Top 5 Synthetic Biology Public Companies (July 2025)

A Primer on Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is the method of redesigning organisms to give them new, useful properties. It is a step further than genome editing, which mostly consists of repairing or changing just one or two genes.

Synthetic biology involves adding very long sequences of genetic material or even creating entirely new genes from scratch. You can read more about this technology in this paper or watch this quick video.

Synthetic biology can even involve artificially generating an organism's entire genome, as has already been done with viruses, bacteria, and even the more complex yeast, starting from an artificial bacterium created by the J. Craig Venter Institute. The emerging field of creating fully new cell structures, for example, adding organelles or new DNA bases in its genetic code, will also be considered synthetic biology.

Because of its more ambitious methods, synthetic biology has the potential to solve problems that “simple” gene editing simply cannot. If you are interested in learning more about this field and keeping up with recent developments, the Synbiobeta news page on synthetic biology industry news is for you.

Top 5 Synthetic Biology Companies Selection

This top 5 has been created to highlight companies following the criteria below.

(This is not investment advice. Order is by valuation and might not reflect the relative quality of the companies.)

• Publicly traded.
• Actively, exclusively, or mostly in the field of synthetic biology, which excludes large companies active in the field but without a central focus on synthetic biology.
• Have a good track record of innovation in the field.
• Good track record of successful product development, either already commercialized/licensed or supported by reputable partners.
• Reasonable expectations are that it could commercialize a product from its current R&D efforts.

5. LanzaTech Global

While reducing carbon emissions through, for example, the use of solar energy can help, some emissions will occur anyway. So, managing to capture carbon emissions into useful products is also required. This is the goal of Lanza, which aims to do so with synthetic biology and using carbon from various sources, from industrial emissions to waste or directly from the atmosphere.

Source: Lanza

One important technology of Lanza is the production of carbon-neutral or carbon-capturing biofuels, especially ethanol, which can be used by airplanes, in vehicle fuels, or converted into plastics, polymers, and textiles. This now also includes ethylene, with the DoE's project SECURE, a $200M initiative in partnership with Technip for the production of 30,000 tons per year of ethylene from captured carbon.

Lanza is slowly turning into an incubator of synthetic biology and circular economy companies. In 2020, it launched LanzaJet for the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel. Microsoft invested in the company, which partnered with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and All Nippon Airways.

Soon, Lanza is planning to launch in the same way LanzaX, its synthetic biology segment. Ultimately, LanzaTech will own 50% of LanzaX, and the rest will be owned by Tharsis Capital and other investors.

Source: Lanza

LanzaX will focus on high-value compounds like fragrance and specialty chemicals, producing them with proprietary genetically modified microbes (C1 microbes), and using carbon-rich gas fermentation in bioreactors.

Source: Lanza

Lastly, Lanza is also exploring the synthetic production of protein for food production, with ethanol production having already created 25,000 tons of protein byproducts to date. A new process, using new microbes, has since been developed to focus on the production of protein. The pilot production was successful in 2023, and the path to commercial production should see the first mass production of 260 tons per year in 2026, and 30,000 tons per year in 2028.

Source: Lanza

Lanza is still looking to reach profitability, even if its revenues have been growing quickly. So investors will have to bet that scaling up of ethanol/ethylene production, commercial production of single-cell sourced protein, and the spinning off of LanzaX with an injection of new capital in this branch of the group will help improve the company's finances.

4. Codexis

The company focuses on a very specific class of proteins: enzymes. These proteins can “make happen” (catalyzed) chemical reactions that otherwise would not be possible or very slow.

The goal of Codexis is to replace chemical processes with enzyme-driven biochemical processes instead. It uses machine learning to create thousands of variants of enzymes to optimize their performance, which can be productivity, specificity, stability, or concentration in the host organism. It can then offer custom enzymes to industrial manufacturers.

One such application is life sciences production, especially genomics and DNA & RNA synthesis (mRNA, siRNA). RNA therapies are increasingly getting approved by the FDA (the 7th siRNA therapy approved in 2025), but their industrial-scale production to treat patients is expensive, polluting, and complex.

Codexis' ECO Synthesis platform could provide such production for 70% less capital expenditure, and 50% quicker.

Source: Codexis

Previously, Codexis also worked on developing gene editing therapies in partnership with Takeda, but these programs have now been sold in exchange for eventual future royalties to refocus on the RNA ECO Synthesis platform.

“With a broader shift in favor of enzymatic manufacturing solutions and recent initiatives to onshore manufacturing, the rollout of our ECO Synthesis technology is quite timely.

We showed how our technology can address some of the constraints associated with existing chemical synthesis methods, including intensive purification steps and lack of control over stereochemistry.”

Stephen Dilly, MBBS, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Codexis

3. Precigen

The company is active in human gene editing, developing modified cells to treat patients. For example, modified white cells to treat as quickly as possible tumors with UltraCAR-T cell therapy, which can be prepared in only 1 day instead of the usual 4 weeks for other types of CAR-T therapies (4 clinical trials, all in preclinical or phase 1 stage).

The other key technology platform is Adenoverse, able to deliver a much larger genetic payload than other viral vectors for gene therapy (12 kilobases versus 2-5 kilobases) and with much higher efficiency for repeat treatment.

This platform innovation is paying off, with therapeutic vaccines for human papillomavirus-related diseases being developed with it. One of them, for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP), is now being approved by the FDA and should see its first commercialization in the US in 2025.

