Forge Biologics Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Forge Biologics was acquired by Ajinomoto for $620M in November 2023, a 20.7x multiple on $30M of revenue.

Forge Biologics acquisition price

$620M

Acquired by Ajinomoto · Nov 2023

Forge Biologics revenue at acquisition

$30M

Last twelve months · Nov 2023

Forge Biologics revenue multiple at acquisition

20.7x

EV/Revenue · Nov 2023

Cumulative funding Forge Biologics raised

$250M

across 3 funding rounds

Forge Biologics Overview

About Forge Biologics

Forge Biologics is a Grove City-headquartered gene therapy CDMO founded in 2020. The company offers end-to-end services from plasmid DNA production and viral vector manufacturing to process development and analytical testing. It operates a 64,000-square-foot facility compliant with cGMP standards, partnering with biotech firms to advance AAV, LVV, and LV therapies toward clinical trials.


Founded

2020

HQ

United StatesPittsburgh, PA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Services

Revenue

$30M (Nov 2023)

Valuation

$620M (acquired Nov 2023)

Forge Biologics Acquisition

Forge Biologics was acquired by Ajinomoto for $620M on 13 November 2023.

The acquisition price implies a 20.7x revenue multiple on $30M of revenue.

Before the acquisition Forge Biologics had raised $250M across 3 funding rounds.

Forge Biologics, founded in 2020, operates as a viral vector and plasmid contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and clinical-stage biotech company from its 200,000-square-foot cGMP facility, the Hearth, in Columbus, Ohio, employing over 300 staff. It provides end-to-end services including process and analytical development, cGMP viral vector and plasmid DNA manufacturing, final fill, and regulatory consulting for gene therapy programs from preclinical to commercial stages. Ajinomoto Co., Inc., a Japanese biotechnology and food multinational, acquired Forge through its subsidiary Ajinomoto North America Holdings via a reverse triangular merger for an initial all-cash enterprise value of $620 million (cash-free, debt-free), adjusting to an equity value of $554 million at signing and $545 million at completion. The deal, announced November 13, 2023, closed December 21-22, 2023, following U.S. regulatory clearance and customary conditions, making Forge a wholly-owned, fully consolidated subsidiary. Strategic rationale aligns with Ajinomoto's Medium-Term ASV Initiatives 2030 Roadmap, targeting healthcare growth via AminoScience strengths, by adding gene therapy capabilities to its Bio-Pharma Services, including cell culture media, ADCs, and oligonucleotides. Yasuyuki Otake, General Manager of Ajinomoto’s Bio-Pharma Services, described Forge's expertise as transformative for enhancing global manufacturing and creating societal value. Forge had raised $120 million in 2021 to expand capacity and workforce, securing over two dozen customers early on, and partnered with Life Biosciences for AAV services in age-related diseases. The acquisition bolsters Ajinomoto's position in the competitive gene therapy CDMO market amid rising demand for scalable viral vector production.

Forge Biologics acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/Revenue
13 Nov 2023Strategic M&A$620M20.7x

Forge Biologics Funding History

Forge Biologics has raised a total of $250M across 3 funding rounds.

Forge Biologics' first fundraising round was a $40M Series A in July 2020. The most recent completed round was a $90M Series C in September 2022.

Forge Biologics funding rounds

Forge Biologics funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Sep 2022Series CAisling Capital (lead); Drive Capital (lead)$90MForge Biologics is a Columbus, Ohio-based gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing end-to-end services for AAV viral vector manufacturing, including proprietary technologies, cell lines, and scaling from research to clinical and commercial production in its 200,000 square foot cGMP facility with 20 suites and bioreactors up to 5,000L. On September 12, 2022, the company raised $90 million in a Series C financing round co-led by Drive Capital and Aisling Capital, with an additional undisclosed strategic investor, bringing total funding to $330 million across five rounds. The proceeds are designated for expanding client offerings, manufacturing systems, and services to address capacity constraints in the gene therapy industry. The round occurred during a challenging period for biotech funding, yet Forge Biologics secured the investment at an increased valuation compared to prior rounds, as noted in local business reporting, underscoring investor confidence in its hybrid model combining contract manufacturing and clinical-stage therapeutics development. CEO Timothy J. Miller leads the company, which has grown rapidly by hiring experienced talent and scaling operations to tackle technical, operational, and capacity bottlenecks in gene therapy production. Investors highlighted Forge's leadership, technical expertise, and potential to become a market-defining player, with quotes from Drive Capital's Molly Bonakdarpour and Aisling Capital's Andrew Schiff emphasizing its meticulous execution and strategic positioning. The company was preparing to deploy the gene therapy industry's largest manufacturing equipment, including 16-foot-tall vats, to alleviate production limitations for AAV vectors. A later $120M Series C in 2024 with different investors brought total raised to $350M, and the company was acquired in November 2023.
Apr 2021Series BRA Capital Management (lead); Marshall Wace; Octagon Capital Advisors; Drive Capital; Surveyor Capital; Perceptive Advisors$120MForge Biologics is a gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in the production of cGMP adeno-associated viruses (AAV). On April 29, 2021, the company closed a $120 million Series B financing round led by RA Capital Management, with participation from Perceptive Advisors and related affiliates, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), Octagon Capital, Marshall Wace, and Drive Capital. Chardan Capital Markets acted as the exclusive placement agent, with Ice Miller as legal advisor. The proceeds from the Series B round are intended to accelerate the expansion of Forge Biologics' CDMO capacity to address industry-wide shortages in AAV manufacturing. CEO Timothy J. Miller emphasized the company's focus on becoming a global gene therapy manufacturing and development leader, serving clients with high-quality products for potentially life-saving therapies. RA Capital's Matthew Hammond highlighted Forge's role in alleviating capacity constraints for complex biologics like AAV through reliable cGMP production. The financing underscores strong investor confidence in Forge's experienced team and its positioning within the growing gene therapy sector, where manufacturing capacity remains a critical bottleneck.
Jul 2020Series APerceptive Advisors (lead); Drive Capital$40MForge Biologics is a hybrid gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with a proprietary pipeline of AAV-based novel gene therapies, founded by Tim Miller, former Co-founder, CEO, and CSO of Abeona Therapeutics. Forge Biologics is based in Columbus, Ohio, and focuses on gene therapy contract manufacturing. The Forge platform launched in July 2020 with Series A funding led by Perceptive Xontogeny and Drive Capital as founding investors. Perceptive Advisors and Drive Capital committed significant capital into a later $120 million oversubscribed Series B round.

