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§ Private Profile · Emeryville, CA, USA
Zymergen is a technology company.
Zymergen has raised $874.1M across 6 funding rounds.
Key people at Zymergen.
Zymergen has raised $874.1M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Zymergen is a biotechnology company that applies advanced computational approaches to engineer and develop novel, bio-based products. The company leverages genomics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to design and manufacture materials and chemicals for a diverse range of industrial applications, moving beyond traditional chemical processes through synthetic biology.
Founded in 2013 by Jed Dean, Zach Serber, and Joshua Hoffman, the company emerged from the insight that biological systems could be reprogrammed with precision and scale using modern data science. The founders recognized the potential to unlock new material properties and manufacturing efficiencies by integrating high-throughput biology with computational design.
Zymergen provides bespoke bio-based solutions to customers across various industries, enabling the creation of products with superior performance or environmental profiles. The company's long-term vision centers on transforming manufacturing by making biology a predictable and scalable engineering tool, thereby creating a more sustainable and functional future through innovative materials.
Key people at Zymergen.
Zymergen has raised $874.1M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Zymergen's investors include Baron Capital Group, Perceptive Advisors, Deep Nishar, Matthew Ocko, DFJ, Goldman Sachs, Woojae William Hahn, Innovation Endeavors, Rohit Sharma, Two Sigma Ventures, Band of Angels, Felicis Ventures.
Zymergen has raised $874.1M across 6 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $300.0M Series D in September 2020.
Zymergen is a technology company specializing in biofacturing, a platform that engineers microbes using robotics, machine learning, and high-throughput automation to produce novel biomolecules for breakthrough materials and chemicals[1][2][3][4]. It builds products like films for electronics (e.g., rollable tablets), UV protection coatings, and ingredients for consumer care and agriculture, serving industries such as electronics, personal care, and agribusiness by solving the high cost and slow timelines of traditional chemistry—aiming to launch products in half the time and at 1/10th the cost[1][6]. The company targeted growth through both proprietary products and R&D services for clients, leveraging a $150 billion global fermentation market, with early funding exceeding $44 million and an eventual IPO[4][5][6].
Founded around 2013-2014 in the Bay Area, California, Zymergen emerged from the insight that biotech progress was bottlenecked by inefficient data and computation rather than scientific discovery[4][6]. CEO Josh Hoffman led the charge, assembling a team including automation engineer Will Serber, PhD, to pioneer custom software and robotics for DNA assembly and microbe manipulation at scale—moving beyond lab testing into manufacturing[3][4]. Early traction came via investments from firms like DCVC (seed to IPO), SoftBank Vision Fund, ICONIQ Capital, and Obvious Ventures, which backed its "Google of strain optimization" potential through Darwinian selection, machine learning, and automation; a pivotal 2015 $44 million round fueled robot acquisitions for mass-producing materials from microbes[4][5][6].
Zymergen rode the deep tech wave at the intersection of biotech, AI, and automation, accelerating the "next industrial revolution" by industrializing microbial engineering for sustainable materials amid rising demand for bio-based alternatives to petrochemicals[3][5]. Timing aligned with 2010s advances in machine learning and lab robotics, addressing trillion-dollar challenges in electronics, agriculture, and consumer goods while managing capitalism's environmental consequences through greener manufacturing[5]. It influenced the ecosystem by proving scalable "AI-native" biotech models, inspiring investors like DCVC and attracting talent to high-throughput "wet labs," though its path highlighted risks in capital-intensive fermentation markets[4][6].
Post-IPO challenges led to Ginkgo Bioworks acquiring Zymergen, potentially shedding non-core drug discovery to refocus on industrial biofacturing strengths[7]. Trends like AI-optimized synthetic biology and sustainable materials will shape its legacy under Ginkgo, amplifying platform scale for electronics and ag markets. Its influence may evolve from standalone innovator to integrated powerhouse, tying back to its core promise: harnessing microbes via tech to redefine manufacturing efficiency and sustainability[1][5][7].