iOrganBio, a company specializing in intelligent cell manufacturing, announced the appointment of Jessica Owens to its Board of Directors. Owens brings over 20 years of experience as a venture investor and serial founder, notably co-founding GRAIL, which raised over $1 billion and formed partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson. She also serves as co-founder and General Partner at Initiate Ventures.
The appointment comes as iOrganBio seeks to scale its CellForge platform, an AI-powered system for consistent and scalable production of human cells and organoids. The company's technology aims to improve predictability and scalability in cell manufacturing for research and therapeutic applications, including FDA-aligned New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). Owens' counsel is expected to be invaluable in expanding partnerships and advancing AI-driven cell manufacturing.
According to the announcement, iOrganBio's CellForge platform uses AI and automation to guide cell development, making real-time adjustments based on defined biological profiles. Central to this is the company's functional human CellAtlas, a comprehensive reference built from single-cell and multi-omics data that provides digital blueprints for each cell type. This closed-loop process aims to deliver accuracy, efficiency, and quality for disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and drug development.
Owens' background in scaling companies at the intersection of life sciences, health technology, and AI aligns with iOrganBio's strategic goals. Her experience includes building GRAIL, a company focused on early cancer detection, which successfully raised significant capital and secured major pharmaceutical partnerships. At Initiate Ventures, she focuses on investments in AI and life sciences.
iOrganBio is based at BioLabs in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The company's technology addresses a critical need in the biotech industry: the reliable production of human cells at scale, which is a bottleneck for many research and therapeutic applications. By integrating AI and automation, iOrganBio aims to apply engineering precision to biology, potentially accelerating the development of cell therapies and reducing reliance on animal testing through NAMs.
For more information, visit iOrgan.Bio.
