Top 10 Genomics Startups to Watch in 2026

LONDON, February 13, 2026 — The genomics sector is experiencing a period of unprecedented investment and technological convergence, with startups across gene therapy, spatial genomics, long-read sequencing, and AI-driven diagnostics attracting capital at rates not seen since the height of the mRNA vaccine boom. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global genomics market is projected to reach $99.26 billion by 2034, driven by plummeting sequencing costs, expanding clinical applications, and the integration of machine learning into variant interpretation pipelines.

This article profiles 10 genomics startups positioned at the frontier of the industry in 2026 — companies that have secured significant funding, demonstrated technical differentiation, and are actively reshaping how genomic data is generated, analysed, and applied in clinical and research settings. Our selections draw on verified funding announcements, published product milestones, and analyst coverage from the past 45 days. For additional context on the broader genomics landscape, see our genomics market statistics analysis.

Executive Summary

• Ten genomics startups are driving innovation across gene therapy, spatial biology, long-read sequencing, AI diagnostics, and synthetic biology in 2026.
• Combined funding across these companies exceeds $3.5 billion, reflecting sustained investor confidence in genomic technologies despite broader market corrections.
• The genomics market is forecast to reach $85.09 billion by 2030 according to MarketsandMarkets and $99.26 billion by 2034 per Fortune Business Insights.
• Key technology trends include whole-genome sequencing under $100, AI-powered variant classification, spatial transcriptomics at single-cell resolution, and CRISPR-based in vivo therapeutics.
• Regulatory milestones — including expanded FDA pathways for gene therapies and companion diagnostics — are accelerating commercialisation timelines for several companies on this list.

1. Trogenix — Gene Therapy for Aggressive Cancers

Trogenix, founded in 2024 and headquartered in Europe, has rapidly emerged as one of the most closely watched gene therapy startups in the genomics space. The company's proprietary "Trojan Horse" delivery platform is engineered to target aggressive solid tumours by packaging therapeutic payloads inside modified viral vectors that exploit tumour-specific surface markers. In October 2025, Trogenix closed an oversubscribed Series A round of €80 million, led by a consortium of European biotech investors. The funding is earmarked for Phase I/II clinical trials scheduled to begin in Q3 2026, focusing initially on pancreatic and triple-negative breast cancers — two of the most treatment-resistant malignancies. Trogenix's approach addresses a critical gap in gene therapy, where most approved treatments have been limited to haematological cancers and rare genetic disorders rather than solid tumours.

2. Daisy Genomics — Next-Generation DNA/RNA Sequencing

Daisy Genomics, founded in 2023 in North America, has developed a novel DNA and RNA sequencing platform designed to deliver clinical-grade accuracy at significantly lower per-sample costs than current market leaders. The company raised $2.5 million in seed funding in January 2025 and has since expanded its laboratory capacity to process over 10,000 samples per month. Daisy Genomics differentiates itself through a proprietary library preparation chemistry that reduces hands-on time by approximately 60% compared to standard workflows, a critical advantage for high-throughput clinical laboratories. The platform's dual DNA/RNA capability positions it for applications spanning oncology panels, pharmacogenomics, and infectious disease surveillance — markets collectively valued at over $12 billion by Grand View Research.

3. Ultima Genomics — Ultra-Low-Cost Whole-Genome Sequencing

Ultima Genomics, founded in 2016 and backed by over $600 million in total funding, has positioned itself as a direct challenger to Illumina's dominance in high-throughput sequencing. The company's UG 100 platform, launched in 2022, demonstrated the feasibility of whole-genome sequencing at approximately $100 per genome — a price point that fundamentally alters the economics of population-scale genomic studies. In 2025, Ultima expanded partnerships with multiple biobanks and national genomics programmes, and the company is expected to announce a next-generation instrument in 2026 that targets sub-$50 sequencing costs. This cost reduction trajectory has implications for the entire genomics value chain, from research cohort studies to routine clinical diagnostics, and aligns with projections from MarketsandMarkets that the sequencing segment will grow at a 17.2% CAGR through 2030.

