Radar · Life Sciences Platforms and Tools in California
Best Life Sciences Platforms and Tools Companies in California, United States
The 823 best Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Nektar.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
823companies tracked
$14Bdisclosed funding
1unicorns
429have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · LIFE SCIENCES PLATFORMS AND TOOLS × CALIFORNIA
Our analysis of 50 Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies
$4.8b in tracked funding; 68% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
50companies analysed
68%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
2unicorns
2013median founding year
385kcombined LinkedIn audience
30%of audience held by top 3
4companies hiring publicly (12 mo)
Ranked: Best Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nektar Developer of therapeutics to treat multiple diseases | $905M | 27 mo ago | 137 | Rob C Chairman (1999-present) | DrupalApple iCloud MailPHP+23 | — | — |
| 2 | Element Biosciences 🦄 Developer of benchtop DNA sequencer for research applications 84Innovation top 10%Patents top 13%Funding top 16%Moat top 22% All 11 signals ▾Innovationtop 10% Patentstop 13% Fundingtop 16% Moattop 22% Markettop 35% Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Producttop 41% Techtop 45% Globalbottom 47% Newsbottom 24% Innovation: 554 patents (top 4% of patent-holders) · 469 filings since 2022 vs 85 in 2017-21 Patents: 554 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 469 filings since 2022 vs 85 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 84/100 | $678M | 23 mo ago | 318 | Michael Previte CTO | HubSpot CMS HubVimeoAnimate.css+20 | 554 patents Advanced optical flow cells, reagents, and data processing for next‑gen DNA sequencing | 1 job opening |
| 3 | Cellares Manufacturer of a medical device for cell-based therapy 82Funding top 15%News top 19%Innovation top 23%Growth top 25% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 15% Newstop 19% Innovationtop 23% Growthtop 25% Patentstop 27% Moattop 28% Partnerstop 31% Talenttop 35% Markettop 41% Techtop 43% Globalbottom 39% Funding: Raised $355M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 7 yrs (0.6/yr) News: 9 BI events in 12 mo (of 25 tracked, 4 types) · +200% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $355M | 4 mo ago | 154 | Fabian Gerlinghaus Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+32 | 89 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | 1 partnership · 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 4 | Alamar Biosciences Provider of solutions for ultra-high sensitivity protein analysis across a range of multiplex levels 67News top 18%Funding top 19%Growth top 30%Moat top 31% All 9 signals ▾Newstop 18% Fundingtop 19% Growthtop 30% Moattop 31% Talenttop 35% Techtop 37% Markettop 44% Fin. healthbottom 46% Globalbottom 36% News: 15 BI events in 12 mo (of 30 tracked, 5 types) · +67% YoY Funding: Raised $250M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 5 yrs (0.8/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $250M | 5 mo ago | 83 | Steve Chen Co-Founder | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+37 | — | 1 internship · 1 launch · 1 expansion |
| 5 | Inflammatix Provider of diagnostic solutions for systemic infections 74Funding top 17%Patents top 22%Growth top 26%Innovation top 27% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 17% Patentstop 22% Growthtop 26% Innovationtop 27% Moattop 28% Talenttop 35% Techtop 43% Marketbottom 45% Globalbottom 42% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $191M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 9 yrs (1.2/yr) Patents: 52 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 36 filings since 2022 vs 16 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 74/100 | $191M | 21 mo ago | 54 54 → 75 (+39%) · sector median +39% | Jonathan Romanowsky Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | 52 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | 1 launch · 2 partnerships |
| 6 | PrognomiQ Developer of tests for the detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases 57Funding top 17%Patents top 25%Moat top 28%Innovation top 31% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 17% Patentstop 25% Moattop 28% Innovationtop 31% Talenttop 38% Techtop 44% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 34% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $135M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) Patents: 70 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 68 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $135M | 5 mo ago | 24 24 → 44 (+83%) · sector median +39% | Philip Ma Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMarkerApple iCloud Mail+30 | 70 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 7 | Bionano Provider of genome analysis solutions to researchers and clinicians | $124M | 24 mo ago | 364 | Erik Holmlin President & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+25 | 43 patents Iron‑based nanomaterials and nanoemulsion formulations for pharmaceutical delivery | — |
