The next generation of medicines may depend on how accurately scientists can recreate human biology inside a laboratory. As artificial intelligence accelerates the search for potential treatments, researchers need dependable ways to establish whether those discoveries will work in real human cells. Cambridge based biotechnology company bit.bio is addressing this challenge with its human cell programming technology. The company has secured $25 million in Series D funding to expand its range of human cell models and increase access to its products for pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology businesses and research institutions.
The investment includes participation from existing investor M&G Investments and Dr Jonathan Milner, founder and former CEO of Abcam. The funding follows bit.bio’s $50 million Series C round announced in January 2026, which supported the expansion of its cell programming technology and commercial operations.
Why Human Cell Models Matter
Drug discovery traditionally relies on a combination of laboratory experiments, animal studies and clinical research. However, animal models cannot always accurately predict how a medicine will behave in the human body because of biological differences between species.
This limitation has encouraged the development of New Approach Methodologies, commonly known as NAMs. These approaches include advanced human cell models that allow researchers to study disease mechanisms, test potential medicines and investigate biological responses in conditions that are more relevant to human health.
The demand for such models is increasing as pharmaceutical companies seek better ways to evaluate drug candidates before they enter expensive clinical development programmes.
Artificial intelligence is adding another dimension to this shift. AI tools can help researchers analyse biological information, identify potential drug targets and accelerate the design of new compounds. However, computational predictions still need experimental validation. Reliable human cells can provide an important foundation for that process.
The Technology Behind bit.bio
At the centre of bit.bio’s business is its proprietary opti-ox technology, which uses genetic programming to convert human induced pluripotent stem cells into defined cell types.
The company’s approach focuses on identifying combinations of transcription factors that determine cellular identity. By activating these genetic instructions, bit.bio aims to produce specific human cell populations with consistent characteristics.
Its commercial ioCells portfolio provides researchers with ready to use human cell models. The company offers cell types covering areas such as neuroscience, liver research, muscle biology and immune system studies.
According to its official website, the technology is designed to produce defined cell identities with consistency and at manufacturing scale. This is particularly important for research teams that need repeatable experimental results across different studies and laboratories.
More Than 50 Cell Types for Research
bit.bio’s ioCells portfolio includes models that can support disease research, functional genomics, drug discovery and toxicology. Researchers can use these cells to investigate how particular genes influence biological functions, examine disease related changes and assess how experimental treatments affect human cells.
The company also offers specialised products, including genetically engineered disease models and CRISPR ready cells, expanding the range of experiments researchers can perform.
By addressing problems such as donor variability, inconsistent cell production and limited availability, bit.bio aims to make human cell based research more accessible to organisations of different sizes.
Funding to Support the Next Growth Phase
The latest $25 million investment will support further development of the company’s cell portfolio and wider commercial availability. With its manufacturing infrastructure already established, bit.bio plans to translate increasing interest in human relevant research models into broader adoption across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
The company’s longer term ambition is to make precisely programmed human cells a widely accessible resource for biomedical research.
As AI changes the speed of drug discovery, the ability to test new ideas against consistent human biological models is becoming increasingly important. bit.bio is betting that scalable cell programming can help bridge the gap between computational discoveries and the development of medicines for patients.
