Manus and Inscripta merge to create a leader in industrial biomanufacturing

Boston and Pleasanton, United States, April 16, 2025 Manus, the proven bioalternatives scale-up platform, and Inscripta, a leading life science technology company helping to create the bioeconomy, today announced a strategic merger to establish a unique end-to-end platform for scalable development, biomanufacturing, and commercialization of bioalternative products.

By combining Inscripta’s advanced whole-genome engineering technologies with Manus’ proven cell factory engineering platform, biomanufacturing expertise, and commercialization capabilities, the merged company – Manus – is uniquely positioned to deliver commercial momentum and scaled profitability in next-generation industrial biotechnology.

“Industrial biotech is at a turning point and needs to demonstrate execution at scale,” says Ajikumar “Aji” Parayil, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Manus. “This merger brings together two cutting-edge technology and scale-up platforms and an unmatched commercial capability to meet the growing demand for bioalternatives. We are building a future where scalable, sustainable, and commercially viable bioalternatives become the solution.”

Complementary product portfolios

The combination aligns complementary product portfolios across food ingredients, beauty and wellness, and agricultural chemicals – while leveraging strong commercial traction, supported by established strategic partnerships such as Manus’ new alliance with Tate & Lyle.

Over 60 consumer products already feature the company’s ingredients – and a strong innovation pipeline of bioalternatives is set to accelerate that momentum. Integrating two best-in-class research and development platforms is expected to generate substantial synergies – reducing development cycle times, accelerating commercialization, and improving unit economics across key bioalternative product lines.

To support this effort, the company will leverage its large-scale domestic manufacturing foundation to expand production capacity while harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize processes, enhance efficiency, and accelerate the transition to bioalternatives.

“We are building an organization designed to scale and deliver real-world impact,” says John Stuelpnagel, chairman of the board. “With execution and profitability at its core, the company is
focused on rapidly commercializing its integrated pipeline of bioalternatives. I am confident the combined company – with its strong balance sheet and top-tier investors – will be well-positioned for the future.”

The merger has been approved by shareholders of both companies and is effective immediately. Independence Point Securities LLC acted as financial advisor to Manus. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to Manus, and Cooley LLP acted as legal counsel to Inscripta.

Fact box: Company leadership

• John Stuelpnagel, Inscripta’s current chairman, will serve as chairman of the board of the combined company. Aji Parayil, Founder and current Chief Executive Officer of Manus, will
  lead the merged company and also serve on the board. Sri Kosaraju, Inscripta’s current Chief Executive Officer, will also join the board.
• The board will also include Christine Santos, Chief Technology Officer at Manus; Roger Wyse of Spruce Capital Partners; and Jean Nehme, representing Manus’ existing majority shareholders.

Media Relations Contact

Frederik Bjoerndal
Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Marketing Communications

fbjoerndal@manusbio.com
Mobile +1 646 671 3897
43 Foundry Ave., Ste. 230
Waltham, MA 02453
United States

About Manus

Manus is the world’s leading bioalternatives scale-up platform. We work with companies across industries and value chains to accelerate the transition to bioalternatives – better performing and more sustainable versions of complex molecules traditionally sourced from plants, animals, or fossil fuels. Our platform is proven to work across scales, bridging the Valley of Death between lab and manufacturing more efficiently and more reliably to deliver the benefits of synthetic biology, today. Visit www.manusbio.com to learn more about how Manus is accelerating the transition to bioalternatives.

About Inscripta

Inscripta develops innovative, sustainable, and affordable biomanufacturing solutions for a variety of applications and industries, including agriculture, chemicals, animal and human health solutions, personal care, and pharmaceuticals. Inscripta uses GenoScaler, a proprietary next-generation microbial strain engineering platform based on over 200 patents and relying on ultra-
high-throughput CRISPR+ technologies, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to manufacture and supply ingredients at scale under rapid timelines.