| 8 | Mission Bio Provider of single cell multiomics platform for genotypic and phenotypic analysis 82Funding top 18%Tech top 21%Innovation top 25%Product top 25% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 18% Techtop 21% Innovationtop 25% Producttop 25% Talenttop 28% Moattop 31% Growthtop 37% Markettop 44% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 27% Funding: Raised $120M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 11 yrs (1.0/yr) Tech: 55 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Vercel rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $120M | 10 mo ago | 109 109 → 89 (-18%) · sector median +39% | Adam Sciambi Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | SanityTurbopackSentry+34 | — | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 9 | Culture Biosciences Provider of biomanufacturing hardware and software tools for research purposes 67Funding top 20%Product top 25%Growth top 26%Moat top 31% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 20% Producttop 25% Growthtop 26% Moattop 31% Innovationtop 34% Talenttop 34% Techtop 45% Newsbottom 42% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 37% Funding: Raised $107M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) Product: 6 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $107M | 6 mo ago | 35 35 → 67 (+91%) · sector median +39% | Chris Williams CEO | WebflowSwipercore-js+20 | — | — |
| 10 | Debut Provider and manufacturer of enzymes for biotherapeutic creation and modification 35Funding top 21%Moat top 31%News top 34%Tech bottom 49% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 21% Moattop 31% Newstop 34% Techbottom 49% Talentbottom 48% Globalbottom 45% Marketbottom 31% Funding: Raised $106M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 6 yrs (1.2/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $106M | 9 mo ago | 18 | Gregory Weiss Co-Founder | WebflowSentryApple iCloud Mail+15 | — | 1 partnership |
| 11 | Antheia Genetically engineered yeast cells to produce medicinal products 64Funding top 20%Patents top 25%Moat top 28%Innovation top 34% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 20% Patentstop 25% Moattop 28% Innovationtop 34% Producttop 35% Growthtop 36% Talenttop 40% Techtop 45% Newstop 45% Partnerstop 45% Globalbottom 47% Marketbottom 45% Funding: Raised $96.4M across 13 rounds · 13 rounds over 11 yrs (1.2/yr) Patents: 82 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 52 filings since 2022 vs 30 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $96M | 4 mo ago | 50 50 → 66 (+32%) · sector median +39% | Christina Smolke Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+28 | 82 patents Biotechnological production and optimization of opioid alkaloids (benzylisoquinoline and morphinan) | 2 job openings |
| 12 | Prolific Machines Provider of photomolecular biology platform to control cellular functions | $86M | 22 mo ago | 30 | Declan Jones Co-Founder & CIO | SanityApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+11 | 14 patents Optogenetic platforms for scalable stem cell culture and directed cell differentiation | — |
| 13 | Ansa Biotechnologies Provider of DNA synthesis technology using enzymes 74Growth top 26%Funding top 27%Patents top 27%Moat top 32% All 11 signals ▾Growthtop 26% Fundingtop 27% Patentstop 27% Moattop 32% Innovationtop 33% Newstop 38% Producttop 40% Markettop 41% Techtop 43% Talenttop 45% Globalbottom 47% Growth: Headcount 159 → 253 (+59%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $82.0M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 74/100 | $82M | 8 mo ago | 253 | Sebastian Palluk Co-Founder & CTO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+27 | 32 patents Enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis and polymerase engineering for synthetic biology applications | 1 job opening · 1 award |
| 14 | Spatial Genomics Developer of multiplexed assays for drug development 24Moat top 22%Funding top 32%Talent bottom 49%Tech bottom 47% All 6 signals ▾Moattop 22% Fundingtop 32% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 29% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn Funding: Raised $56.0M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 4 yrs (1.8/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $56M | 12 mo ago | 21 | Drew Kennedy Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+17 | — | — |
| 15 | PBS Biotech Developer of single-use bioreactors for the production of vaccines, therapeutic proteins, and cell therapies | $53M | 17 mo ago | 65 | — | — | 40 patents Scalable bioreactor systems for therapeutic cell manufacturing and handling | 2 launchs |
| 16 | Lygos Manufacturer of green acids from microbes 64Moat top 26%Patents top 27%Funding top 30%Growth top 31% All 9 signals ▾Moattop 26% Patentstop 27% Fundingtop 30% Growthtop 31% Innovationtop 33% Techtop 40% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 48% Globalbottom 42% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 111 patents Patents: 111 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 56 filings since 2022 vs 49 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $52M | 14 mo ago | 63 | Eric Steen CEO & Co-founder | Builder.ioApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+21 | 111 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 17 | BridGene Biosciences Developer of small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer 69Growth top 20%Patents top 23%Funding top 24%Innovation top 26% All 8 signals ▾Growthtop 20% Patentstop 23% Fundingtop 24% Innovationtop 26% Moattop 28% Talenttop 38% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 36% Growth: Headcount 15 → 25 (+67%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Patents: 44 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 9 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $50M | 8 mo ago | 25 25 → 31 (+24%) · sector median +39% | Irene Yuan Co-Founder & Executive Vice President | — | 44 patents Small-molecule kinase and YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitors for targeted cancer therapy | — |
