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- Inscripta
Inscripta Valuation, Funding & Investors
Inscripta is valued at $565M as of November 2020.
Last Inscripta valuation
$565M
Series D · Nov 2020
Last Inscripta funding round
$4M
Seed · Jan 2023
Cumulative funding Inscripta raised
$464M
across 9 funding rounds
Key investors in Inscripta
Venrock
Foresite Capital
Paladin Capital Group
+ND Capital
Mérieux Equity Partners
GoldenArc Capital
About Inscripta
Inscripta is a Boulder, Colorado-based gene-editing technology company, founded in 2015, that builds tools for genome engineering used in food, fuel, and healthcare applications. Its flagship product, the Onyx platform, is a benchtop system for digital microbial genome engineering that automates identifying genomic pathways, compiling them into libraries, editing them at scale with CRISPR-based tools such as the MAD7 nuclease, and analyzing the resulting effects, all within a single integrated workflow. Early commercial customers have included the University of Liverpool's GeneMill, which uses the platform to provide synthetic biology services to life-sciences and pharmaceutical partners.
Founded
2015
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales, Licensing
Valuation
$565M (Nov 2020)
Inscripta Valuation
Inscripta is currently valued at $565M, based on its Series D in November 2020.
Inscripta valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2020 | Series D | $565M |
Inscripta Funding History
Inscripta has raised a total of $464M across 9 funding rounds.
Inscripta's first fundraising round was a $6M Series A in April 2016. The most recent completed round was a $4M seed round in January 2023.
Inscripta funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | Seed | Lakewood & Company | $4M | - | Inscripta is a gene-editing technology company founded in 2015 and based in Boulder, Colorado, focused on developing tools for applications in food, fuel, and healthcare. On January 18, 2023, Inscripta closed a Series E - III funding round for $27.79 million led by Spruce Capital Partners along with undisclosed investors. The company had raised $441.48 million across 14 funding rounds as of May 2023. Inscripta operates in the competitive biotechnology and genetic engineering space, where companies develop tools and platforms for synthetic biology and precision medicine applications. |
| Apr 2021 | Series E | Fidelity (lead); JS Capital Management; Durable Capital Partners; Counterpoint Global; Foresite Capital; D1 Capital Partners | $150M | - | Inscripta is a genomic engineering company specializing in CRISPR gene editing technology. The company's core product is the Onyx platform, a benchtop-sized system for digital microbial genome engineering that enables automated workflows for identifying genomic pathways, compiling them into vast libraries, editing findings on a broad scale using CRISPR, and analyzing the effects of those edits, all within a single integrated platform. In April 2021, Inscripta closed a $150 million Series E funding round led by Fidelity Management and Research Company and funds managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, alongside investors including D1 Capital Partners, Durable Capital Partners, Foresite Capital, and JS Capital. The round marked a significant milestone as it coincided with the company shipping its Onyx platform to its first commercial customers, including the University of Liverpool's GeneMill, which provides synthetic biology services to partners in life sciences and pharmaceuticals. This funding round was part of Inscripta's substantial capital-raising trajectory since its 2015 founding; combined with prior rounds including a $125 million Series D in December 2019 and a November 2020 extension, the company had raised well over $450 million in total venture capital by the time of the Series E close. |
| Nov 2020 | Series D | - | $50M | $565M | Inscripta is a Boulder, Colorado-based life sciences company founded in 2015, specializing in digital genome engineering platforms like the Onyx benchtop system, which enables high-throughput CRISPR-based gene editing for microbial genomes to accelerate biological discovery and bioeconomy applications. The company develops automated workflows for identifying genomic pathways, editing with CRISPR, and analyzing results on a single platform. Around November 2020, Inscripta completed an extension of its Series D funding, following a $125 million Series D round closed in December 2019 led by Paladin Capital Group with participation from existing investors and new ones like JS Capital Management and Oak HC/FT, bringing total funding at that time to approximately $259.5 million. The November 2020 extension, estimated at $50 million by some trackers, pushed cumulative funding over $450 million by early 2021 when combined with a subsequent $150 million Series E led by Fidelity Management and Research Company and T. Rowe Price Associates. Funds from these rounds supported organizational growth, platform commercialization, and expansion of applications for the Onyx system, which had garnered early commercial interest including from GeneMill as its first buyer. Inscripta aimed to meet high demand by overcoming limitations of traditional CRISPR tools, enabling previously impossible experiments in synthetic biology. The company continued raising capital post-2020, with Series E extensions totaling around $100 million in April 2021 and $27.79 million in January 2023, alongside minor option/warrant rounds, reaching over $441 million in total funding by 2023 from 15+ investors including Foresite Capital, Venrock, and Morgan Stanley. |