Source: Precigen

This previously untreatable disease concerns up to 27,000 patients in the USA and 125,000+ globally.

Precigen is moving from an experimental, synthetic biology company producing highly modifying immune cells and viruses, to a biotech company with a proven and approved therapy able to generate significant cash flow.

The RRP treatment approval also validates the overall approach of the company, focusing on unique vectors and synthetic biology to fix medical cases normally unsolvable with conventional approaches.

2. Ginkgo Bioworks

The company is producing on-demand organisms for specific applications, including biomedical applications and industrial and material sciences programs.

It also has a large biosecurity segment, which was booming during the pandemic. In most cases, some form of directed evolution is used in the production and selection of Gingko's products, as well as advanced genetic engineering.

Ginkgo Bioworks has diversified its applications widely with many research programs and partnerships:

• Cannabinoids
• Programmable microbes for gut diseases
• Microplastics bioremediation
• Recycling waste and contaminants

It makes money by being first paid upfront for the development process and then through royalties on the finished product.

Gingko's partnerships are constantly expanding, with:

• A growing partnership with Novo Nordisk.
• A partnership with the Japanese trading company Sojitz Corporation.
• DARPA funding for novel proteins to control ice in extreme cold weather environments.
• A $490M deal with Merck to optimize biologics manufacturing.
• A $406M deal with Boehringer Ingelheim for undruggable targets.

Ginkgo Bioworks also partners with all the major agricultural corporations, most of which have some interests in biofuel production and microbiology.  A few of these include Bayer, Cargill, Syngenta, Corteva, ADM, Exacta, and more.

Source: Ginkgo Bioworks

Gingko's experience in custom designs of genetic sequences, organisms, and selection, as well as in biosecurity monitoring, makes it a key provider to every industry looking to leverage enzymes and antibodies for their specific application.

As a service provider, Gingko is well-positioned to capitalize on the growth of the industry as a whole.

Its business model is evolving, with several possible options for the future. One could be a switch to a more hardware-focused direction, something already initiated by the selling of automated labs to researchers, after having been mostly operating these facilities directly.

Another option could be for Ginkgo to start more contract manufacturing of bioproducts at scale. Its expertise in biosciences, lab hardware design, and optimization of production for giants like Merck gives it serious credentials to succeed in this path.

Lastly, it should also be noted that company assets, such as billions of dollars in automated wet labs, are severely discounted at their current market capitalization.

You can also read in more details about the company in the dedicated report: “Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA): Building Life On Demand“).

1. Twist Biosciences

The company specializes in DNA synthesis, leveraging miniaturization methods from the semiconductor industry to produce genetic sequences, saving time and money for researchers.

This miniaturization allows us to reduce the reaction volumes by a factor of 1,000,000 while increasing throughput by a factor of 1,000, enabling the synthesis of 9,600 genes on a single silicon chip at full scale.

This technology allows the company to produce extremely quick and cost-efficient genetic material, such as “read” (NGS – Next Generation Sequencing), “write” (production of DNA and RNA), and antibody discovery and production.

Source: Twist Biosciences

Twist developed a DNA-based data storage that could be used to safeguard data independent from electronic systems, with billions of terabytes of digital data stored in DNA molecules that can be stored with minimal energy and data losses. This idea is now being spun off into Atlas Data Storage, which just raised $155M in seed financing.

“The opportunity to create an entirely new storage medium does not arise often. At Atlas Data Storage, we are pioneering the use of DNA for high-capacity storage.

DNA enables highly scalable, ultra-dense, secure, permanent data storage, and the potential to reshape storage is tremendous. Atlas has the right team and technology to realize this promise.”

Varun Mehta, CEO of Atlas Data Storage.

The company is not yet profitable, but has seen its revenues grow quickly, from barely $11.5M in 2019 to $93B in 2025. As 75 – 80% of incremental revenue growth drops to the gross margin line, future growth should help the company become less dependent on raising capital.

Building a Synthetic Biology Portfolio

As previously mentioned, this is not investment advice. However, some extra information might help you incorporate synthetic biology into an investment portfolio.

First, each company in this sector is extremely innovative in a quickly changing field. This means you should be cautious about any future projections. What is now a promising field or technology might be obsolete just a few years later. It also means new, unforeseen opportunities can radically change the investment case for the better.

Anyway, this implies that investing in this sector will require close monitoring of scientific development, clinical trials (when relevant), and commercial trends. Overall, it is best to pick companies that strongly focus on just a few markets or master a unique technology in particular. In a field of extreme technical complexity, focus is key.

Conservative investors might want to focus more on “supplier ” companies like Twist Biosciences, which are more manufacturing type of companies than pure research and development. The relation with industrial clients is likely to be lasting and provide predictability to future cash flow. Solid, already present operating cash flow or a large cash cushion will help reduce risk as well.

Aggressive investors might be more interested in companies venturing into many different sectors, like Ginkgo Bioworks. Or developing drugs for orphan diseases like Codexis and Precigen. In this case, getting close to profitability or a large cash runway will be a source of safety. Close attention to catalysts like clinical studies or partnership and licensing contracts will be important to anticipate stock price fluctuations.

As usual in investing, diversification and careful risk management are essential to reduce the danger of losing capital. Investing after a slump in prices can also be a good way to avoid overpaying, provided that the price decline does not reflect a change in the company's fundamentals.