| 18 | PeproMene Bio Developer of T-cell therapeutics for cancer treatment | $44M | 17 mo ago | 6 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+15 | — | — |
| 19 | Electronic Bio Provider of nanotech-based DNA sequencing solutions 10Funding top 37%Talent bottom 45%Global bottom 29%Market bottom 24% All 5 signals ▾Fundingtop 37% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 24% Techbottom 15% Funding: Raised $40.7M across 49 rounds · 49 rounds over 19 yrs (2.6/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 10/100 | $41M | 12 mo ago | 15 | Eric Ervin President and CEO | — | — | — |
| 20 | Xcell Biosciences Developer of cell culture analysis device for cancer research | $40M | 18 mo ago | 11 11 → 17 (+55%) · sector median +39% | — | WixSentryBootstrap+17 | 30 patents Advanced cell culture bioreactors for tumor microenvironment phenotypic modulation | — |
| 21 | JUMPCODE Genomics Provider of a technology for depleting unwanted nucleic acid | $39M | 15 mo ago | 27 | — | WordPressZohoSalesforce+18 | 57 patents Targeted NGS library preparation, enrichment, and transcriptome analysis technologies | — |
| 22 | Hinge Bio Develops antibodies for therapy and diagnosis | $36M | 17 mo ago | 10 10 → 20 (+100%) · sector median +39% | Miriam Siekevitz Co-Founder & General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | — | — |
| 23 | Trethera Developer of small molecule cancer therapeutics that target DNA replication and integrity 29Funding top 30%Patents top 37%Moat top 37%Product top 41% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 30% Patentstop 37% Moattop 37% Producttop 41% Innovationtop 42% Techtop 47% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 33% Marketbottom 18% Funding: Raised $31.0M across 20 rounds · 20 rounds over 11 yrs (1.8/yr) Patents: 15 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 15 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $31M | 8 mo ago | 3 | Ken Schultz Chairman & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 15 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 24 | OmniAb Therapeutic antibody discovery company providing diverse antibody repertoires and cutting-edge screening… 48Patents top 25%Innovation top 33%Funding top 36%Tech top 42% All 10 signals ▾Patentstop 25% Innovationtop 33% Fundingtop 36% Techtop 42% Markettop 46% Moattop 48% Globalbottom 38% Fin. healthbottom 38% Growthbottom 33% Newsbottom 18% Patents: 30 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 29 filings since 2022 vs 1 in 2017-21 Innovation: 30 patents (top 42% of patent-holders) · 29 filings since 2022 vs 1 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $30M | 9 mo ago | 95 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+33 | 30 patents Therapeutic antibodies for immune checkpoints and viral targets, plus APOL1 small‑molecule inhibitors. | — |
| 25 | Equillium Developer of therapies for treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders | $30M | 10 mo ago | 36 36 → 38 (+6%) · sector median +39% | Daniel Bradbury Co-Founder & CEO | Q4MediaElement.jsMicrosoft ASP.NET+14 | 33 patents Immunotherapy antibodies targeting CD6 for autoimmune and inflammatory disease treatment | — |
| 26 | Optra SCAN Digital pathology solutions for smarter, faster diagnostics and improved patient outcomes | $30M | 19 mo ago | 28 | Gauri Naik Co-Founder & Co-CEO | BootstrapApache HTTP ServerCloudflare+13 | — | 3 launchs |
| 27 | Zafrens Provider of single-cell multi-omics analysis platform for researchers | $29M | 16 mo ago | 19 19 → 30 (+58%) · sector median +39% | Yi Zhang Co-Founder & EVP of Engineering | — | 6 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 28 | TriLink BioTech Developer of nucleic acid and mRNA products for research applications | $29M | 15 mo ago | 348 | — | Cart FunctionalityMagentoApple iCloud Mail+38 | — | 3 launchs · 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 29 | AnimalBiome Provider of animal microbiome based diagnostics services for pet care | $26M | 21 mo ago | 52 52 → 55 (+6%) · sector median +39% | Holly Ganz Co-Founder & CEO | Shogun Page BuilderCart FunctionalityShopify+50 | — | — |
| 30 | Direct Electron Developer of cameras for electron microscopy 57Innovation top 20%Growth top 35%Tech top 41%Funding top 42% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 20% Growthtop 35% Techtop 41% Fundingtop 42% Producttop 46% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 23% Innovation: 11 product lines Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $25M | 12 mo ago | 13 | Rob Bilhorn Founder & President | WordPressMySQLPHP+34 | — | 1 launch |
| 31 | Epigen Biosciences Provider of drug discovery translation services | $24M | 13 mo ago | 13 | — | — | 57 patents Small-molecule heterocyclic kinase inhibitors for S6K-mediated disease therapies | — |
| 32 | Pumpkinseed Developer of protein sequencing technology using silicon photonics and machine learning 67Talent top 35%Funding top 36%AI top 45%Global bottom 33% All 4 signals ▾Talenttop 35% Fundingtop 36% AItop 45% Globalbottom 33% Talent: 3 named leaders on record Funding: Raised $20.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $20M | 1 mo ago | — | Jennifer Dionne Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 33 | Biolog Provider of cell-based phenotyping technologies and assays | $18M | 16 mo ago | 27 | — | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+25 | 27 patents Veterinary biologics for viral antigens and toxin neutralization, plus cell metabolic profiling diagnostics. | — |