| Dec 2019 | Series D | Paladin Capital Group (lead); JS Capital Management; Venrock; Oak HC/FT; GoldenArc Capital | $125M | - | Inscripta is a gene-editing technology company developing the Onyx digital genome engineering platform, which enables scalable, trackable editing of single cells using advanced CRISPR-based tools like the MAD7 nuclease, provided free for research to accelerate biological discovery in areas like feeding, fueling, and healing humanity. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with offices in Pleasanton, California, and San Diego, the company positions itself to overcome limitations of traditional CRISPR editing for massively parallel genome engineering applications in the emerging bioeconomy. On December 10, 2019, Inscripta announced a $125 million Series D financing round led by Paladin Capital Group, with participation from existing investors and new investors JS Capital Management LLC and Oak HC/FT, bringing total funding to $259.5 million. An initial filing on December 11, 2019, reported $92.1 million raised from an offering of $125 million. The funds were earmarked to accelerate commercialization and application expansion of the recently launched Onyx platform, which had generated strong interest. CEO Kevin Ness highlighted the funding as validation of Inscripta's novel approach, enabling previously impossible experiments and ramping up to meet demand. Paladin's Paul Conley praised the team's execution on the Onyx launch. Investors also include Venrock, Foresite, Mérieux Développement, NanoDimension, and MLS Capital. Inscripta continued fundraising momentum, raising $150 million in a Series E round in 2021. The company had previously secured funding, including $30 million in December 2018, contributing to its total raised. |
| Apr 2019 | Series C | +ND Capital; Foresite Capital; Mérieux Equity Partners; Venrock; Paladin Capital Group; GoldenArc Capital | $20M | - | Inscripta, a Boulder, CO-based gene-editing technology company founded in 2015, announced on April 4, 2019, an expansion of its Series C financing with an additional $20 million from existing investors, bringing the total round to $105.5 million after a prior $85.5 million tranche in 2018. The investors in this extension included Venrock, Foresite (likely Foresite Capital), Mérieux Développement (related to Mérieux Equity Partners), Paladin Capital Group, MLS Capital, and NanoDimension (+ND Capital). The funding supports commercialization efforts and product launch later in 2019 for its suite of CRISPR-based gene-editing tools, including software, instruments, and reagents, aimed at increasing speed and efficiency in single-cell engineering. Led by CEO Kevin Ness, co-founder of QuantaLife and 10x Genomics, and chairman John Stuelpnagel, co-founder of Illumina and chairman of 10x Genomics, Inscripta sought to remove barriers in gene-editing research to advance applications in feeding, fueling, and healing humanity. In December 2018, the company had launched MAD7, a proprietary CRISPR enzyme offered to researchers without upfront licensing fees or reach-through royalties, gaining broad adoption. The Series C expansion aligned with preparations for market introduction of its solutions. Post-2019, Inscripta continued raising capital, including a $125 million Series D in December 2019 and a $150 million Series E led by Fidelity and T. Rowe Price, with total funding exceeding $450 million by 2020. The company developed the Onyx platform for digital microbial genome engineering, securing early customers like GeneMill. By 2025, it had raised around $441 million over multiple rounds before a merger. |
