$25m · Series D+ · Healthtech · Cambridge, UK
Cambridge-based human-cell programming company bit.bio has raised $25m in Series D funding from existing investor M&G Investments and Dr Jonathan Milner, founder and former CEO of Abcam. The capital will expand its portfolio of human cell models and make them available to more researchers, according to the company announcement.
This is a separate round from bit.bio’s $50m Series C announced earlier in 2026.
Consistent cells become infrastructure for drug discovery
bit.bio uses its opti-ox platform to produce defined human cell types at scale. Its ioCells portfolio now spans more than 50 cell types, including heart, liver and central-nervous-system models used in disease research, functional genomics, drug discovery and toxicology.
The commercial problem is variability. Researchers need experimental cells that behave consistently across batches, especially when comparing many drug candidates or reproducing a result between laboratories. Traditional donor-derived material can be scarce and biologically variable. A programmable production process gives bit.bio a route to sell standardised cell models as repeatable research inputs rather than one-off biological samples.
That becomes more valuable as AI expands the number of potential drug candidates. Software can prioritise molecules faster, but those candidates still need testing in systems that reflect human biology. bit.bio is positioning its catalogue as the physical testing layer for that workflow, while the move towards alternatives to animal testing adds a second source of demand.
Growth now depends on portfolio breadth and access
The company says paid vial volumes increased 76% year to date in 2026, with orders up 34% and active customers up 40%. Academic customers grew 63%. Because manufacturing capacity is already established, the new round focuses on adding more cell types and widening customer access rather than building the core production platform from scratch.
That changes the execution test from proving the technology to managing a broader catalogue. Each new cell model must be relevant enough to earn recurring use, consistent enough to support comparative experiments and accessible through purchasing and distribution channels used by pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic customers. If bit.bio can maintain that reliability as the range grows, portfolio breadth can compound: one supplier can support more stages of a research programme without forcing customers to qualify a new source for every cell type.
Sources checked:
bit.bio funding announcement · Tech.eu Funding Explorer deal record
