product overview

IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology is a research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), not a commercial product company. The institute operates a portfolio of research groups (13 active groups) conducting fundamental molecular biotechnology research. Its offerings include educational programs such as the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, postdoctoral opportunities, master student projects, and the VBC Summer School (9-week fellowship). Additional services include seminars, events (SY-Stem symposium, Microsymposium), Monday Seminars, and scientific facilities. The institute is located at the Vienna BioCenter and employs approximately 250 staff from 40 nationalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Groups
• Vienna BioCenter PhD Program A postgraduate doctoral training program in European life sciences offered in collaboration with the Vienna BioCenter, considered among the best postgraduate courses in European life sciences.
• Postdoc Opportunities Research positions for postdoctoral scholars offering freedom to pursue ideas in an encouraging and supportive environment at IMBA.
• Master Projects Research placement opportunities for master's students to conduct thesis work or internships in IMBA laboratories.
• VBC Summer School A 9-week fellowship program offered through the Vienna BioCenter for current Bachelor and Master students to develop skills in life sciences.
• Seminars & Events Scientific seminars including Monday Seminars, impromptu seminars, and organized symposiums such as SY-Stem and Microsymposium, open to the scientific community.
• Services & Facilities Research support services and scientific facilities provided to researchers at IMBA, supporting molecular biotechnology research.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Vienna BioCentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMBA is an integral part of the Vienna BioCenter (VBC) campus located at Neu Marx in Vienna's 3rd district. The VBC is one of the leading international biomedical research centres worldwide and the premier location for life sciences in Central Europe. This co-location facilitates collaboration, shared facilities, and interdisciplinary research among member institutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG): A publicly-funded German research institute conducting basic research in molecular cell biology, stem cells, and biophysics — directly comparable in scale (~250-400 staff), funding model, and research themes to IMBA.
• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG): A Barcelona-based international biomedical research institute with a comparable scale, public funding model, and focus on genomics, cell biology, and bioinformatics — making it a close European peer to IMBA.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: A leading nonprofit research institute affiliated with MIT focused on basic biomedical research including stem cell biology and cancer — directly comparable to IMBA in academic orientation, principal-investigator model, and research themes.
• Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP): Located on the same Vienna BioCenter campus as IMBA, IMP conducts fundamental research in molecular and cell biology with a similar academic, grant-funded operating model and overlapping areas in gene regulation, chromosome biology, and cancer research.
• GMI - Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology: A sister institute of IMBA, also under the Austrian Academy of Sciences and co-located on the Vienna BioCenter campus, conducting basic research in molecular plant biology with the same academic, publicly-funded research model.

Broad incumbents

• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: A leading US biomedical and genomic research institute with a similar academic, multi-institutional collaboration model — overlapping with IMBA in genomics and disease biology research themes, but at significantly larger scale.
• Francis Crick Institute: A large biomedical discovery institute in London with ~1,500 staff; comparable to IMBA in publicly-funded basic-research model and focus on cancer, stem cells, and genetics, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): An intergovernmental research organization in molecular life sciences with multiple sites across Europe; comparable to IMBA in public funding model and basic-research mandate but operating at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.
• Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health: A large German government-funded research center with thematic overlap in molecular biology, stem cell research, and disease mechanisms — comparable in public funding model to IMBA though much larger and broader in scope.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: A large UK-based genomic and cellular science research institute using genomics to understand human health; comparable to IMBA in public-charity funding model and basic-research focus, though larger and more genomics-centric.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMBA_Vienna
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IMBAVienna
• Facebookfacebook.com/IMBAVienna
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imba-vienna

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Molecular Biotechnology