About Saku Biosciences

Saku Biosciences is building tools to scale biomanufacturing. Our technology enables companies to rapidly develop high-performance cell lines that produce proteins, enzymes, and other biological products more efficiently.

The company is built around PicoShells, a particle technology that allows scientists to grow and screen millions of individual cells under conditions that closely mimic industrial fermentation. This approach makes it possible to identify the best-performing strains far faster than traditional methods.

By accelerating strain engineering and process development, Saku helps biotechnology companies reduce development timelines, lower manufacturing costs, and bring new products to market faster across industries including food, chemicals, and biopharma.

Team

John Alden

Founder

Problem statement

Biomanufacturing can transform industries from food and chemicals to pharmaceuticals, but getting products to market is slowed by the long timelines required to develop high-performing production strains. Cell line development often takes years of iterative engineering and testing, and many strains that perform well in early lab screening fail when scaled to industrial fermentation. This disconnect between laboratory development and real manufacturing conditions forces companies to repeat costly cycles, delaying commercialization and slowing innovation across the bioeconomy.

Traction information

1. Two separate $200k contracts with CyanoCapture to enhance GLP-1 and insulin production
2. $100k LOI with De Novo Foodlabs
3. $200k DOE-funded collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, and Advanced Biofuels Process Development Unit (ABPDU)

Milestones

January 2026

First whitepaper released

First technical de-risking demonstrating that our technology can enhance manufacturing output. We were able to enhance two separate species of yeast for fatty acid production, one species by 31% and another by 47%. Alternative approaches typically take 6+ months and $100,000 to achieve these results. Our approach took 2 months and $10,000.

September 2025

First signed $200k contract

Signed a $200,000 milestone-based contract with CyanoCapture to enhance insulin production

March 2025

$200k DOE-funded CRADA

We closed a $200,000 Cooperative Research Agreement and Development Agreement (CRADA) that involves Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LBNL), Sandia National Laboratories, and Advanced Biofuels and Process Development Unit (ABPDU). The goal was to enhance fermented fatty acid production as a replacement for palm oil.

Updates

Profile created.

Added 21 days ago

Funding

Currently raising capital

committed

$2,000,000

round goal

Total raised to date: $822,000