SynBioBR

What SynBioBR does

SynBioBR (Associação Brasileira de Biologia Sintética) is a private non-profit civil association founded in 2021 that serves as Brazil's national hub for synthetic biology. It connects students, researchers, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and policymakers through an integrated portfolio of five programs: the Observatório (a Padlet-based database cataloging Brazilian synthetic biology research groups), the annual Congresso Brasileiro de Biologia Sintética (CBBS), the Olimpíada Brasileira de Biologia Sintética (OBBS) for high school students, the biweekly SynBioBR Convida webinar series, and the Rede Brasileira de Biologia Sintética (Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network). The organization reached national scale with the 2025 OBBS attracting 12,000+ participants from all 27 Brazilian states and the 2nd CBBS doubling participation to 190+ attendees at USP.

SynBioBR's operations are volunteer-driven, with a core leadership team of approximately 10 members (Executive Director, Operations Director, Education Director, Policy Director, Community Director, Treasurer, Marketing Lead, and assistants). Revenue is generated through individual membership fees and corporate sponsorships, with New England Biolabs (NEB) serving as the primary 2025 sponsor alongside Twist Bioscience, Cristália, BioLinker, ICGEB, and others. Programs are delivered through a hybrid digital-physical distribution model: webinars and media content are self-serve via website, Substack newsletter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, while flagship events (CBBS, OBBS) are hosted in-person at partner institutions including USP, UNESP, SENAI, UFABC, and UnB.

The organization has positioned itself as Brazil's representative voice in international biotech governance, participating in the UNODA BWC Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship continuously since 2023, contributing to the CBD Expert Group on Synthetic Biology at the invitation of Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) in 2025, and joining the Frente Parlamentar de Bioeconomia alongside ABBI. It also supports Brazilian and Latin American delegations at major international events including SynBioBeta, Hello Tomorrow Global Summit, and Deep Tech Summit. Customer segments span research scientists, students at all levels, entrepreneurs and deep tech startups, policymakers, and corporate partners, with no single segment dominating revenue.

Name

SynBioBR

Legal name

Associação Brasileira de Biologia Sintética

Website

https://synbiobr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SynBioBR is a Brazilian non-profit association founded in 2021 that serves as the national hub for synthetic biology, connecting students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers through events (CBBS congress, OBBS olympiad), webinars, a research group database, and the Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Association / Community Organization

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Syndromic Surveillance & Early Warning Systems (HLAJABAB)

Keywords

• Synthetic biology association
• Scientific community building
• Biology olympiad programs
• Biotechnology education outreach
• Biotech policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasil

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: SynBioBR is a private non-profit civil association. It grows its membership base of students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals who pay to join. Revenue supports operational activities, events, and programs.
2. Sponsorships and strategic partnerships: The association receives strategic sponsorship support from companies such as New England Biolabs (NEB) as primary 2025 sponsor. Sponsors support events, the olympiad, and educational programs. Additional sponsors include ICGEB, Twist Bioscience, Cristália, BioLinker, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SynBioBR is a non-profit civil association that operates as Brazil's central hub for the synthetic biology ecosystem. It delivers its value through five interconnected community programs: the Observatório (a national database of synthetic biology research groups built on Padlet), the Congresso Brasileiro de Biologia Sintética (CBBS) annual congress, the Olimpíada Brasileira de Biologia Sintética (OBBS) national olympiad for high school students, the SynBioBR Convida biweekly webinar series, and the Rede Brasileira de Biologia Sintética (Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network) launched at CBBS 2024.

