Dakota BioWorx

What Dakota BioWorx does

Dakota BioWorx (DBX) is a South Dakota-based non-profit, fee-for-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides pilot-scale bioprocess services to biotechnology innovators. The organization operates from a 43,510 sq. ft. research facility in the Research Park at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, equipped with 15 laboratories, a pilot plant, and 3,770 liters of fermentation capacity (including a 3,000L pilot-scale fermentation line). Its core service portfolio spans bioprocess development and scale-up, contract bioprocess manufacturing, downstream processing (centrifugation, filtration, lysis, drying), statistical experimental design (DOE), and analytical characterization, with specialized capabilities in intracellular/extracellular protein expression systems and microbial biomass production (bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi). A 100% client IP ownership policy and a non-profit, mission-aligned operating posture distinguish it from profit-maximizing commercial CDMOs.

The organization is institutionally supported by the Bio-Leadership Coalition — a consortium that includes SDSU, South Dakota School of Mines, POET, SD Corn Growers, SD Soybean Checkoff, Research Park at SDSU, and South Dakota Biotech — and holds a seat on BioMADE's 2025 Technical Committee. DBX also operates an Operator Training Program, a hands-on biomanufacturing pre-apprenticeship, and has partnered with CNAM-Bio to integrate South Dakota-built bioreactor equipment into its facility.

DBX generates revenue through project-based fees for bioprocess development, scale-up, and contract fermentation manufacturing services, supplemented by a recent $900,000 economic development grant from South Dakota's Future Fund (awarded by Governor Larry Rhoden in late 2025) to cash-flow operations as it continues to attract users. It serves clients across six target verticals — Agriculture & Biological Inputs, Animal Health & Nutrition, Industrial Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology, Bioenergy & Renewables, and Academics & Research Institutions — and acquires customers via direct business development, industry conference participation, and partnerships with academic institutions.

Name

Dakota BioWorx

Legal name

Dakota BioWorx

Website

https://dakotabioworx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dakota BioWorx is a South Dakota non-profit fee-for-service CDMO that provides pilot-scale bioprocess development, scale-up, and contract fermentation manufacturing services to biotechnology innovators across agriculture, animal health, industrial biotech, environmental, bioenergy, and academic sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Bioprocess Manufacturing Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Biologics (mAbs/Recombinant Proteins) CDMO (HLAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Process Development & Tech Transfer Services (upstream/downstream) (HLAAAKAF), Biorefinery Technology & Contract Processing (fractionation, tolling, scale-up) (IMAMALAL)

Keywords

• Contract bioprocess manufacturing
• Bioprocess development services
• Pilot scale fermentation
• Industrial biotechnology CDMO
• Microbial biomass production

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Bioprocess Manufacturing Services: Fee-for-service CDMO model providing bioprocess development, scale-up, and contract fermentation manufacturing services. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for lab-scale through 3000-L pilot-scale precision fermentation and downstream processing services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dakota BioWorx is a non-profit fee-for-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides pilot-scale bioprocess services for biotechnology innovators. The company offers end-to-end bioprocess execution from bench-scale through 3,000L pilot-scale fermentation, including bioprocess development and scale-up, contract manufacturing, downstream processing, statistical experimental design (DOE), and analytical characterization for production of enzymes, proteins, and microbial biomass.

