ioCells™ portfolio of human iPSC-derived products accelerate the global shift from animal testing to human-relevant research models
Platinum Green Impact Award and new lab efficiency protocols deliver measurable, year-on-year sustainability improvements
Male and female donor–derived cell lines and enhanced governance frameworks strengthen ethical and scientifically relevant research practices
CAMBRIDGE, England, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- bit.bio, the global leader in cell programming technology, today announces the publication of its 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report, reaffirming its commitment to measurable progress across ethics, sustainability, and operational impact.
The report provides evidence-based metrics aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting year-over-year improvements. It demonstrates how sustainability is integrated across all aspects of bit.bio's operations, from its scientific platform, laboratory operations and corporate governance, while reinforcing the company's commitment in transparency and accountability to customers, partners, investors and employees.
This report builds on bit.bio's inaugural 2024 Sustainability Report, which established bit.bio's baseline commitments across three primary SDGs, including Good Health & Well-Being (SDG 3), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), and Life on Land (SDG 15) alongside seven secondary SDGs guiding daily operations. The 2025 report demonstrates how those commitments have translated into measurable progress and operational change over the past year.
The report is published at a time when governments and regulators in the UK and US are taking concrete steps to reduce reliance on animal testing and accelerate the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). New UK policy commitments to phase out specific animal tests, together with the US Food and Drug Administration's roadmap to replace parts of preclinical safety testing with NAMs signal a global shift towards models based on human cells, advanced in vitro assays and in silico tools. bit.bio's ioCells portfolio of human iPSC-derived products and its focus on making these tools more affordable and accessible is directly aligned with this policy direction.
"I'm excited to share our latest Sustainability Report, which reflects the values that make bit.bio unique," said Przemek Obloj, CEO of bit.bio. "Sustainability and ethics are not separate initiatives for us, but are core to how we operate, innovate, and grow. As regulators move away from animal testing and towards more human-relevant methods, our mission is to make high-quality human cells accessible at scale, so that non-animal choices also become practical choices for researchers."
Key Highlights included in the 2025 Sustainability Report
- Enabling a global shift away from animal testing: bit.bio's ioCells have the potential to reduce reliance on animal testing in preclinical research. While not yet a replacement for large-scale animal studies, ioCells offer human-relevant alternatives at scale that can improve reproducibility and support evolving UK and FDA regulatory frameworks.
Over the past year, bit.bio has expanded the breadth of its ioCells offering and introduced pricing and access strategies designed to remove cost as a barrier to adoption of its cells. These initiatives are making it easier for pharma, biotech and CRO partners to integrate human iPSC-derived products into their discovery and safety workflows as NAMs become more widely accepted by regulators. - Gender equity in science: Biomedical research has historically relied on male-derived cell models, limiting the ability to interrogate sex-based differences in health and disease. bit.bio has expanded development of female donor-derived cell lines, with one now fully available and more in the pipeline. This effort not only strengthens scientific relevance but also represents a unique, measurable contribution to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), ensuring that human cell models better reflect the diversity of patients.
- Green Impact Award: bit.bio has been recognised with Platinum status in the Green Impact Awards for the second year in a row, following earlier Bronze and Gold levels. This independent accolade reflects continued improvements in sustainable laboratory practices and responsible consumption (SDG 12), demonstrating year-on-year progress and establishing bit.bio as a benchmark for operational sustainability in life sciences.
- Energy efficiency in the lab: Ultra-low freezers are among the most energy-intensive pieces of equipment in biomedical research. The typical ultra-low freezer temperature across the industry is -80 °C, yet there is limited evidence that this lower setting provides any additional benefit to sample integrity compared with -70 °C.
In 2025, bit.bio scientists began trialling a new freezer management protocol in which one freezer is maintained at -70 °C full-time. The intention is to transition additional freezers to this higher, less energy intensive temperature once full confirmation of sample integrity has been achieved. This employee-driven innovation is cutting electricity use and emissions significantly while preserving scientific integrity, and it showcases how small operational changes can deliver measurable sustainability gains. - Carbon footprint reporting: The 2025 report includes detailed metrics on electricity, gas, travel, and waste, presented in a way that is rigorous and transparent while protecting confidential business data (e.g., using percentage changes rather than absolute figures). By aligning progress with COP26 commitments and the UN Race to Zero campaign, bit.bio demonstrates evidence-based accountability that meets investor expectations, strengthens employee trust, and ensures credibility in a field where sustainability claims are under increasing scrutiny.
- Employee-driven improvements: bit.bio's sustainability focus has led directly to operational changes, such as revising lab glove procurement. An initial shift to reduce waste uncovered problems with usability and safe disposal. By listening to staff feedback, bit.bio adopted an alternative solution that improved both sustainability and day-to-day lab experience. This example highlights the importance of employee-led innovation, delivering not only reduced waste but also improved scientific practice, stronger workplace safety, and a deeper sense of employee ownership in the company's mission.
- Talent attraction and retention: bit.bio's commitment to ethics and sustainability is a decisive factor for employees choosing to join and stay with the company. New hires have cited the company's ethical framework and sustainability policies as reasons for selecting bit.bio over competing offers. By embedding ethical conduct, environmental responsibility, and a purpose-driven mission into daily operations, bit.bio not only strengthens its culture but also enhances its ability to attract world-class talent in a highly competitive sector.
"This report reflects bit.bio's commitment to shaping a future where science, ethics and sustainability advance together," said Prof. Marie Claire Cordonier Segger, Chair of the Ethics and Sustainability Board at bit.bio. "By reporting with clarity and setting high standards for the responsible use of human cells, we are building the foundations for long term impact in our industry."
About bit.bio
bit.bio, the global leader in deterministic cell programming, is creating functional, human-relevant cells and models at industrial scale to accelerate research, drug discovery and development, while facilitating the adoption of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). Product development is fueled by our AI-enabled discovery platform that identifies unique transcription factor combinations to program desired cell types, and our patented opti-ox™ technology that precisely converts induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into these cell types assuring unprecedented purity, consistency, and scalability. Our expanding ioCells portfolio comprises more than 50 products, including ioWild Type Cells, ioDisease Model Cells, ioCRISPR-Ready Cells, and ioTracker Cells.
Since spinning out from the University of Cambridge in 2016, we have raised over $200m from leading investors including Arch Venture, BlueYard Capital, Charles River Laboratories, Foresite Capital, M&G, Milky Way, National Resilience, and Tencent.
For more information, please visit: www.bit.bioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitbioltd/
Media Contact:
Amy Flores
Spark Public Relations
amy.flores@sparkpr.com
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