Product overview

SynBioBR (Associação Brasileira de Biologia Sintética) is a non-profit civil association founded in 2021 that serves as Brazil's national synthetic biology organization. Rather than offering a software product, SynBioBR provides a portfolio of community programs and platforms including the Observatório (a research group database and networking platform), the annual CBBS conference, the OBBS olympiad for high school students, the SynBioBR Convida webinar series, and the Rede Brasileira de Biologia Sintética network. These offerings work together to connect researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals while promoting education, research collaboration, and policy advocacy in synthetic biology across Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Observatório SynBioBR (SynBioBR Observatory)

Quantifiable outcome

• 190+ participants at 2nd CBBS (2025), doubling from 2024; tripling in programming, structure, and reach
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Instituto VerterecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Vertere is a key supporting partner for the Brazilian Synthetic Biology Olympiad (OBBS), providing organizational support for the competition aimed at high school students across Brazil.
• Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESP is the organizing institution for the 5th edition of OBBS (2025) and a partner in the Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network. Danielle Pedrolli (UNESP) spoke at the opening of 2nd CBBS.
• Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFABC is a supporting institution for the 5th edition of OBBS (2025), alongside UNESP, UnB, and SynBioBR. Listed as a supporter in the 2025 Annual Report.
• Universidade de Brasília (UnB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnB is a supporting institution for OBBS 2025 (5th edition) and will host the next CBBS in 2027. Represents SynBioBR's expansion into the Central-West region of Brazil.
• SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biotechnology (ISI Biotecnologia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISI Biotecnologia co-organized the 1st CBBS in August 2024 at SENAI Bom Retiro – Biotecnologia in São Paulo. It was a key institutional partner for the inaugural congress.
• Rede Brasileira de Biologia Sintética (Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brazilian Synthetic Biology Network was launched at CBBS 2024, uniting researchers, students, and professionals. SynBioBR maintains and strengthens the Network throughout the year as one of its most important pillars. The Network produced a peer-reviewed article published in ACS Omega (2025).
• New England Biolabs (NEB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNEB was the primary sponsor of SynBioBR for 2025 and a sponsor of CBBS events. Their strategic support is essential to expanding the reach and impact of SynBioBR's programs.
• University of Cambridge / ICGEBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jennifer Molloy (University of Cambridge / ICGEB) delivered a keynote at 2nd CBBS, presenting open-source tools and approaches to accelerate synthetic biology in low- and middle-income countries. ICGEB also sponsored CBBS.
• DTU / Novo Nordisk BiosustainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Dr. Pablo Cruz-Morales (DTU / Novo Nordisk Biosustain) delivered a keynote at 2nd CBBS, discussing filamentous fungi as bioindustrial platforms in the transition to a new era of industrial chemistry.
• Twist BioscienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTwist Bioscience was a sponsor of CBBS events, supporting the congress alongside NEB, ICGEB, Cristália, and BioLinker.
• CristáliaGTM or Marketing PartnerCristália was a sponsor of CBBS events.
• EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMBRAPA researchers Marco Oliveira and Daniela Bittencourt participated in CBBS roundtables and oral presentations. EMBRAPA Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (CENARGEN) was represented in research presentations.
• Reclone (Reagent Collaboration Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Reclone Node was launched at USP during CBBS, as part of the Reagent Collaboration Network promoting local production of biotechnology reagents. SynBioBR/Reclone was represented at the CBBS opening by Cibele Zolnier.
• International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Brazilian iGEM teams participated in CBBS: Rio-UFRJ-Brazil, UFRGS-Brazil, UNICAMP-Brazil, UNILA-LatAm, and USP-Brazil. OBBS was originally conceived by the iGEM USP-BR team.
• Frente Parlamentar de Bioeconomia (FPBioeconomia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynBioBR participates in the Frente Parlamentar de Bioeconomia in partnership with the Brazilian Bioinnovation Association (ABBI), contributing to the elaboration of incentive and support policies for Brazil's biotech tecno-industrial ecosystem, with emphasis on synthetic biology.
• Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCTI invited SynBioBR to contribute to Brazil's position in the Convention on Biological Diversity Expert Group on Synthetic Biology (June 2025), connected to COP16 Decision 16/21. This was recognition of SynBioBR as a representative voice for the Brazilian synthetic biology community.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynBioBR contributed to the CBD Expert Group on Synthetic Biology process in 2025, developing a collective document focused on capacity building, access to technologies, and knowledge sharing in synthetic biology. The process involved SynBioBR's Executive Board, Advisory Council, and members.
• IBBIS (International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynBioBR co-organized a workshop with IBBIS and LiBS Unicamp on the Common Mechanism for screening DNA and RNA synthesis requests. SynBioBR also contributed to the Global DNA Synthesis Map, supporting identification of Brazilian DNA synthesis providers.
• FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFAPESP was a key supporting institution for the 1st CBBS (2024), alongside PROPG/Unesp, Promega, Biolinker, and Exxtend.
• ABBI (Associação Brasileira de Bioinovação)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynBioBR partners with ABBI in the Frente Parlamentar de Bioeconomia to collaborate on policies for Brazil's biotech and synthetic biology ecosystem.
• Wylinka and CAOS FocadominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWylinka and CAOS Focado organized the Brazilian Delegation at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit (March 2025), which SynBioBR supported.
• Emerge BrasilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerge Brasil organized the Deep Tech Summit (September 2025), recognized as the largest deep tech event in Latin America. SynBioBR supported the event and offered free tickets to its members and CBBS startups.
• LiBS Unicamp (Synthetic Biology League of the State University of Campinas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiBS Unicamp co-organized a workshop with SynBioBR and IBBIS on the Common Mechanism for DNA and RNA synthesis screening (June 2025), combining practical training and biosafety discussions from a Global South perspective.
• INOVA USP (USP Innovation Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINOVA USP was a key partner for CBBS 2025, hosting the congress at its facilities alongside the István Jancsó Auditorium. Provided exhibition hall space for startup booths.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Global Biofoundries Alliance: An international consortium of synthetic biology infrastructure facilities. Comparable in the sense of convening synthetic biology stakeholders globally, but functions as an enabling infrastructure body rather than a community/education association.