Product overview

Dakota BioWorx is a non-profit fee-for-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides end-to-end bioprocess execution services for biotechnology innovators. The company operates from a 43,510 square foot research facility with 3,770 liters of fermentation capacity and 15 laboratories and pilot plant spaces. The core service portfolio includes Bioprocess Development & Scale Up, Contract Bioprocess Manufacturing, a 3,000L Fermentation Pilot Plant, Downstream Processing, Statistical Experimental Design (DOE), and Analytical Characterization. These services are supported by specialized capabilities in Protein Expressions and Microbial Biomass Production. The company also operates an Operator Training Program for workforce development. Dakota BioWorx maintains 100% client IP ownership and serves industries including Agriculture & Biological Inputs, Animal Health & Nutrition, Industrial Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology, Bioenergy & Renewables, and Academics & Research Institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bioprocess Development & Scale Up Develop and optimize microbial processes from bench-scale to pilot-ready production, validating critical scale-up parameters for industrial biotechnology applications. Targeted at biotechnology companies seeking to move discoveries toward commercialization.
• Contract Bioprocess Manufacturing Reliable pilot-scale fermentation and processing to produce microbial products for customer trials, validation, and tech transfer to commercial manufacturing. Targeted at companies needing outsourced fermentation services.
• Fermentation Pilot Plant 3,000L pilot-scale fermentation capacity for proof-of-scale production, customer trials, and commercialization preparation. Targeted at biotech innovators requiring pilot-scale fermentation infrastructure.
• Downstream Processing Pilot-scale product recovery, concentration, and drying using centrifugation, filtration, lysis, and drying technologies. Targeted at clients needing complete bioprocess workflows including post-fermentation processing.
• Operator Training Program Hands-on biomanufacturing pre-apprenticeship program providing participants with real-world exposure to bioprocess operations, covering lab safety, sterile technique, solution preparation, and bench-top bioreactor operation. Targeted at workforce development candidates and future biomanufacturing professionals.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BioMADEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Dakota BioWorx has representation in BioMADE's 2025 Governance Committees, specifically the Technical Committee. Also received education and workforce development grant as one of six teams nationwide.
• South Dakota State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey founding partner through the Bio-Leadership Coalition. Dakota BioWorx is located in the Research Park at South Dakota State University. SDSU researchers collaborate on projects including food dye research.
• South Dakota School of MinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners. Contributes technical expertise and research capabilities to the Dakota BioWorx ecosystem.
• POETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners. Partnership includes use of POET Bioproduct Center facility for operator training programs.
• South Dakota Corn GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners representing the agricultural community in South Dakota.
• South Dakota Soybean CheckoffcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners supporting the agricultural biotechnology ecosystem in South Dakota.
• Research Park at SDSUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners. Hosts the Dakota BioWorx facility within the research park.
• South Dakota BiotechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bio-Leadership Coalition founding partners. Co-recipient of BioMADE education and workforce grant for operator training program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Culture Biosciences: Direct fermentation/bioprocess CDMO offering pilot-scale microbial manufacturing services to biotech innovators, with very similar business model and customer profile to Dakota BioWorx.
• Bio-Technical Resources (BTR Labs): Contract bioprocess development and pilot-scale fermentation service provider for industrial enzymes, proteins, and microbial products — closely aligned with DBX's core service offering.

Others

• POET: Founding Bio-Leadership Coalition partner that operates the POET Bioproduct Center used for DBX's operator training; adjacent bioeconomy player with overlapping workforce and feedstock ecosystem.
• BioMADE: DOD-funded public-private partnership for U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing; DBX sits on BioMADE's Technical Committee and receives BioMADE grants, making it both ecosystem enabler and indirect demand source.

Broad incumbents

• Ginkgo Bioworks: Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing platform serving industrial biotech with organism engineering and pilot-to-commercial scale-up — overlapping customer base and microbial production capabilities.
• AGC Biologics: Global CDMO offering microbial and mammalian biologics development, pilot, and commercial manufacturing — competing for the same upstream biotech innovators at higher scales.
• Catalent: Major global CDMO providing biologics development and manufacturing services including microbial fermentation — an established competitor that biotech clients frequently benchmark against DBX.
• FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies: Large global biologics CDMO with microbial and cell-culture fermentation capabilities across pilot and commercial scales — comparable end market but vastly broader portfolio than DBX.

Emerging players

• ABPDU (Advanced Biofuels & Bioproducts Demonstration Unit): DOE-funded pilot-scale bioprocess demonstration facility offering fermentation and downstream processing services to bioeconomy startups — directly comparable pilot-scale CDMO mission.

Regional players

• Argonne National Laboratory - MSTD: National-lab pilot bioprocessing capabilities for microbial production research, partly overlapping with DBX's industrial biotech pilot services but serving federally funded programs rather than commercial clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Dakota-BioWorx-61550600601621
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dakota-bioworx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Dakota BioWorx