Skip to main content

Prellis Biologics

ApplicationBerkeley, United StatesFounded 2016· One of 381 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops holographic bioprinting technology for creating complex human tissues and lymph node models to enable rapid antibody discovery, reducing lead times from 9 months to 16 days.

CEO / Founder
Michael Nohaile
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$64.5M
Latest Round
Series C
Key Investors
Avidity Partners, Celesta Capital, Khosla Ventures, True Ventures, Indie Bio (SOSV)

Technology & Products

Key Products

Externalized Immune System (EXIS) platform; Lymph node organoids (LNOs)

Technological Advantage

CLAIMED: Proprietary laser-based holography enables large, complex tissue co-cultures. VERIFIED: Platform demonstrated discovery of 300 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 16 days, significantly faster than the 9-month industry standard.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces antibody discovery cost and time (9 months to 16 days) by utilizing an Externalized Immune System (EXIS) platform that mimics human immune responses without animal testing.

How They Differentiate

Differentiates through high-resolution (10-20 micron) holographic printing vs. traditional bioprinting, specifically optimized for immune system modeling and antibody discovery rather than structural tissue replacement.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries

Industry Verticals

Biotechnology; Pharmaceuticals

Competitors

Aspect Biosystems (microfluidic bioprinting for therapeutic tissues), Cellink (BICO) (light-based and extrusion bioprinting systems), Organovo (3D bioprinted human tissues for drug discovery and development).

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Antibody discovery time reduced from 9 months to 16 days; Generated 300 human antibodies binding SARS-CoV-2.

Major Milestones

Founded in October 2016; Generated 300 human antibodies for SARS-CoV-2; Raised $35M Series C funding; Appointed Mike Nohaile as CEO

Notable Customers

Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company

https://www.prellisbio.com

Why this company matters

Prellis Biologics occupies a distinct niche in bioprinting by focusing on immune system modeling rather than structural tissue replacement. Its Externalized Immune System (EXIS) platform combines holographic bioprinting with lymph node organoids to enable rapid antibody discovery without animal testing, addressing a critical bottleneck in pharmaceutical R&D.

The core technology is a proprietary two-photon holographic 3D printing process that achieves 10-20 micron resolution, enabling the creation of large, vascularized tissue co-cultures. This VPP-based bioprinting approach differs from extrusion or microfluidic methods by allowing high-resolution patterning of multiple cell types in a single construct, which is essential for replicating the complex architecture of lymph nodes.

Target customers are biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies seeking faster, more human-relevant antibody discovery. Prellis has validated its platform by generating 300 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 16 days and has established partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi for multi-target drug discovery and immune system research. The company has raised $64.5M in total funding, including a $35M Series C round led by Avidity Partners, Celesta Capital, Khosla Ventures, and True Ventures.

Prellis's strategic moat lies in its proprietary holographic bioprinting IP and validated EXIS platform, which directly competes with traditional animal-based antibody discovery and alternative bioprinting approaches from Aspect Biosystems, Cellink, and Organovo. The key open question is whether the platform can scale across multiple therapeutic areas beyond infectious disease and maintain reproducibility at commercial throughput levels.