Direct peers

• Genspace: A US-based community biotechnology laboratory and non-profit focused on synbio education and public engagement. Comparable in mission around grassroots synbio education and community building, though delivery model (community lab) differs from SynBioBR's events-led approach.
• BioBricks Foundation: A non-profit supporting open-source synthetic biology through standardized biological parts. Comparable as a synbio-specific non-profit focused on community infrastructure and open standards, though more technical/IP-focused than SynBioBR.
• iGEM Foundation: The international genetic engineering competition and synthetic biology community. Directly comparable as both organizations run large-scale student competitions and coordinate national synbio communities; five Brazilian iGEM teams already participate in SynBioBR events.
• Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC): A US-based non-profit consortium that convenes the academic synthetic biology research community, produces roadmaps, and engages in policy advocacy. Closely mirrors SynBioBR's role as the convening body for Brazilian synbio academia and its policy engagement model.
• BioBuilder Foundation: US-based non-profit focused on synthetic biology education at the high school and undergraduate level. Directly comparable to SynBioBR's OBBS olympiad and educational mission to popularize synbio among K-12 and university students.
• Reclone Foundation: A Latin American/ global non-profit coordinating community-driven reagent production for synthetic biology. Already a partner of SynBioBR (Reclone Node launched at USP during CBBS) and operates a near-identical community network model in the region.
• Associação Brasileira de Bioinovação (ABBI): Brazilian Bioinnovation Association, a partner of SynBioBR in the Frente Parlamentar de Bioeconomia. Directly comparable as a Brazilian biotech industry association; SynBioBR is the synbio-specific counterpart.

Regional players

• SynBio Africa: A regional synthetic biology initiative for Africa with a similar mission to promote synbio research, education, and policy engagement on the continent. Comparable to SynBioBR as a Global South regional synbio community-builder.
• Asian Synthetic Biology Association (ASBA): The regional synthetic biology association for Asia, operating the same community-building, conference-organization, and policy-advocacy model as SynBioBR but focused on the Asian region. Most directly comparable in mission and structure outside of Brazil.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@synbiobr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/synbiobr
• Instagraminstagram.com/synbio_br

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SynBioBR