| 34 | BioVinc Proprietary chemistry to target imaging probes and pharmaceutical agents to bone tissue | $16M | 14 mo ago | 7 | — | — | 12 patents Bone‑targeted bisphosphonate drug conjugates for selective skeletal delivery and removal | — |
| 35 | Celltrio Developer of automated biobanking and cell culture systems | $15M | 12 mo ago | 11 | — | — | 9 patents Cryogenic storage tanks and fluid handling systems for biopreservation applications. | 1 launch |
| 36 | GenNext Technologies Developer of a device for protein structural analysis | $14M | 12 mo ago | 17 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+22 | — | 1 launch |
| 37 | Quantitative BioSciences Developer of irrigation water management solutions | $14M | 14 mo ago | 9 | — | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+13 | — | — |
| 38 | Newomics Platform technology based on Microfluidic chip based LC-MS to enable precision medicine | $12M | 10 mo ago | 9 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | 10 patents Microfluidic particle sorting and biosensing for disease diagnosis and biomonitoring | — |
| 39 | Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp Developer of sub-micron IR spectroscopy for materials, polymer and life science sectors | $11M | 14 mo ago | — | Roshan Shetty co-Founder / CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+28 | 53 patents Optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy and imaging for microplastic detection and material analysis | — |
| 40 | Partillion Developer of single-cell assays for cell analysis | $10M | 14 mo ago | 6 | — | — | — | 2 launchs |
| 41 | Electron Optica Provider of solutions for electron microscopy and electron lithography 37Funding top 44%Talent bottom 45%Global bottom 29% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 44% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $9.3M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 15 yrs (0.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $9M | 14 mo ago | — | Marian Mankos Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 42 | Diagnologix Developer of cell-processing systems to sort circulating tumor cells | $8M | 13 mo ago | — | Yu-Tsueng Liu Founder | — | 13 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 43 | AvantGen Antibody discovery and engineering company advancing antibody drugs for scientific partners | $8M | 10 mo ago | 11 | — | — | 16 patents Therapeutic peptide ligands targeting immune receptors and SARS‑CoV‑2 viral proteins | — |
| 44 | Blank Bio Developer of RNA foundation models for precision medicine research applications 60Talent top 28%Funding top 35%Global bottom 48% All 3 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 35% Globalbottom 48% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $7.2M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $7M | 1 mo ago | — | Jonathan Hsu Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 45 | Translucence Biosystems Developer of the device for 3D imaging of biological samples | $7M | 13 mo ago | 110 | — | — | — | 1 launch |
| 46 | Qureator Developer of micro physiological systems for drug discovery | $7M | 5 mo ago | 22 | Kyu Baek CEO | — | 7 patents Microfluidic chip architectures enabling rounded corners and perfusable vascular networks for organ‑on‑chip applications. | 1 job opening |
| 47 | 10x Science Provider of AI-native protein characterization platform for biopharma 37Talent top 28%AI top 35%Funding top 42%Tech bottom 46% All 6 signals ▾Talenttop 28% AItop 35% Fundingtop 42% Techbottom 46% Globalbottom 33% Marketbottom 25% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated AI: Product described with: ai-driven, ai-native rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $5M | 1 mo ago | — | Vishnu Tejus Co-Founder & CTO | Three.jsRadix UIElement UI+11 | — | — |
| 48 | LeafWorks Provider of DNA-based services for plant and fungal species identification 42Growth top 35%Tech top 37%Moat top 38%Talent top 38% All 9 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Techtop 37% Moattop 38% Talenttop 38% Patentstop 43% Innovationtop 47% Fundingbottom 46% Globalbottom 33% Marketbottom 24% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Tech: 35 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $1M | 3 mo ago | 17 | Kerin Law Co-Founder & CSO | Cart FunctionalityShopifyBugHerd+32 | 8 patents Cannabis breeding: genetic testing, trait analysis, and sex‑control technologies | 3 partnerships |
| 49 | ReelReactor Developer of a continuous reactor to produce biological products and therapies | $700K | 1 mo ago | — | Michael Gordon Founder & CEO | — | 5 patents Isolating peristaltic pumps for contamination‑free fluid handling in hazardous/clean‑room processes. | 1 launch |
| 50 | Ramona Provider of computational microscope with machine learning software | $400K | 3 mo ago | 15 | Mark Harfouche CEO | — | — | — |
Top 12 Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California
#1
Series D · San Francisco, California · founded 2019 · 154 employees$355Mraised▾
Series D · San Francisco, California · founded 2019 · 154 employees
Manufacturer of a medical device for cell-based therapy. The company offers Cell Shuttle integrates all the technologies required for the entire manufacturing process in a flexible and high-throughput platform that delivers true walk-away, end-to-end automation. It also, offers software suite for cell therapy modalities.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 82how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 15%News
top 19%Innovation
top 23%Growth
top 25%Patents
top 27%Moat
top 28%Funding: Raised $355M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 7 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series D (Jan 2026)
