The new and exciting research, discoveries, and innovations happening in the tech industry have made entering a career in the biotechnology industry extra appealing. Knowing about the current best biotech startups is one key way to start your career in the industry.
From synthetic biology to artificial intelligence, the biotech sector is expanding as new biotech startup companies enter the scene. In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the best biotech startups to check out, their funding, and the groundbreaking tech they’re working on.
What Are Biotech Startup Companies?
Biotech startups are small, relatively new companies that develop technology and solutions for biology-related issues. Biotechnology startup companies mainly deal with researching, developing, and producing technology for drug treatments and the treatment of diseases.
Top Biotech Companies That Began As Startups
The most successful biotechnology companies today once started as small startups. With their contributions to the industry, these companies have been able to dominate the market and produce solutions to complex human challenges through research and development in biology.
Big Biotech Companies
- Novo Nordisk A/S
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Incyte Corp.
The Best Biotech Startup Companies
| Company Name | Location | Funding | Number of Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axsome Therapeutics | New York, New York | $207 million | 11 – 50 (2022) |
| Beam Therapeutics | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $689 million | 51 – 100 (2022) |
| Century Therapeutics | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $560 million | 101 – 250 (2022) |
| CRISPR Therapeutics | Basel, Switzerland | $127 million | 101 – 250 (2022) |
| Endogena | San Francisco, California | $29 million | 11 – 50 (2021) |
| Kriya Therapeutics | Palo Alto, California | $450.5 million | 51 – 100 (2022) |
| MOMA Therapeutics | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $236 million | 11 – 50 (2021) |
| Omega Therapeutics | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $239.4 million | 101 – 250 (2022) |
| Orna Therapeutics | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $100 million | 11 – 50 (2021) |
| Spero Therapeutics | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $434.6 million | 11 – 50 (2022) |
The Top Biotech Startups: A Closer Look
Axsome Therapeutics
- Founded: 2012
- Funding: $207 million
This biotech startup focuses on developing medicines and treatments for chronic pain and neurological diseases. Axsome Therapeutics works to address the gaps in options for pain treatment, and its portfolio contains both clinical development stage and research stage products.
Beam Therapeutics
- Founded: 2017
- Funding: $689 million
Beam Therapeutics focuses on creating genetic medicines through its base editing technology. Beam’s exciting new biotech has provided excellent care for patients in the form of genetic medications that are able to treat serious diseases without affecting DNA structures.
Century Therapeutics
- Founded: 2018
- Funding: $560 million
Among the most highly-funded biopharma companies, Century Therapeutics excels in drug development for cancer treatments. The startup has been researching, developing, and producing allogeneic cancer drugs since 2018. The biotechnology of these treatments targets hematologic and solid cancer cells by utilizing adult stem cells.
CRISPR Therapeutics
- Founded: 2013
- Funding: $127 million
Swiss and Boston-based startup CRISPR Therapeutics enjoys success in treatment development through its CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform. This international company’s goal is to create transformative cures for chronic and infectious diseases at the molecular level using CRISPR-Cas9.
Endogena Therapeutics
- Founded: 2016
- Funding: $29 million
Endogena Therapeutics develops endogenous regenerative medicines to treat degenerative diseases. The startup’s comprehensive biotechnology platform utilizes both stem cell biology and artificial intelligence technology to create industry-changing organ and tissue repairing treatments.
Kriya Therapeutics
- Founded: 2019
- Funding: $450.5 million
Kriya Therapeutics designs and develops treatments for various chronic diseases through its gene therapy technology. The startup is a fairly new biotech company but has already raised over $450.5 million in funding.
MOMA Therapeutics
- Founded: 2020
- Funding: $236 million
This American biotech startup is working to develop a new class of genetic precision medicines and treatments for various human diseases. The youngest startup on this list, the promising MOMA Therapeutics has raised about $236 million in funding.
Omega Therapeutics
- Founded: 2016
- Funding: $239.4 million
Omega Therapeutics develops medical solutions to various diseases through genetic engineering. The biotechnology company uses a new class of DNA-sequence-targeting and mRNA-encoded therapeutics in its technology. Founded in 2016, this startup is on its series C funding and is a promising leader in producing epigenetic drug treatments.
Orna Therapeutics
- Founded: 2019
- Funding: $100 million
Orna Therapeutics focuses on designing and developing treatments through circular RNA (oRNA) biotechnology. The startup has raised over $100 million in its series A funding since 2019 to support its research and development operations.
