brain

Name

brain

Legal name

BRAIN Biotech AG

Website

https://brain-biotech.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BRAIN Biotech AG is a publicly listed German industrial biotech CDMO/CRO that discovers, engineers, and manufactures enzymes, microbial production strains, and bioprocesses for food, pharmaceutical, and chemicals customers, integrating its MetXtra™ platform with manufacturing at Biocatalysts Ltd in Cardiff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Biotechnology Contract Research and Manufacturing

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGABAL

Process Development & Tech Transfer Services (CDMO)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Contract Development & Manufacturing Organizations (CDMO)

Keywords

• Industrial biotechnology services
• Contract enzyme development
• Microbial strain engineering
• Bioprocess scale-up
• Enzyme CDMO services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwingenberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services (CRO): R&D services for enzyme discovery, engineering, strain development, and bioprocess optimization. Modular work packages tailored to customer needs. Projects managed with scientific plans, cost outlines, and stage-gated milestones.
2. Contract Manufacturing (CMO): Fermentation and enzyme manufacturing at Biocatalysts Ltd facility in Cardiff (up to 35,000L). Scale-up from lab to commercial production. Food-grade, Kosher, and Halal certified facilities.
3. CRISPR Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary CRISPR-BMC and BEC® nucleases for genome editing. Flexible licensing agreements for commercial use. Includes onboarding and support for independent operation within customer facilities.
4. Methanol-Free System Licensing: Licensing model for methanol-free K. phaffii production system for customers wanting to use the technology in their own strains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BRAIN Biotech AG operates as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivering end-to-end industrial biotechnology services. The company discovers, engineers, and manufactures enzymes, microbial production strains, and bioprocesses for food, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemicals customers. Core offerings combine proprietary platforms such as the MetXtra™ metagenomic discovery engine, CRISPR-BMC and BEC® genome editing tools, and the Methanol-Free K. phaffii production system with modular service packages spanning from early-stage discovery to industrial-scale fermentation manufacturing at Biocatalysts Ltd. in Cardiff.

Product overview

BRAIN Biotech operates as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) offering end-to-end industrial biotech services. The portfolio centers on MetXtra™ (enzyme discovery platform), CRISPR-BMC and BEC® nucleases (genome editing tools), and the Methanol-Free K. phaffii System (production platform). These are complemented by modular contract research services including Enzyme Engineering, Custom Enzyme Panels, Plug & Produce strain development, Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up, and Microbial Strain Development. The company serves food, chemicals, and life sciences industries with specialty enzymes and production strains. Production is handled through Biocatalysts Ltd. in Cardiff (up to 35,000L). Products include Lipomod® 833L2 for food applications and CRISPR licensing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MetXtra™: Technology platform combining metagenomics, bioinformatics, and AI for enzyme discovery and development
• CRISPR-BMC
• BEC®
• BioXtractor
• LIL
• ABEL
• CompActives
• screenline
• METAGENOM
• G-dase M®
• Plug & Produce
• Lipomod® 833L2

Products and services

• Contract Research Services (CRO) Modular R&D services covering enzyme discovery, engineering, strain development, and bioprocess optimization for industrial biotechnology customers in food, pharmaceutical, and chemicals.
• Contract Manufacturing (CDMO via Biocatalysts Ltd.) Industrial-scale enzyme and protein manufacturing through Biocatalysts Ltd. in Cardiff, with fermentation volumes up to 35,000L and food-grade, Kosher, and Halal certifications.
• CRISPR-BMC Genome Editing Technology (Licensing) Proprietary CRISPR-Cas genome editing tool using metagenomically discovered nucleases for marker-free, highly precise genome editing across bacteria, yeast, fungi, plants, and animal cells. Available via technology licensing.
• BEC® Nucleases (Licensing) Programmable cell depletion technology using RNA-triggered nucleases that selectively eliminate cells carrying unwanted characteristics. Available via technology licensing.
• Methanol-Free K. phaffii Production System (Licensing) Proprietary methanol-free, inducible Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) expression system for safe, scalable, cost-effective recombinant protein production without explosion-proof facilities. Available via licensing.
• Custom Enzyme Panels Bespoke, application-specific enzyme panels (48 lyophilized enzymes in 96-well format) using the MetXtra platform for high-throughput screening under customer-relevant industrial conditions.
• Lipomod® 833L2 Microbial phospholipase A2 enzyme that modifies egg-yolk phospholipids to create lysophospholipids, enhancing emulsification performance for mayonnaise and other emulsified foods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% editing efficiency in industrial yeasts achieved with optimized CRISPR-BMC
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Biodiscovery AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for expansion of MetXtra database to include deep-sea habitat samples. Samples collected under identical Nagoya Protocol regulatory conditions, maintaining ABS-free status for compliant metagenomic discovery activities.
• RADICALZ Consortium (Horizon Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe project consortium focused on unleashing the potential of enzymes for more sustainable consumer products. BRAIN Biotech contributes enzyme discovery and development expertise as part of international collaboration.
• Urban-bioeconomy ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating a project around sustainable beverages as part of German national bioeconomy funding. Focus on sustainable fermentation technologies and side-stream valorization.
• Biocatalysts LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company and manufacturing arm of BRAIN Biotech Group. Located in Cardiff, Wales. Provides industrial-scale enzyme manufacturing with fermentation volumes up to 35,000L. Food-grade, Kosher, and Halal certified facilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Novozymes (Novonesis): Largest industrial enzyme company globally, recently merged with Chr. Hansen to form Novonesis. Comparable as a provider of industrial enzymes, microbial production strains, and bioprocess solutions across food, chemicals, and pharma — but at far greater scale and with a much broader product portfolio.
• DSM-firmenich: Large ingredients and health company with a substantial industrial bioproducts portfolio including enzymes and fermentation-derived ingredients. Overlaps with BRAIN's food and specialty chemicals segments, but operates at materially larger scale.
• BASF Enzymes (BASF): Diversified chemical company with an enzymes and biocatalysis business serving industrial and white biotechnology markets. Comparable capabilities in enzyme engineering and bioprocess scale-up but embedded within a much larger chemical portfolio.

Direct peers

• Codexis: Engineered enzymes and biocatalysis CDMO serving pharmaceutical and sustainable manufacturing customers. Closest direct peer to BRAIN's enzyme engineering, custom panels, and CDMO business model for industrial biocatalysis.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: Synthetic biology platform offering strain engineering and microbial development services on a services-plus-licensing model. Directly comparable to BRAIN's microbial strain development and bioprocess scale-up offerings.
• AB Enzymes: Industrial enzyme manufacturer focused on food, feed, and technical applications. Comparable to BRAIN's enzyme manufacturing and Biocatalysts production business with similar food-grade end markets.
• Conagen: Synthetic biology and precision fermentation CDMO offering strain engineering and bioprocess development services. Directly comparable to BRAIN's microbial production strain development and fermentation scale-up business.

Emerging players

• Carbios: French biotech developing enzymes for plastics recycling and biomanufacturing. Comparable as a specialized enzyme engineering and bioprocess scale-up company, though focused on a narrower application area.
• LanzaTech: Carbon capture and gas fermentation company using engineered microbes for industrial-scale bioprocesses. Adjacent in bioprocess development and microbial strain engineering, though focused on gas fermentation rather than enzyme production.
• Twist Bioscience: Synthetic biology company offering DNA synthesis and engineered libraries that feed into enzyme and strain engineering workflows. Comparable as a discovery/enabling platform for industrial biotech applications, though BRAIN's go-to-market is end-to-end CRO/CDMO rather than tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/en/privacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brainbiotech

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries6 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 →

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