CPI Enterprises and EverQuest Capital Partners have co-invested alongside Parkwalk Advisors and EMV Capital in a £1.6 million funding round for Cambridge-based biotechnology company Qkine, underscoring their shared commitment to backing high-potential UK life sciences businesses developing innovative technologies with global commercial impact.
The additional investment builds on CPI Enterprises' initial backing of Qkine in 2022 and will support the company's continued growth as it expands production of high-purity, animal-origin-free growth factors, cytokines and complex proteins that are helping improve the reproducibility, scalability and performance of stem cell research and advanced cell therapies.
The global stem cell sector is growing rapidly, driven by increasing investment in regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapies, and advanced disease research. However, researchers continue to face significant challenges, including inconsistent cell culture performance, batch-to-batch variability, and the need for animal-origin-free materials to support the transition to clinical manufacturing.
Qkine addresses these challenges through proprietary recombinant protein production and advanced protein engineering, producing highly consistent growth factors and cytokines that enable researchers and manufacturers to achieve more reliable and reproducible results. The company now offers a portfolio of more than 100 products supporting applications across stem cell research, organoids, cell therapy, cultivated meat and organ-on-chip technologies.
This follow-on investment reflects the significant progress Qkine has made since CPI Enterprises first invested and will support the company's next phase of growth. The funding will strengthen Qkine's executive leadership team, expand its presence in the US market, accelerate research and development, scale GMP and cell therapy-grade manufacturing capabilities, and enhance its digital platforms. Together, these investments will broaden the company's global reach, accelerate innovation and position Qkine to meet growing demand from both research and therapeutic cell manufacturing markets.
Hannah Wade, Managing Director of Investments at CPI, said:
"We're delighted to continue supporting Qkine as part of this latest investment round alongside EverQuest Capital Partners, Parkwalk Advisors and EMV Capital. Since our initial investment, the team has continued to demonstrate strong commercial momentum while addressing critical challenges for the rapidly growing cell therapy and regenerative medicine sectors. This follow-on investment reflects our confidence in both the management team and the significant market opportunity ahead as demand for high-quality, reproducible cell culture reagents continues to grow.”
Rob Scoffin, CEO of Qkine, said:
"The investment round is a strong endorsement of the progress we've made and our vision for the future. As demand continues to grow for reproducible, animal-origin-free reagents that support next-generation cell therapies and stem cell research, this capital will help us accelerate our growth, expand our product portfolio and better serve our customers who are developing the medicines of tomorrow."
Since its launch, Qkine has established itself as a trusted supplier of premium research reagents, manufacturing all of its proteins in Cambridge, UK, with a strong focus on consistency, quality and reproducibility. Its products are used by customers across academia, biotechnology and pharma, as well as by developers working in emerging fields such as advanced in vitro models, cultivated meat and other cellular agriculture products.
The investment forms part of CPI Enterprises' strategy to identify and support innovative high-growth-potential UK businesses tackling significant industrial and healthcare challenges through breakthrough science and technology. By combining investment with access to CPI's technical expertise, facilities and commercialization support, CPI Enterprises helps companies accelerate growth, attract further investment and bring transformational technologies to market.
About Qkine
Qkine manufactures high-purity, animal origin-free growth factors, cytokines, and other complex bioactive proteins for life science applications, including stem cell and organoid culture. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Qkine addresses fundamental biological, quality, and scale-up challenges by integrating proprietary recombinant protein production processes with protein engineering approaches, delivering more reliable tools for research and bio-manufacturing. Actively supporting and innovating in emerging fields such as 3D stem cell models, organoids, cellular agriculture, cell therapy, regenerative medicine and organ-on-a-chip, Qkine aims to accelerate the impact of these technologies on human health and wellbeing.
Please visit qkine.com, email [email protected] or follow us on LinkedIn.