Sunflower Therapeutics
Sunflower Therapeutics is a women-owned and led biotechnology public benefit corporation founded in 2018, dedicated to democratizing access to protein manufacturing worldwide. The company develops next-generation, automated, and fully-integrated protein manufacturing solutions that simplify the process from discovery to full-scale biomanufacturing. Their mission is to make high-quality, cost-effective therapeutics, vaccines, and protein-based products accessible globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, by leveraging innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and intuitive equipment. Sunflower’s vision is to transform the global health landscape by enabling more medicines and protein products to reach patients and consumers everywhere. Their core technologies include efficient microbial hosts, data-driven process development, and modular manufacturing facilities, supporting agile, rapid, and cost-effective production cycles for a wide range of protein-based products.
Industries
Nr. of Employees
small (1-50)
Sunflower Therapeutics
Sunflower Therapeutics PBC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Patents
Products
Benchtop single‑use perfusion bioreactor system (sub‑liter)
Automated benchtop single‑use perfusion bioreactor for continuous microbial production using an in‑vessel cell retention device; integrates sensors and structured single‑use consumables, and includes process automation with cloud recipe management.
Scale‑up perfusion bioreactor system (15 L working volume)
Integrated continuous perfusion bioreactor designed for scale‑consistent transfer from benchtop processes to higher‑output operations; compact footprint with automation and matching consumables and controls to preserve process conditions across scales.
Bioprocess control and cloud recipe management platform
Software platform for automated process control, closed‑loop responses, real‑time monitoring and cloud‑based recipe creation and deployment for bioreactor operations.
Benchtop single‑use perfusion bioreactor system (sub‑liter)
Automated benchtop single‑use perfusion bioreactor for continuous microbial production using an in‑vessel cell retention device; integrates sensors and structured single‑use consumables, and includes process automation with cloud recipe management.
Scale‑up perfusion bioreactor system (15 L working volume)
Integrated continuous perfusion bioreactor designed for scale‑consistent transfer from benchtop processes to higher‑output operations; compact footprint with automation and matching consumables and controls to preserve process conditions across scales.
Bioprocess control and cloud recipe management platform
Software platform for automated process control, closed‑loop responses, real‑time monitoring and cloud‑based recipe creation and deployment for bioreactor operations.
Expertise Areas
- Perfusion and continuous microbial biomanufacturing
- Microbial strain and sequence engineering for manufacturability
- Bioprocess automation and cloud‑based process control
- Integrated upstream and downstream process development for continuous processes
Key Technologies
- Perfusion fermentation
- In‑vessel cell retention
- Single‑use bioreactor assemblies
- Process automation / control software
Key People
Founder, CEO & President
Founder
Founder, Chairman of the Board
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Director of R&D
Founder, CEO & President
Founder
Founder, Chairman of the Board
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Director of R&D
News & Updates
The Daisy Petal™ Perfusion Bioreactor System was recognized for its innovation, scalability, and accessibility in microbial protein production, winning the prestigious BioTech Breakthrough Award in 2024.
Received grants to optimize the Dahlia™ small-footprint protein manufacturing system and de-risk several protein candidates for cost-effective manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries.
Received funding to develop deployable, right-sized manufacturing systems for vaccine component production, including a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Awarded a $5.7 million extension of an existing contract with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense to develop a Biologics on Demand manufacturing prototype, increasing the total contract value to $10.5 million. This supports the development of modular, automated manufacturing systems for rapid, agile production of protein-based medical countermeasures.
Donated $25,000 of 2020 profits to four non-profit organizations supporting global health, vaccine distribution, and COVID-19 relief.
Interview with Kerry Love, co-founder and CEO, on how automation enhances protein manufacturing.
The Daisy Petal™ Perfusion Bioreactor System was recognized for its innovation, scalability, and accessibility in microbial protein production, winning the prestigious BioTech Breakthrough Award in 2024.
Received grants to optimize the Dahlia™ small-footprint protein manufacturing system and de-risk several protein candidates for cost-effective manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries.
Received funding to develop deployable, right-sized manufacturing systems for vaccine component production, including a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Awarded a $5.7 million extension of an existing contract with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense to develop a Biologics on Demand manufacturing prototype, increasing the total contract value to $10.5 million. This supports the development of modular, automated manufacturing systems for rapid, agile production of protein-based medical countermeasures.
Donated $25,000 of 2020 profits to four non-profit organizations supporting global health, vaccine distribution, and COVID-19 relief.
Interview with Kerry Love, co-founder and CEO, on how automation enhances protein manufacturing.