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Ginkgo Bioworks
Biological engineering product developer
- 1001+ employees
- B2B
- Deep Tech
- Biology
- Seaport District, Boston, MA
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Company mission
Ginkgo Bioworks' mission is to make biology easy to engineer.
28% employee growth in 12 months
Our take
Research into the programmable nature of biological cells presents massive opportunities for almost every industry, but the technology is hardly accessible. Bespoke programming of cells requires cutting-edge lab equipment and an in-depth understanding of microbiology, something that would not seem feasible to the average product designer.
Ginkgo Bioworks sells programmable cell development services to provide access to the technology to industries outside of medicine. Whilst the company has already worked on medical products such as vaccines for Moderna, it will research and design products based on programmed cells for any product that it believes holds value.
The startup’s approach to providing cell programming services outside of the medical sector is smart, as an increasingly high number of industries recognize the potential for bespoke cell-based materials. Ginkgo also provides an opportunity for innovation where it previously was not possible by taking the research and design into its own hands where companies would usually need to facilitate such services within their company.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Benefits
- Growth and development opportunities
- Commuter benefits
- Competitive 401K contribution
- Unlimited paid time off
- Comprehensive health and parental leave benefits
- Flexible work options
- State-of-the-art labs, work spaces, and conference rooms
Company values
- Fostering a diverse & inclusive environment - The Ginkgo platform has great potential to have an outsized impact on the world, and we need the people building the technology to be representative of the diverse people our technology will impact
- Promoting individual growth & career development - At Ginkgo, we strategically hire people with high ceilings. We believe you can grow as fast as the company grows. There are many ways team members learn and develop at Ginkgo, including through cross-functional team initiatives and by engaging with the suite of training sessions we offer
- Encouraging creativity & innovation - Biology is hard to engineer. Guided by the example of our founders, Ginkgo team members are encouraged to be lifelong learners, continuing to take risks and propose ambitious solutions to the world’s problems. What if we could grow everything?
- Celebrating passion & drive - We want to enable the world to build things with biology. We’re on a mission to create a platform for genetic engineering to be utilized by our customers
- Keeping Ginkgo weird - Biology is weird and whimsical, and we celebrate that. We encourage a company culture infused with the wonder that science inspires
- Caring how our platform is used - Our culture is built on care, transparency, diversity, and a deep, humble respect for biology. We care how our platform is used, strategically considering which programs we pursue and which we do not, and exploring the implications of biotechnologies through many forums
Funding (last 2 of 11 rounds)
May 2020
$70m
LATE VC
Sep 2019
$290m
SERIES E
Total funding: $792.5m
This company has top investors
Leadership
Reshma Shetty
(COO)Reshma studied for a PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT, having worked as a Research Assistant at Cambridge and Utah universities. They co-founded Ginkgo Bioworks in September 2008.
Barry Canton
(CTO)Barry studied at University College Dublin before taking a PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT. They co-founded Ginkgo Bioworks in 2008 on graduation, working there since.
Jason Kelly
(CEO)Previously founded OpenWetWare while a graduate student at MIT. At MIT they earned a PhD in Biological Engineering.