CryoLogyx
CryoLogyx is dedicated to advancing cryopreservation technology, with a focus on the essential needs of the drug discovery and cell therapy industries. Their flagship product, powered by the patented Cryoshield™ formulation, addresses the critical challenges that researchers face when freezing and thawing cells—processes that can severely impact cell viability and recovery.
Cryopreservation plays a vital role in cell biology, allowing researchers to store cells for long periods without losing their functionality. However, the freezing and thawing process is fraught with difficulties. Ice crystals can form within cells during freezing, leading to mechanical damage that compromises cell health. Upon thawing, these damaged cells often fail to recover fully, resulting in lower viability and diminished quality in cell cultures. Cryoshield™ is designed to tackle these issues head-on. It creates a protective environment during freezing, minimising ice crystal formation and other harmful effects, ensuring that cells survive the process with their functionality.
Beyond improving cell survival rates, Cryoshield™ also offers significant advantages in terms of workflow efficiency. Traditional cell culture techniques are labour-intensive, involving repetitive tasks like handling, counting, and maintaining cells, which can eat up valuable time. These tasks not only take researchers away from more critical aspects of their work but also introduce variability into experiments. By offering assay-ready cells that are easy to thaw and use immediately, CryoLogyx reduces the need for time-consuming culture maintenance, allowing researchers to dedicate more time to innovative research.
At CryoLogyx, our vision is to make assay-ready cells the default in cell biology. This shift has the potential to drastically change how research is conducted, cutting down the time needed to prepare and perform experiments by weeks or even months. This acceleration is particularly important in the context of drug development and cell therapy, where time is often of the essence.
The impact of our cryopreservation solutions goes beyond convenience. Consistency and reproducibility are fundamental in scientific research, and variability in cell preparation can lead to inconsistent results, delaying progress. By providing a reliable source of high-quality, cryopreserved cells, CryoLogyx ensures that researchers can achieve consistent results, knowing that their cells are preserved with the highest standards.
Moreover, the ease of use that comes with our products is a game-changer. Being able to quickly access viable, ready-to-use cells reduces the workload on lab staff, freeing up resources and making research processes more efficient. This is especially crucial in high-throughput environments like drug discovery, where the speed and reliability of cell-based assays can significantly influence the timeline for bringing new drugs to market.
In summary, CryoLogyx is on a mission to transform cell biology research by making high-quality cryopreserved cells the default choice. Our Cryoshield™ technology not only improves the viability and reliability of cryopreserved cells but also enhances the efficiency and reproducibility of research. Our goal is to equip researchers with the tools they need to accelerate scientific discovery and bring new drugs to patients faster.
2020
Start Date
University of Warwick, Conventry
Location
6
Employees
£680K
Grants
£856K
Equity
The Journey
CryoLogyx was founded in 2021 by Dr. Tom Congdon and Professor Matt Gibson driven by their groundbreaking research in cryopreservation. CryoLogyx specialises in developing and producing high-quality, cryopreservation solutions. The cryopreserved cells are designed to cater to the critical needs of the drug discovery and cell therapy industries, which is powered by the patented formulation – Cryoshield™. Freezing and thawing processes can be particularly stressful for cells, often resulting in reduced viability and recovery due to ice crystal formation and other factors. And the repetitive tasks of cell culture, including numerous counting and handling procedures, take significant time that researchers could otherwise dedicate to more critical aspects of their research. At CryoLogyx, we are building a future where assay-ready cells are the default option in cellbiology, and research outcomes are accelerated by weeks and months using products that enable experimental reproducibility and unparalleled ease of use.
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ICURe programme £37,228
Pre-seed fundraise from OTM and Angel Investors £150K
Innovate UK grant £275K
dsti Emerging Innovations £90K
dsti Rapid Impact £320K
OTM and Angel Investors £500K
What companies had to say about the Innovate UK ICURe programme?
"We started the ICURe programme at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic and the world began locking down, so I travelled the world via zoom calls in my flat. None the less we were able to talk to multiple experts in the field and speak to CTOs and CEOs across the biotech, medical and even senior VPs and managing directors in the construction sector. We were able to have over 100 insightful conversations and a recommendation to spin out from a panel of experts. This led us to forming CryoLogyx in March 2021 with a combination of grant and seed capital."
Dr Thomas Congdon
CEO, CryoLogyx Ltd
Future Goals
At CryoLogyx, our mission is to fundamentally change biotech research and development by making cell models more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly. By ensuring that any researcher, regardless of location, has access to high-quality, easy-to-use, and reproducible experiments, we aim to significantly speed up the drug discovery process, a critical component of biotech innovation. Our vision is to remove the traditional barriers of time, cost, and logistics that often hinder research progress, allowing scientists to focus on what matters most—developing new therapies.
The technology we developed is set to transform how cell models are used in research. Typically, preparing these models can take up to two weeks, involving complex, resource-intensive steps. Our approach simplifies this, offering a ready-to-use product that not only saves time but also improves the consistency and reliability of experimental outcomes. This is particularly valuable in toxicity testing, a crucial stage in drug development where precision and speed are essential. By streamlining these workflows, we enable faster and more accurate results, which helps to accelerate the entire drug development pipeline.
We’re also committed to sustainability. The traditional process of preparing cell models generates significant plastic waste due to the reliance on disposable labware and other consumables. Our technology reduces this waste, supporting more environmentally responsible research practices. In addition, by simplifying and automating key processes, we help lower the operational costs of running a laboratory, making advanced research more accessible to a wider range of institutions.
CryoLogyx is well-positioned for growth, supported by a strong leadership team with expertise in both biotechnology and strategic business development. Our strategic market focus ensures that we are meeting the needs of the global research community. With solid financial backing, we are dedicated to advancing cryopreservation technology, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of biological samples over extended periods and supporting long-term research projects worldwide.
In the future, we plan to develop a wide range of products aimed at removing every logistical, workflow, and technical barrier in the drug discovery process. Our goal is to equip researchers with the tools they need to bring new drugs to clinical trials more quickly and efficiently, ultimately contributing to the advancement of healthcare on a global scale.