Twist Bioscience Corp (TWST)

History and Background

Twist Bioscience Corp. was founded in 2013 and went public in 2018. It specializes in manufacturing synthetic DNA using its silicon-based DNA writing platform. The company has evolved from solely providing synthetic DNA to expanding into areas like biopharma, genomics, and data storage.

Core Business Areas

• Synthetic Biology: Twist provides synthetic DNA, including genes, oligos, and variant libraries, used in various research and development applications.
• Genomics: Twist offers target enrichment and library preparation tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) applications.
• Biopharma: Twist Biopharma discovers and develops novel biologic drugs, primarily through its antibody discovery and optimization platform.
• Data Storage: Twist is developing DNA-based data storage solutions to address the growing demand for long-term digital archiving.

Leadership and Structure

Emily Leproust is the CEO and co-founder. The company has a board of directors overseeing strategic direction and operations, with a functional organizational structure encompassing R&D, manufacturing, commercial, and administrative departments.

Key Offerings

• Revenue: Revenue from synthetic genes forms a significant part of overall revenue. The exact value is reported within total revenue and is not broken down.
• Synthetic Genes: Synthetic genes are a core product, used in applications from enzyme engineering to metabolic pathway design. Competitors include GenScript, IDT (Integrated DNA Technologies), and Eurofins Genomics. No specific market share data is available for Twist's genes, but the synthetic biology market is fragmented.
• Oligo Pools: Oligo pools (collections of short DNA sequences) are used in applications like CRISPR guide RNA libraries and targeted sequencing. Competitors include Agilent and IDT. Oligo Pool market share is not available, but is also fragamented.
• Revenue: Revenue from Oligo Pools forms a significant part of overall revenue. The exact value is reported within total revenue and is not broken down.
• NGS Target Enrichment: Target enrichment kits allow researchers to focus sequencing efforts on specific regions of the genome. Competitors include Illumina, Agilent and Roche. Market share is not specifically known
• Revenue: Revenue from NGS Target Enrichment forms a significant part of overall revenue. The exact value is reported within total revenue and is not broken down.

Industry Overview

The industry includes synthetic biology, genomics, and biopharma. Synthetic biology is experiencing growth due to increased investment and applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and materials science. Genomics is being driven by decreasing sequencing costs and expanding applications in diagnostics and personalized medicine. The biopharma industry is seeing growth in new biological entities and drug discovery technologies.

Positioning

Twist Bioscience Corp. is positioned as a key provider of synthetic DNA and related products, and NGS solutions with a focus on high quality and scalability. Its competitive advantages include its silicon-based DNA writing platform, which enables high-throughput DNA synthesis, and its ability to serve diverse markets.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

The TAM for synthetic biology is estimated to be billions of dollars. Twist Bioscience Corp. is well-positioned to address a significant portion of this TAM, particularly in synthetic genes, NGS library prep, and biopharma antibody generation through their high-throughput DNA synthesis platform.

Key Competitors

• GHDX
• IDT (privately held)
• AGIL

Competitive Landscape

Twist Bioscience Corp. has a competitive advantage in high-throughput DNA synthesis, but faces competition from established players with greater resources. Their focus on synthetic biology, genomics, and biopharma positions them for continued growth.

Abveris

• Year: 2021
• Acquisition Price (USD millions): 190
• Strategic Rationale: Expanded antibody discovery capabilities and strengthened position in the biopharma market.

Historical Growth: Twist Bioscience Corp. has demonstrated substantial revenue growth over the past several years, driven by increasing adoption of synthetic DNA products and services.

Future Projections: Analysts project continued revenue growth for Twist Bioscience Corp., driven by expansion into new markets and applications.

Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include expansion of its biopharma division, partnerships to develop novel therapeutics, and continued innovation in its DNA writing platform.

Twist Bioscience demonstrates a unique position with its silicon-based DNA writing platform that has allowed it to enter synthetic biology, biopharma, and data storage markets. The company is experiencing consistent revenue growth, but also significant net losses. Despite competition, the company is strategically expanding its portfolio through acquisitions like Abveris. Twist's continuous R&D is critical for its ability to stay competitive.

Data Sources:

• Company Filings (SEC)
• Analyst Reports
• Industry Publications

Disclaimers:

The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Market data is subject to change. No guarantee is made to the accuracy of the estimates.