| Dec 2018 | Series C | +ND Capital; Foresite Capital; Mérieux Equity Partners; Venrock; Paladin Capital Group | $30M | - | Inscripta is a gene-editing technology company based in Boulder, Colorado, focused on developing tools like the Onyx platform and CRISPR nuclease MAD7 to advance digital genome engineering for research and bioeconomy applications. The company rebranded from Muse Biotechnologies and has raised multiple funding rounds, including a $30 million round in December 2018 matching the specified investors (+ND Capital, Foresite Capital, Mérieux Equity Partners, Paladin Capital Group, Venrock). This was followed by a $55.5 million Series C in early 2019 led by Mérieux Développement and Paladin Capital Group with participation from Venrock, Foresite, MLS Capital, and NanoDimension, and a $125 million Series D in October 2019 led by Paladin Capital Group bringing total funding to $259.5 million with new investors JS Capital Management and Oak HC/FT. Funds from these rounds supported expansion of research capabilities, commercialization of gene-editing instruments, reagents, and software, hiring, and platform development. Inscripta aimed to make advanced genome engineering accessible, including free distribution of MAD7 to researchers, positioning against CRISPR limitations in a competitive gene-editing market. |
| Feb 2018 | Series C | Mérieux Equity Partners (lead); Paladin Capital Group (lead); +ND Capital; Foresite Capital; Venrock; Spruce Capital Partners | $56M | - | Inscripta, a gene-editing technology company formerly known as Muse Bio or Muse Biotechnologies, closed a $55.5 million Series C funding round on February 28, 2018, led by Mérieux Equity Partners (also referred to as Mérieux Développement) and Paladin Capital Group. Existing investors including Venrock, Foresite Capital, Spruce Capital Partners (or MLS Capital), and NanoDimension (or +ND Capital) also participated. The funding followed the company's rebranding and the release of its proprietary CRISPR enzyme MAD7, which was offered to commercial and academic researchers for free with no upfront licensing fees or reach-through royalties to accelerate adoption. The proceeds were earmarked to accelerate development and commercialization of Inscripta's suite of gene-editing tools, including instruments, reagents, and software, aimed at enabling highly multiplexed, cost-efficient, and easy-to-use genome engineering. The company sought to expand research capabilities, strengthen its team of experts in microfluidics, genomics, cell biology, synthetic biology, and computational biology, and ramp up hiring at its Boulder, Colorado headquarters and Pleasanton, California offices. CEO Kevin Ness highlighted the investors' enthusiasm for the company's progress in creating scalable CRISPR-based solutions. This initial Series C tranche built on prior rounds, including a $23 million Series B and $6 million Series A in 2016, bringing total funding to approximately $84.5 million at the time. The round was later expanded in April 2019 with an additional $20 million from the same investors, increasing the total Series C to $105.5 million to support product launch and commercialization efforts later that year. Inscripta positioned itself to transform gene editing akin to next-generation sequencing's impact on DNA analysis, targeting applications in diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals, industrial biotech, and broader advancements in feeding, fueling, and healing humanity. |
| Feb 2017 | Series B | Venrock (lead); +ND Capital; Foresite Capital; Spruce Capital Partners; Paladin Capital Group | $23M | - | - |
| Apr 2016 | Series A | - | $6M | - | Inscripta, a gene-editing technology company founded in 2015 and based in Boulder, Colorado, raised a $6 million Series A round in 2016. The company develops CRISPR-based tools including enzymes, reagents, instruments, and software to enable genome engineering for research and industrial applications. Inscripta makes certain CRISPR nucleases like MAD7 available for free to researchers to build demand for its paid platforms. Subsequent rounds included a $23 million Series B, followed by a $55.5 million Series C in 2018 led by Mérieux Développement and Paladin Capital Group, bringing total funding to $84.5 million at that point. The Series C supported development and commercialization of gene-editing tools. Later, Inscripta raised $125 million in Series D in December 2019 led by Paladin Capital Group, increasing total funding to $259.5 million, and additional extensions. |
Who has invested in Inscripta?
14 investors have backed Inscripta across its funding rounds, including Venrock, Foresite Capital, Paladin Capital Group, +ND Capital, Mérieux Equity Partners and GoldenArc Capital.
Lead investors include Fidelity, Paladin Capital Group, Mérieux Equity Partners and Venrock.
Inscripta Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Participant | Feb 2017 | ||
| 5 | Lead | Feb 2017 | ||
| 5 | Lead | Feb 2017 | ||
| 4 | Participant | Feb 2017 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Feb 2018 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Dec 2019 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Feb 2017 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Apr 2019 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Apr 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Apr 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Apr 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2019 | ||
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialAcquisitions by Inscripta
Inscripta has acquired 3 companies to date.