News: 9 BI events in 12 mo (of 25 tracked, 4 types) · +200% YoY · 5 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Innovation: 89 patents (top 32% of patent-holders) · 83 filings since 2022 vs 6 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Audience (LinkedIn): 31k LinkedIn followers — 8.1% of this cohort's audience · 94 engagements/post (1.8× cohort median)
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 1 awards · 1 expansions (incl. FDA) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Series D$257M
- Aug 2023Series C$255M
- Apr 2021Series B$82M
- Aug 2019Series A$18M
Founders & team
Investors
8VC, EcoR1, Eclipse, Decheng Capital, Skyviews Life Science, Koch Disruptive Technologies
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare Browser InsightsCookieyes
#2
Public · Fremont, California · founded 2018 · 83 employees$250Mraised▾
Public · Fremont, California · founded 2018 · 83 employees
Provider of solutions for ultra-high sensitivity protein analysis across a range of multiplex levels. The company's proprietary NULISA Chemistry utilizes a novel sequential capture and release method that significantly reduces background signal and increases the sensitivity and dynamic range compared with standard approaches and allows both qPCR and NGS readouts. Applications include clinical assay development, biomarker discovery and validation, and drug development.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 67how this company ranks against its industry peers
News
top 18%Funding
top 19%Growth
top 30%Moat
top 31%Talent
top 35%Tech
top 37%News: 15 BI events in 12 mo (of 30 tracked, 5 types) · +67% YoY · 11 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Funding: Raised $250M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 5 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series C (Jan 2026)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 30k LinkedIn followers — 7.9% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Series C$50M
- Feb 2024Series C$100M
- Sep 2021Series B$80M
- Jul 2020Grant (prize money)$321.9K
Founders & team
Investors
Sands Capital, Sherpa Healthcare Partners, Morningside, Samsara BioCapital, Qiming Venture Partners, Illumina Ventures
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyesCore-Js
#3
Series C · Palo Alto, California · founded 2013 · 50 employees$96.4Mraised▾
Series C · Palo Alto, California · founded 2013 · 50 employees
Antheia is focused on developing medicines using its technology. Its technology combines synthetic biology, informatics, and fermentation technology to provide plant-based medicines. It is currently working on engineering the yeast cells genetically to produce natural medicinal products.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 20%Patents
top 25%Moat
top 28%Innovation
top 34%Product
top 35%Growth
top 36%Funding: Raised $96.4M across 13 rounds · 13 rounds over 11 yrs (1.2/yr) · Last round Series C (Jan 2026)
Patents: 82 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 52 filings since 2022 vs 30 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2025
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 82 patents · Soonicorn
Audience (LinkedIn): 10k LinkedIn followers — 2.6% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 2 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +2 · hiring: Associate Director of Global Quality, Senior Quality Control Manager
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Series C$24M
- Jun 2025Series C$56M
- Jul 2024Series B$6M
- Jun 2022Venture Debt$40M
Founders & team
Investors
Viking Global Investors, Sherpalo Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Echo, Oxford Finance, SVB
Tech stack
BabelCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyesCore-JsElementor
#4
Series D · San Mateo, California · founded 2020 · 24 employees$135Mraised▾
Series D · San Mateo, California · founded 2020 · 24 employees
Developer of tests for the detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases. The company's products use proteomic data with genomic, metabolomic, and other health data for early disease detection.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 57how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 17%Patents
top 25%Moat
top 28%Innovation
top 31%Talent
top 38%Tech
top 44%Funding: Raised $135M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series D (Jan 2026)
Patents: 70 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 68 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 70 patents · Soonicorn
Audience (LinkedIn): 8k LinkedIn followers — 2.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Series D$11.9M
- Aug 2025Series D$10M
- Aug 2024Series D$34.3M
- Mar 2022Series C$46M
Founders & team
Investors
Bruker, Catalio Capital Management, aMoon, Fidelity Investments, T. Rowe Price, Maverick Ventures
Tech stack
AddtoanyAddtoany Share ButtonsAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailCdnjsCloudflare
#5
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 35 employees$107.2Mraised▾
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 35 employees
Provider of biomanufacturing hardware and software tools for research purposes. They have developed the digital biomanufacturing platform by integrating automated bioreactors, robotic sample handling, and cloud data monitoring. It offers services such as strain screening, media optimization, and process development.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 67how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 20%Product