4. 10x Genomics — Spatial Biology at Single-Cell Resolution

10x Genomics has evolved from a single-cell sequencing pioneer into a spatial biology powerhouse. The company's Visium and Xenium platforms enable researchers to map gene expression within intact tissue sections at single-cell resolution, a capability that is transforming oncology research, neuroscience, and developmental biology. In its Q4 2025 earnings, 10x reported accelerating adoption of Xenium across major cancer research centres globally. While 10x is more established than a typical startup, its aggressive pivot into spatial transcriptomics — a market projected to exceed $4 billion by 2028 — and its continued R&D investment make it a critical company to watch. As we noted in our December R&D analysis, 10x's cloud integrations are accelerating data accessibility for distributed research teams.

5. Elasmogen — Shark-Derived Antibody Therapeutics

Elasmogen, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of genomics and biologics. The company engineers therapeutic proteins derived from shark antibodies — known as VNARs (Variable New Antigen Receptors) — which are significantly smaller than conventional human antibodies and can access previously undruggable epitopes. Elasmogen's genomic screening platform identifies high-affinity VNAR candidates from synthetically diversified libraries, enabling rapid lead optimisation for targets in oncology and inflammatory disease. The company has secured partnerships with multiple pharmaceutical companies and raised £8 million in its latest funding round, with plans to advance its lead oncology candidate into IND-enabling studies by late 2026.

6. Tempus AI — AI-Powered Genomic Diagnostics

Tempus AI, valued at over $6 billion following its 2024 IPO, has built one of the largest clinically annotated genomic datasets in the world, spanning over 700,000 patient records linked to outcomes data. The company's platform uses machine learning to match patients to optimal therapies based on their molecular profiles, integrating whole-exome sequencing, RNA expression, and clinical variables. In 2025, Tempus expanded its partnerships with major health systems and pharmaceutical companies for real-world evidence generation. The company's algorithmic approach to therapy matching represents a convergence of genomics and artificial intelligence that is increasingly central to precision oncology workflows, as discussed in our AI in genomics trends analysis.

7. Oxford Nanopore Technologies — Real-Time Long-Read Sequencing

Oxford Nanopore Technologies, publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange, continues to push boundaries in long-read, real-time sequencing. The company's MinION and PromethION platforms enable direct sequencing of native DNA and RNA — including epigenetic modifications — without the amplification biases inherent in short-read technologies. In 2025, Oxford Nanopore reported a 29% year-over-year revenue increase and expanded its clinical collaborations, particularly in rapid infectious disease identification and structural variant detection in cancer. The company's portable sequencing devices have also found applications in field genomics, from environmental monitoring to agricultural pathogen surveillance. Oxford Nanopore's technology stack is increasingly viewed as complementary to short-read platforms, and the company's cloud-based analysis suite, EPI2ME, is lowering the bioinformatics barrier for clinical adoption.

8. Ginkgo Bioworks — Synthetic Biology and Cell Programming

Ginkgo Bioworks operates the world's largest platform for cell programming, applying genomic engineering to design custom organisms for applications spanning pharmaceuticals, agriculture, industrial chemicals, and biosecurity. The company's Foundry platform leverages automated high-throughput genomic assembly, screening, and optimisation to engineer cells at a scale and speed unmatched by traditional approaches. In 2025, Ginkgo deepened its partnership with Bayer for engineered crop microbes and expanded its biosecurity division, which provides pathogen genomic surveillance services to government agencies. As highlighted in our enterprise genomics coverage, Ginkgo's model of "biology as a service" represents a platform play with broad applicability across industries.

9. Recursion Pharmaceuticals — Genomics Meets Drug Discovery

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Salt Lake City, has built a drug discovery platform that integrates genomic perturbation data — including CRISPR knockouts and gene overexpression screens — with high-content cellular imaging at massive scale. The company's dataset, one of the largest proprietary biological datasets in existence, enables phenotypic drug discovery guided by genomic insights rather than traditional target-based approaches. In 2025, Recursion advanced multiple pipeline candidates into clinical trials and expanded its partnership with Roche and Genentech for neuroscience applications. The company's approach exemplifies the emerging model of genomics-informed, computationally driven drug discovery that is reshaping pharmaceutical R&D timelines and costs.

