Spinout company Concinnity Genetics is transforming the safety of gene therapies by designing novel control mechanisms using its cutting-edge AI platform and synthetic biology expertise.
Gene therapies have enormous potential to revolutionise healthcare by treating and even curing a variety of intractable diseases, but they need to be delivered precisely into the body to avoid side effects. University of Edinburgh spinout Concinnity Genetics has developed novel, RNA-based systems that enable the precise control of gene therapies even after dosing, conveying the ability to respond to and reduce their own side effects as well as improve the efficacy of these innovative treatments.
A strong foundation
Concinnity was co-founded by bioengineers CEO
Jessica Birt and CSO Dr Matthew Dale, both from the University of
Edinburgh’s renowned UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology at the
School of Biological Sciences. With expertise
in both synthetic biology and AI technology, the founders have
developed highly modular gene therapy control systems that are
compatible with a broad range of therapies and existing technologies,
and which offer unprecedented precision and reliability.
AI-powered gene control systems
Concinnity’s innovative AI platform enables the design, building and screening of large and complex libraries of RNA-based control systems, outperforming conventional methods in size, speed and efficacy. The company’s control systems enable the precise control of the therapy in response to a diverse range of inducers, and this approach is already enabling substantial improvements over previous best-in-class RNA-based control systems. This control can result in a diverse range of behaviours including responsiveness to clinically administered FDA-approved drugs, patient disease state or tissue localisation.
Sophisticated gene control systems have the potential to revolutionise advanced therapeutics and offer cures for patients with currently untreatable diseases. By enabling precise control mechanisms, Concinnity’s unique RNA-based systems will transform the safety of cell and gene therapies and allow more of these essential therapies to navigate clinical trials successfully.
Rapid technical, operational and commercial growth
Jessica Birt and Dr Matthew Dale have delivered exceptional execution since founding Concinnity Genetics, achieving rapid technical progress, organisational growth and commercial momentum. Their ability to translate a university-based concept into a fully operational biotechnology platform within months is a noteworthy achievement in the life sciences sector. They benefited from company formation support from Edinburgh Innovations, as well as investment from Old College Capital (OCC), the University’s in–house venture investment fund.
Following their £3m seed raise in December 2024, in a round led by Eos Advisory with participation from Scottish Enterprise, OCC and Maven Capital Partners, the founders established Concinnity’s first laboratory in Glasgow in January 2025. Within six months, they had fully transferred and operationalised the high-throughput screening system previously used at the University of Edinburgh. They implemented robust standard operating procedures, validated reproducibility across multiple operators and increased screening throughput threefold. Data generated in Concinnity’s facility achieved high quality across libraries of tens of thousands of sequence variants, demonstrating successful platform transfer and strong data integrity.
Commercial execution has been equally strong. Ms Birt and Dr Dale have engaged with roughly 40 gene and cell therapy developers internationally, with a particularly strong footprint in the United States. Although formal partnerships are planned following release of upcoming data packages, several companies have already defined concrete feasibility study routes and data requirements, indicating a clear pathway to validation.
Scotland: a hub for next-generation gene therapy innovation
The company’s growth contributes directly to Scotland’s life sciences sector. Concinnity has created skilled jobs in synthetic biology and data science and has established a technically advanced discovery capability within the country. By attracting senior industry talent and building a globally relevant platform in Glasgow, the founders are strengthening Scotland’s reputation as a hub for next-generation gene therapy innovation.