top 25%Growth
top 26%Moat
top 31%Innovation
top 34%Talent
top 34%Funding: Raised $107M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series C (Dec 2025)
Product: 6 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C
Growth: Headcount 16 → 35 (+119%) across vintages · Web rank 5,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers — 3.1% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Series C—
- Oct 2021Series B$80M
- Mar 2020Series A$21.6M
- Sep 2019Grant (prize money)$750K
Founders & team
Investors
Cultivian Sandbox, E14 Fund, Y Combinator, Verily, The Production Board, S32
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsFont AwesomeGoogle AdsGoogle Ads Conversion Tracking
#6
Series A · Palo Alto, California · founded 2021$20.3Mraised▾
Series A · Palo Alto, California · founded 2021
Developer of protein sequencing technology using silicon photonics and machine learning. The company focuses on high-resolution protein analysis, including sequence, post-translational modifications, structure, and interactions. It aims to provide insights into the proteome to address challenges in personal, population, and ecosystem health. The technology amplifies light to analyze proteins without relying on sample amplification or fluorescent tags. The goal is to enable proactive solutions in medicine and sustainability.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 67how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 35%Funding
top 36%AI
top 45%Global
bottom 33%Talent: 3 named leaders on record
Funding: Raised $20.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) · Last round Series A (May 2026)
AI: Product described with: machine learning
Funding rounds
- May 2026Series A$20M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$289.9K
Founders & team
Investors
HHS, NFX, Future Ventures, Base4 Capital, Analog Devices, Stanford University
#7
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2019 · 18 employees$105.8Mraised▾
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2019 · 18 employees
Provider and manufacturer of enzymes for biotherapeutic creation and modification. The company offers a range of enzymes that are used in the biotech industry for immobilization and other therapeutic applications. The company also provides continuous biomanufacturing cartridges, immobilized cells, immobilized enzymes for continuous biomanufacturing.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 35how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 21%Moat
top 31%News
top 34%Tech
bottom 49%Talent
bottom 48%Global
bottom 45%Funding: Raised $106M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 6 yrs (1.2/yr) · Last round Series B (Aug 2025)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
News: 3 BI events in 12 mo (of 11 tracked, 3 types) · Top themes: Funding, Leadership
Audience (LinkedIn): 10k LinkedIn followers — 2.7% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Oterra) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Aug 2025Series B$20M
- Oct 2023Series B$40M
- Jun 2023Series B—
- Jun 2023Series B$34M
Founders & team
Investors
KdT Ventures, Better Ventures, FTW Ventures, SpringTide, BOLD, Fine Structure Ventures
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCloudflareGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Hosted LibrariesGoogle Tag Manager
#8
Series B · Berkeley, California · founded 2017 · 253 employees$82Mraised▾
Series B · Berkeley, California · founded 2017 · 253 employees
Provider of DNA synthesis technology using enzymes. The company offers a chemical method and Next-generation technology for synthesis. Their technology is based on polymerase-nucleotide conjugates that have the ability to extend a DNA molecule by one building block at a time.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 74how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 26%Funding
top 27%Patents
top 27%Moat
top 32%Innovation
top 33%News
top 38%Growth: Headcount 159 → 253 (+59%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Funding: Raised $82.0M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series B (Oct 2025)
Patents: 32 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 32 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers — 3.1% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Senior Director, Technical Operations & Automation
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series B$54.4M
- Jun 2024Series A$46.4M
- Apr 2022Conventional Debt—
- Apr 2022Series A$68M
Founders & team
Investors
Fifty Years, Northpond Ventures, RA Capital Management, Altitude Life Science Ventures, PEAK6, Carbon/Silicon
Tech stack
All In One SeoApple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementComplianzCore-Js
#9
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 109 employees$120Mraised▾
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 109 employees
Provider of a single-cell multi-omics platform for genotypic and phenotypic analysis. The company's proprietary Tapestri platform enables the simultaneous detection of analytes, including SNVs, CNVs, and proteins for the precise treatment of cancer. Also, it offers DNA & protein panels, and Pharma Assay Development (PAD) Services.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 82how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 18%Tech
top 21%Innovation
top 25%Product
top 25%Talent
top 28%Moat
top 31%Funding: Raised $120M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 11 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series C (Aug 2025)
Tech: 55 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Vercel · Devops: Envoy