Who has invested in Forge Biologics?

7 investors have backed Forge Biologics across its funding rounds, including Drive Capital, Perceptive Advisors, RA Capital Management, Surveyor Capital, Aisling Capital and Marshall Wace.

Lead investors include Aisling Capital, Drive Capital, RA Capital Management and Perceptive Advisors.


Forge Biologics Investors

Investors in Forge Biologics by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Drive CapitalUnited StatesColumbus, OH3LeadJul 2020
Perceptive AdvisorsUnited StatesNew York City, NY2LeadJul 2020
Marshall WaceUnited KingdomLondon1ParticipantApr 2021
Octagon Capital AdvisorsUnited StatesNew York City, NY1ParticipantApr 2021
RA Capital ManagementUnited StatesBoston, MA1LeadApr 2021

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Forge Biologics Competitors

Forge Biologics competitors include listed companies like Crescent Biopharma, Valneva, CytomX Therapeutics and Medigen Vaccine Biologics, and private ones like Yidao Biotechnology and Tizona Therapeutics.

Public and private companies comparable to Forge Biologics
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Yidao BiotechnologyChinaChinaPrivate--$618M-
Crescent BiopharmaUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$11M($153M)$623M103.3x
ValnevaFranceFrancePublicly listed$201M($60M)$625M4.0x
CytomX TherapeuticsUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$76M($21M)$614M7.3x
Medigen Vaccine BiologicsTaiwanTaiwanPublicly listed$19M($5M)$626M26.0x
Tizona TherapeuticsUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$601M-

Forge Biologics Public Comps

Forge Biologics is no longer listed, but its public comps include Crescent Biopharma, Valneva, CytomX Therapeutics, Medigen Vaccine Biologics, Phathom Pharmaceuticals, TTY Biopharm, Chong Kun Dang Pharma, Altimmune, Scribe Therapeutics and Cormedix.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Crescent Biopharma$11M($153M)42.1x103.3x(3.0x)-
Valneva$201M($60M)3.6x4.0x(12.1x)(13.6x)
CytomX Therapeutics$76M($21M)3.8x7.3x(13.8x)(3.7x)
Medigen Vaccine Biologics$19M($5M)31.0x26.0x(118.5x)(153.9x)
Phathom Pharmaceuticals$175M($160M)3.5x2.2x(3.8x)(19.0x)
TTY Biopharm$203M$72M2.9x2.8x8.3x-
Chong Kun Dang Pharma$1.2B$92M0.6x0.5x7.7x8.2x
Altimmune$41K($95M)8292.1x29102.1x(3.6x)(3.2x)

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Common questions about Forge Biologics

When was Forge Biologics founded?Forge Biologics was founded in 2020.
Where is Forge Biologics headquartered?Forge Biologics is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Is Forge Biologics publicly listed?No, Forge Biologics was acquired by Ajinomoto in November 2023.
Who acquired Forge Biologics?Forge Biologics was acquired by Ajinomoto in November 2023.
How much was Forge Biologics acquired for?Forge Biologics was acquired for $620M in November 2023, a 20.7x revenue multiple.
How much funding has Forge Biologics raised?Forge Biologics has raised $250M across 3 funding rounds.
What was Forge Biologics' last funding round?Forge Biologics' last funding round was a $90M Series C in September 2022, led by Aisling Capital and Drive Capital.
Who are Forge Biologics' investors?Forge Biologics' investors include Drive Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Marshall Wace, Octagon Capital Advisors, RA Capital Management, Surveyor Capital and Aisling Capital.
Which companies are comparable to Forge Biologics?Companies comparable to Forge Biologics include Yidao Biotechnology, Crescent Biopharma, Valneva, CytomX Therapeutics, Medigen Vaccine Biologics and Tizona Therapeutics.

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