Variant Bio Funding, Investors & Competitors

Roche is a Swiss biopharmaceutical and diagnostic company. The firm's bestselling pharmaceutical products include a variety of oncology therapies from acquired partner Genentech, and its diagnostics group was bolstered by the acquisition of Ventana in 2008. Oncology products account for 50% of pharmaceutical sales, and centralized and point-of-care diagnostics for more than half of diagnostic-related sales.

Heyuan Biotechnology is a Chinese provider of gene therapy services, specializing in AAV and lentiviral vector production, CRISPR-based gene editing, and in vivo efficacy testing. Operating from facilities certified under ISO 13485, it supports pharma clients with plasmid design, viral packaging at titers exceeding 10^13 vg/mL, and animal model studies for CNS and oncology targets.

ArsenalBio is a South San Francisco-based, clinical-stage cell therapy company that engineers CAR T-cell therapies using CRISPR-based genome editing and logic-gating technology. Its pipeline targets solid tumors including ovarian, kidney, and prostate cancers, with its lead candidate, AB-2100, in Phase 1/2 trials for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma under a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb. The platform is designed to address T-cell exhaustion, tumor specificity, and genome toxicity, challenges that have limited CAR T therapies in solid tumors.

Formation Bio is a South San Francisco-based biotechnology firm accelerating drug development through optimized clinical trials. It partners with pharma companies like Eli Lilly to redesign trial operations, leveraging technology for faster patient recruitment and data management in oncology and rare diseases.

Immunai is a biotechnology company with locations in New York City, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv, mapping the immune system using single-cell genomics and machine learning. The firm profiles hundreds of immune cell types from blood samples via its proprietary database, aiding biomarker discovery for therapeutics in autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most diverse healthcare firm. It has two divisions: innovative medicine and medtech. These now represent all of the company's sales following the divestment of the consumer business, Kenvue, in 2023. After restructurings in 2023-24, the drug division focuses on three main therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, and neurology. Geographically, just over half of total revenue is generated in the United States.

Merck KGaA operates in three main segments: life science, electronics, and healthcare. The life science segment provides laboratory consumables and instruments to researchers in academia and applied fields, including the biopharmaceutical industry. The electronics segment offers specialty materials to manufacture a variety of products, such as semiconductors and flat-screen televisions. In the healthcare segment, Merck develops, manufactures, and sells branded pharmaceuticals with significant therapeutic concentrations in oncology, multiple sclerosis, and fertility. In 1995, the E. Merck family publicly sold part of the company, resulting in the current 30% public ownership of the firm.

Natera Inc is a diagnostic and research company with proprietary molecular and bioinformatics technology. The company's key product offerings include its Panorama Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) which screens for chromosomal abnormalities of a fetus as well as in twin pregnancies, typically with a blood draw from the mother, Horizon Carrier Screening (HCS) to determine carrier status for a large number of severe genetic diseases that could be passed on to the carrier’s children, Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test, which detects circulating tumor DNA in patients previously diagnosed with cancer to assess molecular residual disease and monitor for recurrence; and Prospera, to assess organ transplant rejection.

Illumina provides tools and services to analyze genetic material with life science and clinical lab applications. The company generates over 90% of its revenue from sequencing instruments, consumables, and services. Illumina’s high-throughput technology enables whole genome sequencing in humans and other large organisms. Its lower throughput tools enable applications that require smaller data outputs, such as viral and cancer tumor screening. Illumina also sells microarrays (9% of 2024 sales) that enable lower-cost, focused genetic screening with primarily consumer and agricultural applications.

Guardant Health, based in Redwood City, California, is a leader in liquid-based cancer tests for clinical and research use. The company's main franchises are Guardant360 for genomic profiling of tumors, Reveal for molecular residual disease testing, and Shield for colorectal cancer screening. Additionally, Guardant offers research development services such as regulatory approval consultancy and clinical trial referrals.

Institut Mérieux is a biomedical research foundation based in Lyon, France, developing diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies against infectious diseases and cancer. Part of the Mérieux family enterprises, it funds projects in antibiotic resistance, emerging pathogens, and immuno-oncology through partnerships with INSERM and international consortia like CEPI.

Color is a health technology platform delivering population genomics, cancer screening, and COVID-19 testing programs for employers, schools, and governments. Headquartered in Burlingame, California, it processes whole-genome sequencing through CLIA-certified labs and partners with health systems like Kaiser Permanente for nationwide deployment.

Inari is a West Lafayette-headquartered biotechnology company developing seed traits through multiplex gene editing and predictive design via its SEEDesign platform. The firm targets corn, soybean, and wheat improvements for yield, drought tolerance, and nitrogen use efficiency. Founded in 2016, Inari operates greenhouses and field trial sites across the US Midwest and Brazil. It collaborates with Corteva and Bayer on commercialization pipelines for hybrid varieties suited to diverse climates.

BGI Group is a Shenzhen-headquartered global leader in genomics, operating as Shenzhen Huada Gene Technology Co. Ltd. The company delivers DNA sequencing, bioinformatics testing, genetic analysis, agricultural genomics, and proteomics services. With operations centered in China and international labs, it contributed to the Human Genome Project and advances precision medicine worldwide.

Molbio Diagnostics is a molecular diagnostics manufacturer based in Verna, Goa, India, founded in 2000. The company produces low-cost devices like Truenat for point-of-care testing of tuberculosis, COVID-19, and other pathogens using chip-based PCR technology. Deployed in over 100 countries, its portable systems operate on battery power for remote clinics, partnering with WHO and Gavi for global health programs via molbiodiagnostics.com.

Sangon Biotech is a Shanghai-based biotechnology firm specializing in nucleic acid synthesis and molecular biology products. Founded in 2003 as a Sino-foreign joint venture, it manufactures DNA/RNA oligonucleotides, gene synthesis services, peptides, enzymes, reagents, lab consumables, and benchtop instruments. The company operates a production base in Songjiang Industrial Park, serving research institutions and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Everly Health, formerly Everlywell, is an Austin, Texas-based digital health company founded in 2015 by Julia Cheek. It provides at-home health testing kits for conditions including thyroid issues, allergies, and food sensitivities, alongside a digital health platform and virtual care offerings, and added FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 collection kits in 2020. The company has expanded into enterprise partnerships with employers and health plans alongside its consumer testing business.

Everlywell is an Austin, Texas-based digital health company, founded in 2015, that sells at-home lab testing kits for conditions including cholesterol, thyroid health, fertility, testosterone, food sensitivities, and sexually transmitted infections, with results reviewed by physicians through partnered labs. The company added COVID-19 sample collection kits in March 2020, scaling to handle up to 250,000 tests per week during the pandemic. Its direct-to-consumer model combines e-commerce sales of test kits with lab fees, physician review, and subscription revenue for repeat testing.