10. Twist Bioscience — Synthetic DNA and Genomic Tools

Twist Bioscience manufactures synthetic DNA and provides genomic tools used across research, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The company's silicon-based DNA synthesis platform produces high-fidelity synthetic genes, variant libraries, and targeted sequencing panels at industry-leading throughput. In its fiscal 2025 results, Twist reported revenues exceeding $300 million and expanding margins, driven by growing demand for next-generation sequencing panels, antibody discovery libraries, and data storage applications. Twist's synthetic biology products serve as foundational infrastructure for many of the other companies on this list — from enabling CRISPR guide RNA production to supplying custom gene fragments for cell engineering — making it a critical enabler across the genomics value chain.

Industry Outlook: 12-36 Months

The genomics startup landscape in 2026 is defined by the convergence of declining sequencing costs, maturing AI/ML analytics, expanding regulatory pathways, and growing clinical demand for molecularly guided therapies. Over the next 12 to 36 months, several trends are likely to accelerate. First, whole-genome sequencing costs approaching $50 will enable routine clinical deployment beyond oncology into cardiovascular risk assessment, pharmacogenomics, and newborn screening. Second, spatial genomics technologies from companies like 10x Genomics will move from research-only applications into clinical pathology workflows. Third, the integration of genomic data with electronic health records — a trend being driven by companies like Tempus — will create feedback loops that continuously improve therapeutic matching algorithms.

However, significant challenges remain. Data privacy frameworks for population-scale genomic databases are still evolving across jurisdictions. Reimbursement pathways for novel genomic tests remain inconsistent, particularly outside the United States. And the bioinformatics talent gap — the shortage of professionals who can interpret complex genomic data in clinical contexts — continues to constrain adoption. These projections carry inherent uncertainty and depend on regulatory developments, reimbursement policy changes, and the pace of technological maturation.

Top 10 Genomics Startups — Key Data at a Glance

Rank	Company	Headquarters	Focus Area	Notable Achievement
1	Trogenix	Europe	Gene Therapy	€80M Series A; Trojan Horse cancer platform
2	Daisy Genomics	North America	DNA/RNA Sequencing	60% faster library prep; dual DNA/RNA
3	Ultima Genomics	USA	Whole-Genome Sequencing	$100 genome; $600M+ total funding
4	10x Genomics	USA	Spatial Biology	Xenium single-cell spatial platform
5	Elasmogen	Scotland	Shark Antibody Therapeutics	VNAR platform; pharma partnerships
6	Tempus AI	USA	AI Genomic Diagnostics	700K+ patient records; $6B+ valuation
7	Oxford Nanopore	UK	Long-Read Sequencing	29% YoY revenue growth; portable sequencing
8	Ginkgo Bioworks	USA	Synthetic Biology	World's largest cell programming foundry
9	Recursion	USA	Genomics Drug Discovery	Roche partnership; CRISPR screening at scale
10	Twist Bioscience	USA	Synthetic DNA	$300M+ revenue; silicon DNA synthesis

Sources: Company reports, SEC filings, and analyst briefings, past 45 days

Genomics Market Statistics — 2024-2034 Forecasts

Metric	Year	Value	Source
Global Genomics Market Size	2030	$94.86 billion	Grand View Research
Global Genomics Market Size	2030	$85.09 billion	MarketsandMarkets
Global Genomics Market Size	2034	$99.26 billion	Fortune Business Insights
Sequencing Segment CAGR	2024-2030	17.2%	MarketsandMarkets
Spatial Genomics Market	2028	$4+ billion	Industry estimates

References

1. Fortune Business Insights — Genomics market size and forecast
2. MarketsandMarkets — Genomics market analysis
3. Grand View Research — Genomics industry overview
4. Trogenix — Gene therapy startup
5. Daisy Genomics — Sequencing platform
6. Ultima Genomics — Low-cost sequencing
7. 10x Genomics — Spatial biology
8. Elasmogen — Shark antibody therapeutics
9. Tempus AI — AI genomic diagnostics
10. Oxford Nanopore Technologies — Long-read sequencing
11. Ginkgo Bioworks — Synthetic biology
12. Recursion Pharmaceuticals — Genomics drug discovery
13. Twist Bioscience — Synthetic DNA
14. Illumina — Sequencing market leader
15. Roche — Pharmaceutical partnerships
16. Bayer — Agricultural genomics