In the realm of biotechnology and life sciences, a plethora of innovative startups is emerging, each with the potential to revolutionize their respective fields. While it’s challenging to monitor every newcomer, several stand out for their early accomplishments and groundbreaking products.
From pioneering cancer treatments and advancements in mRNA technology to promising solutions for Alzheimer’s, this article highlights 10 noteworthy biotech startups worth watching. Whether it’s their recent funding rounds or the transformative nature of their missions, each company on this list is compelling for distinct reasons.
Below are 10 Biotech Startups to Watch in 2024:
- EQRx
- NotCo
- SomaLogic
- Umoja Biopharma
- LEXEO Therapeutics
- Cellarity
- Hibercell
- GentiBio
- Orna Therapeutics
- Curative
EQRx
Funding: $1.9B Post-IPO Equity
Founded by Alexis Borisy in 2019, you may recognize the name as also being the founder of a company by the name of CombinatoRx, another prominent biotechnology startup.
In short, EQRx’s primary mission is to, like most biotech startups, revolutionize their respective industry; Medicinal drugs. The problem they’re aiming to solve is the inflated and often unaffordable prices of such drugs, particularly with respect to late cancer drugs, in hopes to make such pricing more accessible to all.
NotCo
Funding: $316M Series D
Founded in 2015, some may be remiss to consider NotCo a biotech “startup”. Nevertheless, their year-to-year exponential growth is undeniable, ultimately getting them on the list of the most recognized startups in FastCompany’s 2021 Most Innovative Companies.
With their recent $360 million Series D funding round, NotCo has only been put on a greater trajectory than what they have already been on.
To summarize their mission, NotCo employs artificial intelligence and deep learning technology to eliminate the need for animals in the food production process. With animal rights and nutritional health being at the forefront of the most popular social issues, NotCo sits atop the list of startups to watch for a multitude of reasons.
SomaLogic
Funding: $214M Series A
Launched in November of 2020, SomaLogic is quickly becoming a leader in its respective industry, already boasting nearly 300 employees and raising a $214 million Series A.
With the primary mission of revolutionizing the research & development space for life sciences with its proprietary SOMASCAN technology, SomaLogic is undoubtedly a biotech startup to watch.
Umoja Biopharma
Funding: $210M Series B
Another startup launched in November of 2020, Umoja Biopharma is growing at a rapid pace, already breaking ground on manufacturing facilities and increasing internal capabilities thanks, in part, to its $210 million Series B funding round.
One of the primary reasons Umoja is a startup to watch is because of its unique approach to immunotherapy. Notwithstanding the relevance to today’s global environment with respect to the pandemic and immune health, Umoja has the aim to re-engineer one’s immune system with the primary target of combating COVID-19, cancerous tumors, and more.
LEXEO Therapeutics
Funding: $185M ($85M Series A + $100M Series B)
The founder and CEO of LEXEO Therapeutics was once a serving president for Pfizer Rare Disease for Both North America and international regions, hence its partial relevancy to today’s landscape.
Nonetheless, LEXEO as a startup was founded in 2021 just over one year ago, and has already succeeded with both Series A and Series B funding rounds. As a biopharma company, LEXEO’s primary goal is to improve gene therapy options for both Alzheimers and Batten’s disease, with secondary goals of targeting cardiovascular disease in the near future.
In part because of the CEO and founder himself, in part because of the rapid success with funding rounds, and in part because of its relevant mission to cure rampant chronic health conditions, LEXEO belongs on the list of startups to watch for a variety of reasons.
Cellarity
Funding: $173M Series D
Founded in 2017, Cellarity immediately exploded on the scene with its new and innovative technology seeking to disrupt the drug and medicinal industry with the ultimate aim to find ways for faster discovery of effective medications, particularly in the fields of hematology, respiratory disease, metabolic health, and immuno-oncology.
Thanks to the therapeutic’s company’s most recent funding series of $173 million, Cellarity is a biotech startup to keep an eye on, not only for its disruptive tech but for how it can potentially impact our healthcare system.
Hibercell
Funding: $158M Series B
Founded in 2019, Hibercell is, much like many other innovative biotech startups, is a first of its kind, respectively. In short, its primary objective is to create therapies that not only combat but treat the regrowth of cancers and metastasis. Unlike most biotech companies that aim their focus on the initial growths of cancer, no company has yet to focus their energy on the regrowth or relapse of cancers; until Hibercell.
Thriving on its $158 million Series B funding round and in combination with its vast medical experience, it’ll be exciting to see their inevitable and potentially life-changing growth as a company in 2022 and beyond.
GentiBio
Funding: $157M Series A
Notable as one of the largest Series A rounds of the year, and deservedly so, GentiBio is aiming to change the face of childhood diabetes by reengineering immune tolerance with T-cells. With full operations here in the heart of the United States, GentiBio is certainly one of the top Biotech startups to watch.
While the company is still young, not yet reaching the 100 employee threshold, it still has tons of growing to do. The impressive news is that it has only launched in August of 2021, so its future is bright.
Orna Therapeutics
Funding: $100M Series A
Launched in November of 2021, Orna Therapeutics debuted with a $100M Series A funding round. While this may be one of the lowest funding rounds on the list, it’s one of the most impressive debuts that you’ll hear of in 2022.
Aside from its impressive debut, Orna therapeutics made it to the list for its relevancy in today’s medical ecosystem with respect to vaccine therapy, mRNA technology, and so on. Founded on the preface that RNA can be created circularly and expressively, Orna’s primary mission is to create technology that solves for the current limitations of RNA; production, delivery, and performance capacity to name a few.
It’ll be interesting to see where this academic-centric startup goes, making for an interesting watch.
Curative
Founded in 2020 out of California, USA, Curative is an already prominent biotechnology startup and arguably the most relevant on the list. Why? Because it seeks to provide the ultimate COVID-19 testing solution; a problem that’s been controversial, to say the least, in the last two years of the Pandemic.
The best part? Its several testing mechanisms are all FDA-authorized, not to mention that they’re quick to execute and painless to perform. Aimed at testing viral infection during the early stages, it will be interesting to see where this technology goes.
Final Thoughts
Although this list of biotech startups provides insight into only a fraction of the remarkable companies in the field, it highlights the industry’s immense potential, both now and in the future.
These emerging leaders are positioned to make significant contributions. To stay informed about these upcoming leaders, keep tabs on the startups mentioned. However, it’s also essential to explore other companies not featured in this article.