Culture Biosciences
Remote bioprocessing services via bioreactor platform
Software Engineer Intern
On-site role in South San Francisco, CA; no relocation assistance.
About the job
- You are between your junior and senior years in a university or college or you are a masters student between years
- Understanding of computer science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming)
- Experience programming in Python or another major language
- Interest in software systems that integrate with hardware
- Problem-solving and debugging skills
- Ability to work in a small, collaborative team
- Design, develop, and execute automated end-to-end integration tests for Stratyx.
- Test backend APIs, published API endpoints, and frontend components.
- Write test scripts primarily in Python, with frontend tests using Cypress.
- Perform manual testing to validate complex system behaviors.
- Work with developers to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve issues.
- Gain exposure to cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and how software interacts with hardware systems.
- Add features to embedded systems with direct hardware control
- Develop drivers for 3rd party devices.
- Learn about fermentation, cell culture, and biotechnology.
- Exposure to automated testing frameworks (e.g., PyTest, Cypress) is a plus but not essential.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS) is helpful but not required.
- Interest in REST APIs, API testing and manual testing of HW/SW systems.
- Experience with Raspberry PI controlled devices.
- Experience with STM based designs.
- Note: Technical guidance will be provided, and a tech lead will offer support and supervision to help you succeed in this role.
About the company
Culture Biosciences provides a service-based platform for large-scale biomanufacturing. It designs, monitors, and analyzes high-throughput bioprocessing experiments for client projects using an integrated bioreactor system that can be operated remotely, enabling customers to run cells under controlled conditions at scale. The company’s product works by offering end-to-end bioprocess services: experiment design, real-time monitoring, data analysis, and technical transfer, all executed on Culture’s bioreactor platform. This combination differentiates Culture Biosciences from competitors by delivering scalable bioprocessing capabilities as a service with remote operation and a focus on scale-down-to-scale-up transfers, rather than selling equipment alone. The company’s goal is to help biotechnology clients efficiently explore and optimize manufacturing processes to enable faster, more predictable scale-up to commercial production.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$101.7M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2016
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 NIIMBL poster showed Nirrin PAT improving metabolite visibility on Stratyx.
- May 2026 white paper reported 43% titer improvement from closed-loop optimization.
- December 2025 Series C funded Stratyx 250 expansion and AI Console development.
What critics are saying
- Series C financing closed December 2025 without disclosed amount, limiting runway visibility.
- Culture's own site says Stratyx still supports only 250mL units, delaying larger-scale adoption.
- Headcount fell to 77 by March 2026, signaling operating pressure despite active hiring.
What makes Culture Biosciences unique
- Stratyx 250 pairs cloud-connected hardware with Console SaaS for remote bioprocess control.
- December 2025 Xcellbio partnership embeds Culture analytics inside AVATAR Foundry workflows.
- April 2026 board hire Mike Stapleton targets hardware commercialization and SaaS scaling.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 2%1 year growth
↑ 2%2 year growth
↑ 2%Poster presentation-niimbl national meeting 2026. At the recent NIMBL meeting, Culture Biosciences and Nirrin Technologies presented collaborative work demonstrating how in-situ process analytical technology (PAT) can provide deeper visibility into metabolite dynamics during fed-batch bioprocessing. The study evaluated an in-situ Near-Infrared (Near-IR) PAT probe integrated with the Stratyx(TM) 250 mL cloud-connected bioreactors to continuously monitor key process variables throughout a CHO fed-batch process using NISTCHO cells. By improving real-time insight into cell, metabolite, and product behavior, this approach has the potential to strengthen process understanding, enhance robustness, and support more effective process control in biotherapeutic manufacturing. Download the poster
Culture Biosciences announces strategic addition to its Board of Directors to accelerate hardware commercialization and SaaS growth. Industry veteran Mike Stapleton joins the Board as company enters its next phase of growth. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Culture Biosciences, a leader in cloud-connected bioprocess development technologies, today announced the appointment of Mike Stapleton to its Board of Directors. Stapleton brings deep experience in life science instruments, software commercialization, and biopharma, that closely aligns with Culture's strategic priorities as it scales its Stratyx hardware platform and Console SaaS offering. Stapleton joins the Board as part of a planned governance transition following the company's Series C financing in the fall, stepping into a role previously held by Independent Director, Beth Webb. Culture's co-founder Will Patrick, also steps down from the Board as part of this transition. Will's vision and leadership were foundational to building Culture Biosciences and the company is deeply grateful for his contributions since founding the company in 2016. Beth Webb completes a two-year Board term, and will transition to being a Strategic Advisor to the company. The company thanks her for her meaningful counsel during a pivotal period of growth. "This Board evolution positions Culture Biosciences with the precise expertise we need as we commercialize our hardware platform and rapidly scale our AI capabilities through our Console SaaS offering," said Chris Williams, CEO of Culture Biosciences. "Mike brings decades of experience taking life science instruments and software to market at global scale. We are fortunate to have him as a partner at this stage of our journey." Mike Stapleton is Chief Business Officer at QbDVision and a life sciences leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning software, instruments, consumables, services, and pharmaceuticals. Over his career, he has held senior executive roles at across life science technology companies, including VP and CIO of R&D IT at Merck, General Manager of Informatics at PerkinElmer, VP of Informatics at Life Technologies, EVP and COO at Accelrys, and Managing Director of Life Sciences at Accenture. Mike brings deep expertise in digital transformation, life science software commercialization, and building scalable platforms at the intersection of data and biology. "Culture Biosciences has built something genuinely differentiated - a tightly integrated hardware and software platform that addresses unmet needs in bioprocess development," said Mike Stapleton. "I'm excited to help the team capitalize on that foundation and bring these tools to a wider market." About Culture Biosciences: Culture is on a mission to revolutionize bioprocess development with a powerful combination of hardware and cloud-native software - that makes data accessible, contextualized, and actionable - unlocking the full potential of end-to-end bioprocessing capabilities.
