Moderna’s Co-Founder Links the US & UK Cambridges in Research Collaboration
Flagship Pioneering’s portfolio of 40+ biotech companies gains access to Cambridge, UK’s clinical trial support, biosamples, and data resources, bridging two global hubs for life sciences innovation.
Flagship Pioneering, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech incubator founded by Noubar Afeyan and best known for launching Moderna, has announced a collaboration with Cambridge University Health Partners (CUHP) and the Milner Therapeutics Institute (MTI). This partnership will give Flagship’s portfolio of over 40 companies access to Cambridge, UK's research capabilities, clinical trial support, data resources, and biosamples.
The collaboration builds on Flagship’s recent expansion into the UK. In late 2023, the company opened its London hub and launched Quotient Therapeutics, its first UK-based company. Quotient will be leveraging genome sequencing to uncover new therapeutic targets and has already partnered with Pfizer to explore treatments for cardiovascular and renal diseases.
The partnership with CUHP and MTI will also enable Flagship to collaborate with other UK institutions, including the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and University of Cambridge. Cambridge’s established clinical and academic infrastructure will provide Flagship’s companies with a foundation for advancing research, while scientists and students in Cambridge will also benefit from professional development initiatives, including Flagship's Fellowship program.
Flagship Pioneering focuses on originating and developing biotechnology and life sciences companies. It is not just an owner of companies but a builder and incubator of them. Flagship creates these companies from scratch through its internal R&D processes, aiming to address significant challenges in health and other areas.
Once a company is formed, Flagship provides funding, strategic guidance, and operational support to help it grow. As of 2024, it manages $14 billion in assets and has fostered over 100 scientific ventures since its founding in 2000. Essentially, it operates as a blend of an innovation lab, venture capital firm, and business incubator.
Recent highlights from its portfolio:
Generate Biomedicines: Generate Biomedicines recently announced a multi-target collaboration with Novartis worth over $1 billion. The partnership leverages Generate’s gen-AI platform to design novel protein therapeutics.
Focus: de novo protein binders and optimization of therapeutic profiles for challenging disease targets.Sana Biotechnology: In early 2025, Sana Biotechnology reported promising results from its first-in-human study of hypoimmune (HIP) technology for type 1 diabetes. The study demonstrated that HIP-engineered islet cells transplanted without immunosuppressive drugs could evade immune rejection, survive, and function effectively by producing insulin.
Valo Health: Valo Health expanded its collaboration with Novo Nordisk to include up to 20 drug programs targeting cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The deal includes $190M upfront, with a potential total value of $4.6 billion. Valo’s platform integrates real-world patient data, human tissue models, and AI.
Abiologics: Flagship’s newest venture with $50 million in initial funding, Abiologics, is pioneering a new class of biologics called Synteins, designed with generative AI and synthetic chemistry. Synteins incorporate novel building blocks such as D-amino acids to enhance stability, evade immune recognition, and improve tissue penetration. The company aims to develop a platform to address unmet needs in oncology and immunology via programmable, scalable biologics.
This is a pretty cool company formation model, I think Flagship is a category of its own in venture capital space