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Key people at Ion Channel.
Metrion Biosciences is a specialist preclinical contract research organization (CRO) based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, providing high-quality ion channel screening, cardiac safety assessment, and neuroscience assays to the global pharmaceutical and life sciences industry. The company delivers accurate data interpretation for drug discovery and safety profiling through in vitro services like GLP hERG testing and CiPA panels, leveraging automated and manual patch clamp electrophysiology expertise. With approximately 39-46 employees and estimated annual revenues between $2-6.7 million, Metrion Biosciences closed £3.7m in equity financing in December 2023 to scale operations, leading to its listing in The Sunday Times 100 Tech. Key figures include Investor Director John Ford, Chairman Keith McCullagh, and CEO Lee Patterson, who joined in 2024, alongside Dr. Gary Clark, Head of Screening Technologies. Metrion Biosciences was founded in September 2015 by members of the research biology team from Xention.
Ion Channel is a cybersecurity software company that provides a platform for software supply chain risk monitoring, governance, and compliance. It continuously ingests data on vulnerabilities in open source and proprietary software, tracks changes in code repositories, and generates machine-readable Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) with immutable audit records to enforce automated pass/fail rules during development and delivery[3][4]. The platform serves high-assurance customers, such as those in government and national security, by enabling secure software logistics, full chain-of-custody tracking, and auditable transfers of components and applications[3][4]. Founded in 2014 in Alexandria, Virginia, it addresses growing risks in software supply chains amid rising cyber threats, with backing from investors like Exiger and accelerators focused on government tech security[3].
Ion Channel was founded in 2014 in Alexandria, Virginia, by John Scott (President, with a Master's in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and experience as a Cybersecurity Policy Fellow at New America) and JC Herz (CEO, with a background in national security, AI/ML, biology from Harvard, and prior media work)[3]. The idea emerged from the need to manage risks in increasingly complex software supply chains, including open source vulnerabilities and developer community indicators, at a time when supply chain attacks were gaining prominence[3]. Early traction came through participation in government-focused accelerators like FIL NYC (Information Security Accelerator 2018), Dcode Acceleration Program, and investments from Exiger, positioning it for high-stakes sectors[3]. A key milestone was launching its platform to automate SBOM creation and auditable records, accelerating adoption among customers needing compliant software logistics[4].
Ion Channel rides the software supply chain security trend, fueled by high-profile attacks like SolarWinds and Log4j, which exposed vulnerabilities in third-party code and dependencies. Its timing aligns with U.S. government mandates (e.g., Executive Order 14028 on cybersecurity) requiring SBOMs and supply chain risk management for federal systems[3]. Market forces favoring it include explosive growth in open source usage (90%+ of apps), rising regulatory pressure (e.g., NIST guidelines), and demand from defense contractors for auditable software[3][4]. By enabling secure, compliant DevSecOps, it influences the ecosystem, helping enterprises shift left on security and bridging government-commercial tech gaps through accelerators like Dcode[3].
Ion Channel is poised for expansion as SBOM adoption becomes standard and AI-driven threats amplify supply chain risks, potentially scaling via partnerships with cloud giants and DevOps tools. Trends like zero-trust architectures and real-time vulnerability intel will shape its growth, evolving its influence from niche government compliance to enterprise-wide logistics platforms. With founders' national security ties, it could lead in critical infrastructure security, tying back to its core strength in turning chaotic supply chains into auditable assets.
Key people at Ion Channel.
