iOrganBio, an innovator in intelligent cell manufacturing that is redefining how human cells are engineered and reliably produced at scale for research and therapeutic applications, today announced the appointment of Jessica Owens to its Board of Directors. Owens is a seasoned venture investor and serial founder with extensive experience building and scaling companies at the intersection of life sciences, health technology and AI.
Owens brings over 20 years of company-building and investing experience, including co-founding GRAIL, which raised over $1 billion and formed partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson. She also serves as co-founder and General Partner at Initiate Ventures. According to the company, her counsel will be invaluable as iOrganBio scales its CellForge platform, expands partnerships, and advances AI-driven cell manufacturing to improve predictability and scalability from model development to cell therapies.
The appointment comes at a critical time for iOrganBio, which is transforming human cell production with CellForge, its AI-powered platform for consistent, scalable, and intelligent manufacturing of cells and organoids for in vitro modeling and cell therapies. By applying engineering precision to biology, CellForge uses AI and automation to guide cell development and make real-time adjustments aligned with defined biological profiles. At the core of the platform is iOrganBio’s functional human CellAtlas, a comprehensive reference built from single-cell and multi-omics data that provides the digital blueprints for each cell type.
This smart, closed-loop process delivers the accuracy, efficiency, and quality partners need to turn scientific ideas into breakthroughs, accelerating disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and drug development. The company is based at BioLabs in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information, visit iOrgan.Bio or follow on LinkedIn.
The implications of this appointment are significant for the biotech industry. As cell therapies and organoid-based research move toward FDA-aligned New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), the need for scalable, reproducible cell manufacturing becomes paramount. Owens' experience in building GRAIL, a cancer detection company that raised over $1 billion and forged partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, positions her to help iOrganBio navigate the complex landscape of commercializing AI-driven cell manufacturing. Her background in AI and life sciences investing also aligns with iOrganBio's mission to integrate artificial intelligence into biological production, which could reduce costs and improve consistency in developing cell therapies and disease models.
For the industry, this move signals growing confidence in AI-enabled cell manufacturing as a viable path to commercial-scale production. If iOrganBio succeeds, it could set new standards for how cells are engineered for therapeutic use, potentially accelerating the development of treatments for diseases ranging from cancer to degenerative conditions. For researchers and pharmaceutical companies, the availability of reliable, AI-guided cell production could reduce the time and cost associated with developing new drugs, while also improving the reproducibility of results. The appointment of a seasoned investor like Owens also suggests that iOrganBio is preparing for significant growth and potential future fundraising, which could further catalyze advancements in the field.
