The collaboration will establish BioLabs’ first UK facilities at the Campus, based in Hinxton, South Cambridgeshire – which is already home to leading organisations Wellcome Sanger Institute and EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute, with the UK’s new Health Data Research Service arriving imminently.

Wellcome Genome Campus and BioLabs will create purpose-built incubator and accelerator facilities at The Sequence, the first new building being delivered as part of the Campus’ major expansion.

The new facilities will offer premium, flexible, fully equipped office and lab spaces, customised lab support, science and business events, educational programmes, operational expertise and through its 20+ locations, access to a global network of investors and industry partners.

BioLabs will open on the Campus in September this year, initially establishing a temporary facility ahead of the completion of The Sequence in Q4 2027. The permanent facilities in The Sequence will comprise approximately 21,000 sq ft of flexible lab, office and collaboration space on the lower ground floor of the building.

Officially unveiled today, The Sequence takes its name from the historic role the Wellcome Genome Campus played in the Human Genome Project – with one third of the human genome sequenced on site through the expertise of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

The new building will offer a total of 147,000 sq ft of exceptional lab-enabled workspace across three floors. It is the first new building to take shape as the Wellcome Genome Campus embarks on the first phase of its expansion.

The new workspace is designed to attract ambitious businesses, and innovators, to join a growing community of brilliant minds, with powerful proximity to data resources, concentrated expertise and world-class talent. The Campus offers extraordinary opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, translation and expansion.

The first phase of expansion will also see the arrival of 84 homes for Campus workers, a health and fitness club, new hospitality venues and a sustainable Energy Farm, with microgrids and an ambient loop network to supply resilient, low-carbon power, heating and cooling.

The wider expansion plans will see the Campus triple in size over the next decade, growing from 125 acres to 440 acres and delivering a fully integrated ecosystem of research, commercial activity and residential. Backed by Wellcome Trust, the expansion represents one of Europe’s most significant expansions of life sciences infrastructure and one of the most influential projects globally for omics, data and AI.

Robert Evans, Chief Executive of Wellcome Genome Campus, said:

“Wellcome Genome Campus is Europe’s largest and most concentrated hub of talent in genomics and computational biology, combining research with translation and commercial spinouts, conferencing and convening.

“Partnering with BioLabs to create new incubator and accelerator programmes will create a visible beacon for early-stage ventures at the intersection of omics, data and AI, a key frontier field expected to transform healthcare globally.

“This landmark partnership will strengthen our ecosystem and boost the pathway for spin-out and scale-up ventures to translate promising ideas into real-world impact. Our new facilities will provide exceptional spaces, facilities, support and access, to enable founders and entrepreneurs to grow quickly, while maximising capital efficiency.

“Announcing BioLabs as the first occupier of our new building, The Sequence, highlights the importance we place on empowering our Campus ecosystem, which offers the rare convergence of biology, data, infrastructure and AI at scale.”

Johannes Fruehauf, Founder and President of BioLabs, said:

“BioLabs has been seeking a strategic partner to establish our first UK location, and the Wellcome Genome Campus with its ambitious expansion plans was the obvious choice. The Campus’s commitment to scientific excellence, collaboration, and entrepreneurship aligns perfectly with our mission.

“Having launched BioLabs in the ‘other’ Cambridge – Cambridge, Massachusetts – we’re delighted to bring our model to Cambridge, UK, and become part of one of the world’s most dynamic life science communities. Together, we plan to create a place where exceptional science, ambitious founders, and breakthrough ideas can flourish, accelerating the next generation of biotech innovation.”