Firm advises Culture Biosciences on Series C financing round. On December 16, 2025, Culture Biosciences, a leader in cloud-based biomanufacturing, announced the successful close of its Series C fundraising round led by existing investors including Northpond Ventures, Synthesis Capital, S32, and Cultivian Sandbox, reflecting strong conviction among current shareholders in Culture's trajectory and long-term strategy. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Culture on the transaction. The Series C financing will accelerate the commercial expansion of Culture's next-generation hardware product, the Stratyx 250, as well as fuel continued development of the company's AI-powered Console software ecosystem. The Stratyx 250 system is engineered to provide scalable, automated, and digitally connected bioprocess capacity designed for modern biologics, cell therapy, and advanced bioprocess development needs. In parallel, Culture will expand the AI-enabled capabilities of its Console software platform, including advanced data integration, predictive modeling, and automated analysis tools intended to streamline development cycles and enhance process decision-making for customers. The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Culture on the financing included Andrew Hoffman, Terence Desouza, Utsav Lall, Kate Kirkpatrick, Michael Murrietta, and Casey Hepburn. For more information, please see Culture's news release.
Culture Biosciences announces close of Series C round to accelerate commercial growth of Stratyx 250 and Console platform. New funding accelerates the expansion of the Stratyx(TM) platform, advancing automated, cloud-connected bioprocessing and AI-driven software capabilities SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - South San Francisco, CA - December 16, 2025 - Culture Biosciences ("Culture"), a leader in cloud-based biomanufacturing, today announced the successful close of its Series C fundraising round led by existing investors including Northpond Ventures, Synthesis Capital, S32, and Cultivian Sandbox, reflecting strong conviction among current shareholders in Culture's trajectory and long-term strategy. The Series C financing will accelerate the commercial expansion of Culture's next-generation hardware product, the Stratyx 250, as well as fuel continued development of the company's AI-powered Console software ecosystem. The Stratyx 250 system is engineered to provide scalable, automated, and digitally connected bioprocess capacity designed for modern biologics, cell therapy, and advanced bioprocess development needs. In parallel, Culture will expand the AI-enabled capabilities of its Console software platform, including advanced data integration, predictive modeling, and automated analysis tools intended to streamline development cycles and enhance process decision-making for customers. This follows Culture's previous announcements regarding collaborations with both Google Cloud and Cytiva's Scaler Tool. "This round reflects the confidence our existing investors have in Culture's technology and long-term roadmap," said Chris Williams, CEO of Culture Biosciences. "With the Stratyx 250 platform, we're delivering the next major leap in automated bioprocessing infrastructure. This new capital allows us to scale production, advance our Console software ecosystem, and continue helping customers bring therapies to market faster." "We believe Culture is setting a new standard for digitally integrated bioprocessing," said Andrew Lee, Managing Director at Northpond Ventures. "The Stratyx 250 system and Culture's expanding software capabilities represent transformative tools for the future of biomanufacturing and AI, and we are excited to continue supporting the team as they bring these capabilities to customers globally." "Biopharma and synthetic biology companies increasingly need infrastructure that can unify high-throughput experimentation with intelligent, data-driven process design," said Shivani Oberoi, Principal at Synthesis Capital. "Culture's core technology remains exceptionally well aligned with those needs, and we are pleased to continue backing the company as it scales and accelerates the next phase of its commercial expansion." About Culture Biosciences Culture is on a mission to revolutionize bioprocess development with a powerful combination of hardware and cloud-native software-that makes data accessible, contextualized, and actionable-unlocking the full potential of end-to-end bioprocessing capabilities. For Culture Biosciences
Culture Biosciences, a South San Francisco-based cloud biomanufacturing company, has closed its Series C funding round led by existing investors including Northpond Ventures, Synthesis Capital, S32 and Cultivian Sandbox. The funding amount was not disclosed. The capital will accelerate commercial expansion of Culture's Stratyx 250 system, an automated bioprocessing platform for biologics and cell therapy development, and advance its AI-powered Console software ecosystem. The software includes predictive modelling and automated analysis tools designed to streamline development cycles. Culture has previously announced collaborations with Google Cloud and Cytiva's Scaler Tool. The company develops cloud-based biomanufacturing infrastructure combining hardware and software to enhance bioprocess development and data integration for pharmaceutical and synthetic biology companies.