A new wave of early-stage startups is shaping the future of biotechnology, and in 2025, they will continue to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
While many companies deserve your attention, I handpicked six standout startups making waves. These companies have lean teams of fewer than 50 employees and have already secured pre-seed or seed funding.
Let's look closer at the biotech startups that got their last investment a while back and today work in important areas such as reimagining disease prevention, ensuring food security, and fighting climate change.
1. Nucleus Genomics
Niche: Genetics, personalized medicine, health diagnostics
Year founded: 2021
Total funding: $17.5M
Last funding round: $14M Seed+ Round in July, 2022
Investors: 776 Fund, Founders Fund, Thiel Foundation, and others.
What's unique about Nucleaus Genomics?
At-home DNA testing kits are not news today – millions of people have already analyzed parts of their genetic code to track their ancestry.
Nucleus Genomics takes a step further and analyzes 100% of a person's genome, offering an easier way to identify possible health issues and optimize wellness. Their tests help to identify 800+ conditions and health issues – from cancers to mental health risks, from longevity to male-pattern baldness.
While the product does not replace medical advice and treatment, it could democratize access to faster diagnosis and avoid preventable disease by using data gathered from whole genome sequencing (WGS).
Nucleus Genomics initially raised $3.5M in 2021 and $14M in 2022. In 2024, the company launched its testing kit with a mobile app.
2. Infinimmune
Niche: Immunotherapy, antibody development, oncology
Year founded: 2022
Total funding: $12M
Last funding round: $12M Seed Round in December, 2022
Investors: Playground Global, Pear VC, Civilization Ventures, and others.
What's unique about Infinimmune?
Infinimmune is a pioneering technology that aims to unlock safer antibody drugs. It allows the company to potentially find new ways to treat autoimmune diseases or cancers.
Instead of harvesting antibodies from other sources and going through the humanization process, Infinimmune screens humans with exceptional immune responses using their Complete Human™ technology.
In 2022, the company raised $12M, and currently, its products are either in pre-clinical trials or in the discovery stage.
3. Robigo
Niche: Agricultural biotechnology, synthetic biology, crop protection
Year founded: 2021
Total funding: $11.2M
Last funding round: $10M Seed Round in February and May, 2023
Investors: Congruent Ventures, Good Growth Capital, First Star Ventures, and others.
What's unique about Robigo?
Robigo team is engineering a novel version of biopesticides that help to protect crops from diseases without negatively impacting the environment. The team uses microbes found naturally in soil to eliminate the need to use chemical pesticides but keep the crops productive, ensuring food security in the future.
Founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers, the company has secured $1.2M in pre-seed funding in 2021 and $10M in seed funding in 2023. In 2024, it was named Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum.
4. Synonym Biotechnologies
Niche: Biomanufacturing infrastructure, industrial biotechnology
Year founded: 2021
Total funding: $6.3M
Last funding round: $6.3M Pre-Seed Round in October 14, 2022
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Giant Ventures, Blue Horizon, and others.
What's unique about Synonym Biotechnologies?
Synonym Biotechnologies develops sustainable infrastructure solutions for other biomanufacturing companies. Their goal is to help streamline production processes, reduce costs, and accelerate the development of new biotech products.
In 2022, the company has raised $6.3M. Since then, it has worked with infrastructure investors and plans to open its first fermentation facility in partnership with food producer Primient in 2026.
5. Lithos Carbon
Niche: Climate technology, agricultural technology, environmental biotechnology
Year founded: 2022
Total funding: $6.29M
Last funding round: $6.29M Seed Round in October, 2022
Investors: Greylock Partners and Union Square Ventures
What's unique about Lithos Carbon?
Lithos Carbon is a climate technology company that helps to capture carbon from the atmosphere and naturally enriches farmlands.
The company helps farmers improve soil resilience to draughts and increase harvest by spreading crushed basalt, a volcanic rock, on agricultural fields. At the same time, basalt also helps capture atmospheric CO2 through enhanced rock weathering process.
The company received $6.2M in funding back in 2022, and right now is working with companies such as Stripe, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Shopify to help scale carbon removal.
6. Persist AI
Niche: Pharmaceuticals, drug development infrastructure, robotics
Year founded: 2022
Total funding: $4.5M
Last funding round: $4M Seed Round in August, 2024
Investors: 2048 Ventures, Innospark, and other investors.
What's unique about Persist AI?
Persist AI integrates AI and robotics to accelerate drug discovery and optimize therapeutic solutions. The company provides access to their labs that other companies can use for their biotech product development.
The company offers a lab, formulation development and other services that help pharmaceutical companies to develop new products quicker.
Persist AI has attracted $4.5M in funding and participated in startup accelerator Y Combinator. In 2024, the company partnered with pharma company Nivagen to develop long-acting injectables (LAI).