Last acquisition by Inscripta was on January 18th 2023. Inscripta acquired Sestina Bio for undisclosed valuation.
Latest Acquisitions by Inscripta
| Description | Sestina Bio is a United States-based synthetic biology company building an R&D platform for sustainable production in food, textiles, and healthcare. The firm integrates synthetic biology with data sciences and bio-analytical tools to engineer microbes for biomanufacturing. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Sestina focuses on alternatives to petrochemicals for fibers and nutritious ingredients. Founded in 2021, it has raised seed funding to scale fermentation processes and partnered with agricultural firms for pilot productions. | Infinome Biosciences is a synthetic biology company based in Vancouver that engineers microbial strains for industrial enzyme production and biomanufacturing. Specializing in directed evolution techniques, it designs proteins for biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and food additives. Founded in 2019, Infinome partners with BASF and Novozymes for high-throughput screening platforms processing millions of variants. Its facilities in British Columbia support kilogram-scale fermentations, targeting carbon-negative processes for sustainable chemicals. | Solana Biosciences is a life sciences company developing diagnostics and therapeutics for unmet medical needs. Based in San Diego, California, it focuses on proteomics platforms and biomarker discovery for cancer and infectious diseases. |
| HQ Country | |||
| HQ City | San Francisco, CA | Boulder, CO | San Diego, CA |
| Deal Date | 18 Jan 2023 | 18 Jan 2023 | 5 Sep 2018 |
| Valuation | undisclosed | undisclosed | undisclosed |
| EV/Revenue | |||
| EV/EBITDA | |||
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Inscripta Competitors
Inscripta competitors include listed companies like Personalis, Korro Bio and 10x Genomics, and private ones like Character Biosciences, Mammoth Biosciences and GeneMind Biosciences.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $356M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $1B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $70M | ($78M) | $1.7B | 20.1x | ||
| Publicly listed | $6M | ($112M) | $174M | 48.9x | ||
| Publicly listed | $643M | ($16M) | $10B | 15.2x | ||
| Private | - | - | $573M | - |
Inscripta Public Comps
Inscripta is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Fulgent Genetics, Scribe Therapeutics, Avacta Group, OmniAb, Eikon Therapeutics, Genfit, Pacific Biosciences, Prenetics Global, SOPHiA Genetics and Alpha Teknova.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $323M | ($77M) | 1.1x | 1.1x | (4.5x) | (6.2x) | |||
| $51M | ($21M) | 14.2x | - | (34.0x) | - | |||
| $152K | ($38M) | 3242.0x | 184.3x | (13.0x) | (14.4x) | |||
| $19M | ($47M) | 32.8x | 20.2x | (13.0x) | (18.4x) | |||
| - | ($315M) | - | - | (0.6x) | (0.5x) | |||
| $75M | ($98M) | 9.9x | 7.9x | (7.7x) | 52.1x | |||
| $160M | ($153M) | 5.6x | 5.6x | (5.9x) | (6.9x) | |||
| $92M | ($33M) | 3.2x | 1.6x | (9.0x) | (8.3x) | |||
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Common questions about Inscripta
| When was Inscripta founded? | Inscripta was founded in 2015. |
| Where is Inscripta headquartered? | Inscripta is headquartered in United States. |
| Is Inscripta publicly listed? | No, Inscripta is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is Inscripta's valuation? | Inscripta was last valued at $565M in its Series D in November 2020. |
| How much funding has Inscripta raised? | Inscripta has raised $464M across 9 funding rounds. |
| What was Inscripta's last funding round? | Inscripta's last funding round was a $4M seed round in January 2023. |
| Who are Inscripta's investors? | Inscripta's investors include Foresite Capital, Venrock, Paladin Capital Group, +ND Capital, Mérieux Equity Partners, JS Capital Management, Spruce Capital Partners, GoldenArc Capital, Fidelity, Durable Capital Partners and 4 others. |
| Which companies are comparable to Inscripta? | Companies comparable to Inscripta include Character Biosciences, Mammoth Biosciences, Personalis, Korro Bio, 10x Genomics and GeneMind Biosciences. |
| How many companies has Inscripta acquired? | Inscripta has acquired 3 companies, including Sestina Bio, Infinome Biosciences and Solana Biosciences. |
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