iOrganBio has launched from stealth mode with $2 million in funding, led by First Star Ventures and joined by IndieBio, Cape Fear BioCapital, 2ndF, Terasaki Institute, and Alix Ventures. The company is focused on transforming human cell production for applications in drug discovery, manufacturing, and cell therapies.
According to iOrganBio, its proprietary CellForge™ platform uses AI-driven prediction combined with high-throughput experimental control to engineer cells and organoids across multiple applications. The platform features closed-loop control of 3D culture environments to dynamically optimize conditions during human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation. This approach aims to make cell engineering more predictable, reproducible, and scalable, features the company says are needed for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
At the core of CellForge is the Functional Human CellAtlas™, a growing repository of human cell data created using single-cell RNA sequencing (a technique that profiles gene expression at the single-cell level) and other high-resolution methods. This database enables precise guidance of cell development so partners can target specific cell states when designing tissues or organoids.
The company reports early success using CellForge to identify beta islet cells for pancreas model development, enabling the customization of properties such as optional vasculature (blood vessel structure) and immune competency for research or therapeutic use.
The founding team includes Dr. Daniel Delubac (CEO), Dr. Shuibing Chen (Weill Cornell Medicine), and Prof. Xiling Shen (MD Anderson Cancer Centers/Terasaki Institute). Their expertise spans hPSC differentiation and automation in manufacturing processes. The company’s technology was developed based on science from Dr. Chen’s lab at Weill Cornell Medicine.
iOrganBio outlines five key bottlenecks it aims to address in cell-based therapy accessibility:
- Definability: Digitally defining exact target characteristics.
- Generalizability: Creating diverse cell types for broader access.
- Adaptability: Using multiple sources for rapid application adjustment.
- Reproducibility: Achieving consistent results batch-to-batch.
- Scalability: Expanding production from small-scale experiments to large-volume clinical needs.
Daniel Delubac, co-founder and CEO of iOrganBio said:
“The future of human health depends on our ability to intelligently design human cells and organoids with the same precision and reliability we expect from any other industrialized process.”
Adding:
“With CellForge, we are seeking to create a new standard for cell manufacturing—one that is configurable, reproducible, and scalable, and adapted to living products.”
First Star Ventures Founding Partner Drew Volpe commented:
“Pharma has long needed human-relevant models that can reliably predict how therapies will work in the clinic. The level of engineering precision by iOrganBio’s technology uniquely positions the company to become an indispensable partner… Their digital-first approach, grounded in AI and data, will dramatically reduce costs and accelerate the path from idea to therapy.”
For more information visit iOrgan.Bio, or follow them on LinkedIn.
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