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Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, AbCellera is a biotechnology company that discovers antibodies for drug therapies using microfluidics, single-cell analysis, and artificial intelligence. The firm generates revenue through research fees, milestone payments, and royalties by partnering with pharmaceutical corporations rather than developing its own proprietary drugs. AbCellera collaborates with major industry players such as Eli Lilly, Moderna, and Novartis, and features Peter Thiel on its board of directors. Operating with a workforce of over 600 employees, the company raised $555 million during its December 2020 initial public offering on the NASDAQ. The organization recently announced a $701 million project to build a clinical manufacturing facility and previously developed a COVID-19 treatment administered to two million patients. AbCellera was founded in 2012 by Carl Hansen, Véronique Lecault, Kevin Heyries, Daniel Da Costa, and Colby Souders.
AbCellera has raised $195.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at AbCellera.
AbCellera was founded in 2012 by Kevin Heyries (Co-Founder, Head of Business Development) and Véronique Lecault (Co-Founder).
AbCellera has raised $195.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
AbCellera was founded in 2012 by Kevin Heyries (Co-Founder, Head of Business Development) and Véronique Lecault (Co-Founder).
AbCellera has raised $195.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
AbCellera's investors include Navdeep Bains, Founders Fund, Gil Penchina, UpHonest Capital, Peter Thiel, Accel, Advancit Capital, Antler, Dreamers VC, Equity Alliance, Lakestar, Malex Enterprises.
AbCellera has raised $195.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $110.0M Series B in May 2020.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2023 | Abdera Therapeutics | $140.0M Series B | Nancy Harrison, Joel Drewry | VenBio Partners, Admare Bioinnovations, Northview Ventures |
| Sep 1, 2020 | Invetx | $10.0M Series A | Anterra Capital | Casdin Capital, Tekla Capital Management, WuXi Biologics |
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2020 | $110M Series B | Navdeep Bains | Founders Fund, GIL Penchina, UpHonest Capital, Peter Thiel | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2020 | $75M Series A | — | Accel, Advancit Capital, Antler, Dreamers VC, Equity Alliance, Lakestar, Malex Enterprises, Mantis VC, OAK HC/FT, Presight Capital, Trust Fund, Witz Ventures, Casey Neistat, Scott Belsky, Tony Hawk | Announced |
| Sep 27, 2018 | $10M Series A | John Hamer | — | Announced |
Key people at AbCellera.
AbCellera Biologics Inc. (Nasdaq: ABCL) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops antibody-based medicines using a proprietary platform integrating microfluidics, single-cell analysis, biology, computation, and engineering.[1][2][3][4] It searches natural immune responses to discover antibodies for conditions with high unmet needs, serving patients in endocrinology, women's health, immunology, oncology, inflammation, autoimmunity, and metabolic diseases; the platform solves challenges in antibody discovery for complex targets like transmembrane proteins, bispecifics, and antibody-drug conjugates.[1][2][3][4] Originally a technology provider partnering on over 100 programs since 2015, AbCellera shifted in 2023 to advancing its own internal and co-development pipeline, with recent Health Canada authorizations for Phase 1 trials of ABCL575 and ABCL635 in 2025, signaling strong clinical momentum amid a ~600-person team.[1][2][3][5]
AbCellera emerged from an academic lab where six scientists developed the concept of using microfluidics and single-cell analysis to boost antibody drug discovery productivity.[1][2][3] Founded in Vancouver, Canada, as a technology company, it evolved through a decade of partnerships with over 40 biotech and pharma firms, completing 100+ programs and earning royalty stakes.[1][2][3] Key figures include Chief Medical Officer Sarah Noonberg, a physician-scientist with 20+ years advancing programs from discovery to commercialization.[1] Pivotal moments include the 2023 strategic pivot to internal pipeline development and 2024-2025 clinical trial authorizations, alongside collaborations like expansions with Lilly and launches with Viking Global Investors and ArrowMark Partners.[3][5]
AbCellera rides the antibody therapeutics wave, addressing biotech's core challenge of efficient discovery amid complex diseases like cancer and metabolic disorders, where traditional methods fall short.[1][2] Its timing aligns with post-2023 industry shifts toward internal pipelines amid funding pressures and volatility, leveraging decade-honed tech for de-risked clinical entry—e.g., Phase 1 nods for menopause and other therapies.[2][5] Market forces like rising demand for biologics (oncology, immunology) and AI/computational synergies favor its platform, influencing the ecosystem via royalties, co-developments (e.g., Lilly), and spinouts that seed new biotechs.[3][5]
AbCellera's pipeline momentum, with Phase 1 trials underway and expansions into endocrine/metabolic and oncology, positions it for key readouts in 2026+, potentially validating its platform superiority.[1][4][5] Trends like bispecifics, ADCs, and precision immunology will amplify its edge, especially if partnerships yield royalties amid biotech recovery. Its influence may grow through more spinouts and approvals, evolving from tech enabler to medicines creator—cementing impact where innovation meets unmet needs, much like its lab-to-clinic journey.