Innovation: 6 product lines · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Audience (LinkedIn): 21k LinkedIn followers — 5.4% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 partnerships (incl. Human Cell Atlas (HCA)) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Aug 2025Series C—
- Aug 2020Series C$70M
- Oct 2019Grant (prize money)$2M
- Sep 2019Grant (prize money)$1.8M
Founders & team
Investors
Agilent, Cota Capital, Mayfield, Lam Research Capital, LabCorp, NHGRI
Tech stack
Adobe Audience ManagerApple Icloud MailBamboohrBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#10
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025$7.2Mraised▾
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025
Developer of RNA foundation models for precision medicine research applications. The company builds models combining isoform, mutation, and expression signals from RNA. These models aim to improve patient stratification and boost diagnostic accuracy. Applications include patient stratification, enhanced diagnostics, target discovery, therapeutic design, and biosecurity monitoring. The company focuses on fine-tuning models for specific needs.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 60how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Funding
top 35%Global
bottom 48%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $7.2M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Seed (May 2026)
Global: Investors from 1 country beyond United States
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. SymphoRNA (formerly Uncommon)) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- May 2026Seed$7.2M
Founders & team
Investors
Define Ventures, Leonis Capital, Nova Threshold, Ripple Ventures, SignalFire, Y Combinator
#11
Series B · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2018 · 25 employees$50.5Mraised▾
Series B · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2018 · 25 employees
Developer of small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer. The company utilizes its proprietary Chemoproteomics platform, IMTAC that enables the screening of small molecules against all the proteins in live cells to discover drug candidates for high value and hard-to-drug targets that cause diseases.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 69how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 20%Patents
top 23%Funding
top 24%Innovation
top 26%Moat
top 28%Talent
top 38%Growth: Headcount 15 → 25 (+67%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Patents: 44 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 9 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Funding: Raised $50.5M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 5 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series B (Oct 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 5k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Lilly team through TuneLab) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series B$28M
- Jul 2022Series B$38.5M
- May 2021Series A$12M
- Sep 2020Grant (prize money)$298.9K
Founders & team
Investors
Kaitai Capital Management, Lapam Capital, Deyi Capital, Junson Capital, HHS, Bayland Capital
#12
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025$5.3Mraised▾
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025
Provider of AI-native protein characterization platform for biopharma. The platform uses AI agents to perform protein analysis, peptide mapping, and detection of modifications like glycosylation for drug development. It enables scientists to steer AI workflows for high-throughput characterization, integrating mass spectrometry data and resolving drug complexity. The solution addresses bottlenecks in biopharmaceutical preparation by providing scalable characterization to match AI-driven drug discovery pace.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%AI
top 35%Funding
top 42%Tech
bottom 46%Global
bottom 33%Market
bottom 25%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
AI: Product described with: ai-driven, ai-native
Funding: Raised $5.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) · Last round Seed (Apr 2026)
Audience (LinkedIn): 1k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Seed$4.8M
- Jan 2026Seed$500K
Founders & team
Investors
Y Combinator, Initialized Capital, Civilization Ventures
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare Browser InsightsElement UiHammer.JsHsts
Funding & investor landscape
$14Btotal disclosed funding
425companies funded
1,829disclosed rounds
4rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Y Combinator22 rounds
Notable founders
Fabian Gerlinghaus
Co-Founder & CEO · Cellares
Omar Kurdi
Co-Founder · Cellares
Steve Chen
Co-Founder · Alamar Biosciences
Yuling Luo
Co-Founder & CEO · Alamar Biosciences
Christina Smolke
Co-Founder & CEO · Antheia
Kristy Hawkins
Co-Founder & CSO · Antheia
Philip Ma
Co-Founder & CEO · PrognomiQ
Omid Farokhzad
Co-Founder · PrognomiQ
Chris Williams
CEO · Culture Biosciences
Darcy Birse
Chief Executive Officer (interim) · Culture Biosciences
Jennifer Dionne
Co-Founder · Pumpkinseed
Jack Hu
Co-Founder · Pumpkinseed
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 1,926,398 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Life Sciences Platforms and Tools coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH IN CALIFORNIA · Health & Bio
How research on Bioinformatics in California is moving
A read on the academic research around Bioinformatics in California — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 1,143 papers.
