At the turn of the century, Singapore set out to become a world-class biotech hub, introducing a government initiative that led to the construction of the Biopolis research and development center.
Twenty years on, Singapore’s biopharmaceutical exports and biotech-related companies have skyrocketed. The sector as a whole is set to grow by 8 percent on an annual basis.
But there’s just one thing holding the sector back — a talent shortage. To close the gap, building a talent pipeline through measures like scholarship, fellowship and on-the-job training programs as well as attracting generative companies and startups — like those listed below — has become a priority for the biotech hub-in-the-making.
Top Biotech Companies in Singapore
- Takeda
- Hummingbird Bioscience
- Albatroz Therapeutics
- Gero
- Allozymes
- KBP Biosciences
6 Top Biotech Companies in Singapore
Takeda has been around since 1781, working to build a global reputation as a global leader in innovating disease treatment and prevention. The pharmaceutical company’s expertise covers gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases, rare diseases like hemophilia and Hunter syndrome, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines for dengue, Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
Takeda Is Hiring | View Open Jobs
Hummingbird Bioscience is a clinical-stage biotech startup specializing in biotherapeutics that treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. Using insights from its in-house, AI-enabled Rational Antibody Discovery platform, the company’s research team can design tailor-made antibodies capable of inactivating cancer cells on site, inhibiting tumor growth and even preventing drug resistance. Hummingbird received $430 million in a licensing deal, granting Endeavor BioMedicines exclusive rights to its antibody-drug conjugate worldwide.
Hummingbird Bioscience is Hiring | View Open Jobs
Albatroz Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biotech startup developing therapeutic antibodies that prevent cancer growth and treat arthritis. Its novel method inhibits the proliferation of cancerous cells and their recurrence while minimizing toxicity. Founded in 2020, Albatroz Therapeutics secured $3 million in a seed round to support its research, and was named the winner of the first Amgen Golden Ticket in Singapore.
Albatroz Therapeutics is Hiring | View Open Jobs
Gero is a biotech company focused on curing chronic, age-related diseases via AI-driven drug discovery. Its large health models are generative<, predictive machine-learning systems that have been trained using massive amounts of real-world human health datasets, and, by cross-matching phenotypes, can decode the shared biology of diseases. In 2023, Gero raised $6 million, and partnered with Pfizer to research therapeutic targets for fibrotic diseases.
Gero is Hiring | View Open Jobs
Allozymes is a deep tech company using proprietary microfluidics technology to build the largest in-house database of enzymes. With 10 million enzyme variants analyzed per day, the company claims that its enzyme engineering platform can produce results that are 200 times more accurate at a tenfold faster pace than robotics methodologies. This high-throughput screening service, which is being developed by a 20-person team, would provide organic, custom-built catalysts to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food and beverage industries.
Allozymes is Hiring | View Open Jobs
KBP Biosciences is a biotech startup creating an integrated discovery and development platform that generates novel biotherapies for organ protection and anti-infection treatments. Operating from four international bases, the company’s research teams cross-match biomarkers in order to uncover underlying physiological and pathological processes that initiate disease, splitting the work across three focus areas — organ, anti-microbial and immunology research. Its flagship product, a drug that treats uncontrolled hypertension, sold for $1.3 billion.