Spero Therapeutics
- Founded: 2013
- Funding: $434.6 million
Spero Therapeutics is a promising startup that is engaged in developing drug treatments for Gram-negative infections. This biopharmaceutical company utilizes a virtual technology platform for drug development that targets serious bacterial infections.
Benefits of Working at a Biotech Startup
Entering the biotechnology industry exposes you to a lot of opportunities, both in your own career and in contributing to human knowledge through scientific research and development. If you’re on the fence about working at a startup, consider the following reasons as to why a startup work environment may be right for you.
Top 5 Reasons to Work at a Biotech Startup
- More opportunities. Startups are usually in their early stages of development. The reality of breaking into startups is that there are ample opportunities for you to advance your career by learning more skills and earning higher positions more quickly as you go up the career ladder.
- You’ll learn a lot of skills. Startups usually have small teams, which means that you will likely pick up new tasks you’re unfamiliar with. This can be a major learning opportunity for you to pick up new skills, and improve those you already have.
- No room for boredom. Since most startups are still developing their systems and operations, you will constantly be exposed to new things. This means that your tasks and roles at the company won’t be monotonous, and can be even more meaningful.
- Diverse teams. Startups are known to have diverse teams, with employees from different cultural and professional backgrounds and skill sets. Working at a startup allows you to collaborate with a diverse set of people and a wide range of knowledge.
- A flexible work atmosphere. Startups are sometimes known to be more lenient when it comes to company rules, such as schedules and PTO, work hours, remote work, and dress codes. Working at a startup can offer flexibility and personal autonomy for you to work more efficiently and happily.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job at a Biotech Startup?
Yes, coding bootcamps equip students with the proper knowledge and skills required for entry-level jobs in the biotech industry. Bootcamps provide you with relevant skills and training in a short amount of time, helping to aid you in being familiar with career prospects within the field. They can also be a great prelude to starting a technology or biology degree program.
Top Bootcamps with Biotech Programs
- Thinkful. Thinkful offers coding bootcamps that can help increase your data analytical skills, which are highly valuable in both the technology and biotech industries.
- Nucamp. Nucamp is a great bootcamp academy tailored to beginners and offers a wide range of subjects that are necessary skills to have in tech industry jobs such as web development and Python.
- Flatiron School. Flatiron School is among the largest bootcamp providers and offers relevant biotech training in subjects ranging from coding languages to data science.
- Springboard. Springboard offers both data engineering and software engineering career track options. Both of these self-paced online courses will equip you with relevant skills, such as data analysis.
- General Assembly. General Assembly features a wide range of tech programs. The two most relevant courses that can help your career in the biotech industry include engineering immersion and product management, two highly valued skill sets.
Common Jobs in Biotech
- Biomedical engineer: Biomedical engineers develop solutions to problems related to biology and medicine, utilizing their knowledge of biology alongside their engineering skills. They’re responsible for developing treatments for infectious diseases, genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and more.
- Biochemist: Biochemists use chemistry to study biological processes in order to develop treatments and medications for various diseases. Their knowledge of biochemistry allows them to know exactly how drugs work and affect organisms. This position allows you to apply the knowledge gained from your biochemistry degree.
- Microbiologist: Microbiologists study cell behavior to develop drug treatments for various human diseases. Their knowledge of cellular biology enables them to predict how cells will react to various compounds for drug development.
- Medical scientist: Medical scientists mainly research different types of human diseases and their proper prevention methods.
Should I Work for a Biotech Startup Company?
Yes, you should work for a biotech startup company because it offers a unique working experience that will help you advance your career. They also allow you to contribute to research and development in the biotechnology industry. Salaries are competitive, and you’ll be able to take on a key role in creating groundbreaking technology that could change the world for the better.
Best Biotech Startups FAQ
Yes, biotechnology is a good career because it exposes you to exciting research and technology developments in the fields of biology and medicine. This career path also provides you the chance to apply your knowledge and skills in engineering to innovate drug treatments for various human diseases.
Yes, it can be hard to get a job in biotechnology if you do not have a background in biology, medicine, tech, or engineering. Most jobs available in biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies require you to have relevant knowledge, skills, and educational backgrounds.
There are many kinds of jobs in biotechnology, and they generally revolve around biochemistry, molecular biology, and biomedical engineering. There are also non-STEM jobs in the field, such as business development, human resources, and marketing. Many job opportunities have opened in the industry, so be sure to be on the lookout for the best jobs in biotech companies.
Yes, biotechnology is a complex field that requires you to have skills in science, math, and engineering. The field also requires you to have a keen attention to detail, perseverance, and patience in order to successfully handle the workload of biotech positions.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