UC San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Diego lead California's 1,143 bioinformatics papers, dominated by genomics and single-cell transcriptomics research, with an optimistic tone (mean stance 0.52, breakthroughs outnumbering concerns 3:1).
1143 papers · stance +0.52 · 57% breakthrough · 16% concern
top institutions
- University of California, San Francisco182
- University of California, Berkeley153
- University of California San Diego150
- University of California, Los Angeles135
- University of California, Davis107
leading researchers
Darren J. Obbard · Pankaj Dhakad · Dhobasheni Newman · Anushya Muruganujan · Jennifer A. Doudna · Anastasiya Moiseyenko
prism intelligence · tone & topics
92% positive · 2% critical tone
BiotechnologyMedical ResearchHealthPharmaceuticalsBiologyGenetics
▲
Breakthroughs548 · 48%
▲ 39%→49% share
▲1.3× share momentum0 median citations81% since 2021mostly methods-led
Transcriptome breakthroughs are surging — papers rose from 2 to 44, with Gene expression and Workflow emerging as brand-new sub-topics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Gene11→80
- Genome23→65
- Transcriptome2→44
- Immune system1→17
- Phenotype1→16
Newly emergingWorkflow 0→21 · Gene expression 0→20 · Disease 0→16
Landmark SPAdes: A New Genome Assembly Algorithm and Its Applications to Single-Cell Sequencing · 26,554 cites
◆
Advancements252 · 22%
22%→22% share
▲1.0× share momentum0 median citations81% since 2021mostly empirical
Disease advancement research intensified sharply — papers grew from 5 to 27, with Immunotherapy and Biomarker newly entering the segment.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Transcriptome1→23
- Disease5→27
- Immune system1→14
- Cancer1→13
- Gene3→14
Newly emergingGene expression 0→12 · Immunotherapy 0→9 · Biomarker 0→8
Landmark Optimizing taxonomic classification of marker-gene amplicon sequences with QIIME 2’s q2-feature-classifier plugin · 5,843 cites
▼
Concerns157 · 14%
▼ 16%→14% share
▼0.9× share momentum0 median citations78% since 2021mostly reviews
Disease concerns are escalating — papers jumped from 1 to 21, with Gene and Biomarker newly flagged as concern sub-topics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Disease1→21
- Genome1→9
- Phenotype1→6
- Drug discovery1→5
- Epigenetics1→5
Newly emergingGene 0→12 · Biomarker 0→9 · Immune system 0→7
Landmark GENCODE: The reference human genome annotation for The ENCODE Project · 5,001 cites
Common questions
How many Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies are there in California, United States?
Radar tracks 823 indexable Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies headquartered in California, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California, United States?
The Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California, United States on this list have raised a combined $14B in disclosed equity funding across 425 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Life Sciences Platforms and Tools company in California, United States?
Nektar is the highest-funded Life Sciences Platforms and Tools company in California, United States, with $905M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California, United States are funded?
425 of the 823 Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies in California, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Life Sciences Platforms and Tools unicorns are there in California, United States?
1 Life Sciences Platforms and Tools company in California, United States on this list is valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in California, United States Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies?
The most active investors in California, United States Life Sciences Platforms and Tools companies on this list include HHS, National Science Foundation, Y Combinator, NIH, America’s Seed Fund.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.