bit.bio secures $25 million as demand for its human cell models reaches record levels

Investors back Cambridge biotech to become the world’s leading supplier of human cells for life sciences research, making these models the industry standard for drug development as industry reaches “inflection point”

Cambridge, UK – 4th November 2026: bit.bio, the human cell programming company, has secured $25 million in Series D funding as demand for its human cell models reaches record levels, with paid vial volumes increasing 76 per cent year to date in 2026.

The investment follows bit.bio’s Series C funding round earlier this year and includes backing from existing investor M&G Investments and Dr Jonathan Milner, founder and former CEO of Abcam.

bit.bio’s commercial momentum extends across the business, with orders up 34 per cent and active customers up 40 per cent year to date, including 63 per cent growth in academic customers.

The funding will support the company’s portfolio expansion and wider customer access. With its manufacturing capacity already established, bit.bio’s priority is to bring more human cell types to market and turn growing demand into further commercial growth.

Dr Emma Pepperell, CEO of bit.bio, said: “The industry is reaching an inflection point in drug discovery. AI is changing the speed at which new medicines can be discovered, while the move towards animal testing alternatives is creating growing demand for models that better reflect human biology.

“What these fundamental shifts have in common is the need for vast quantities of consistent human cell models. Someone needs to be able to supply those cells at scale and our investors believe bit.bio is the company capable of achieving that aim.

“This creates an enormous opportunity for bit.bio to step forward and address that need. We already have the technology and manufacturing capacity in place. Our focus now is on expanding the portfolio of cells we can offer and making them accessible to researchers around the world.

“This investment is a vote of confidence in our ability to become a major supplier of the human cells that the next generation of drug development will depend on.”

Cornel Chiriac, Investment Director of Crossover, M&G Investments, said: “M&G’s Crossover strategy is focused on backing ambitious businesses as they move into their next phase of commercial growth, and bit.bio is a strong example of that opportunity. It has proven technology, established manufacturing capability and growing demand from customers. As the way medicines are discovered and tested evolves, we see significant potential for bit.bio to scale globally and establish human cell models as an increasingly important part of life sciences research.”

Meeting the need for human cells

As researchers develop new approaches to identifying potential drugs, they still need reliable experimental systems to understand how those candidates may behave in people. Differences between animal and human biology can limit the predictive value of animal models, increasing interest in human cell models that can support more relevant testing and help reduce reliance on animal experiments.

bit.bio’s proprietary opti-ox™ platform enables defined human cell types to be produced consistently and at scale, addressing challenges such as donor variability and limited supply. Its portfolio now spans more than 50 human cell types, including models of the heart, liver and central nervous system, supporting applications in disease research, functional genomics, drug discovery and toxicology.

With the technology and manufacturing infrastructure in place, bit.bio can focus on expanding its offering and making more models accessible to pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology businesses and research organisations. As AI changes how potential medicines are identified and designed, access to reproducible human biology will be increasingly important for testing those candidates. 

Dr Jonathan Milner, founder and former CEO of Abcam, said:  “I’ve spent much of my career building life sciences tools businesses, and I know what it takes to turn a powerful scientific idea into a company that can shape an industry. Abcam showed how a focused product offering can grow into a global business by becoming indispensable to researchers.

“I see bit.bio doing that for human cells. Biology is becoming increasingly central to how medicines are discovered and developed, but progress depends on having the right human cells, in the right quantities, with the consistency researchers can trust. That is a fundamental need, and it is only going to grow.

“bit.bio has the opportunity to build the cell platform that researchers worldwide turn to as a matter of course, and, in doing so, to create one of the defining life sciences tools businesses of its generation.”