Forge Genetics

Forge Genetics is a fast-growing, private UK biotech that has commercialized a novel, non-CRISPR gene-editing platform called Forge Editing, specifically designed for recalcitrant microorganisms. Its core business model is providing 'strains as a service' to clients in industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, supplemented by licensing its proprietary technology. The company has demonstrated significant early traction, including a major licensing deal with AbbVie, a collaboration with Unilever, and recognition as one of the Sifted 100 fastest-growing startups in the UK and Ireland for 2026.

Forge Editing, a proprietary, non-CRISPR gene-editing platform that uses an RNA targeting region for high-precision knockouts and insertions in hard-to-engineer microbes like Clostridia and other anaerobes.

Forge competes with other synthetic biology CROs (e.g., Ginkgo Bioworks' associated services, smaller specialized labs) and gene-editing tool providers. Its key differentiation is the proven efficacy of its non-CRISPR Forge Editing platform in recalcitrant species where competitors' tools often fail, carving out a defensible niche.