Twist Bioscience

To improve health and sustainability by being the leading company writing the future with DNA.

Twist Bioscience SWOT Analysis

Updated: October 6, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

How to Use This Analysis

This analysis for Twist Bioscience was created using Alignment.io™ methodology - a proven strategic planning system trusted in over 75,000 strategic planning projects. We've designed it as a helpful companion for your team's strategic process, leveraging leading AI models to analyze publicly available data.

While this represents what AI sees from public data, you know your company's true reality. That's why we recommend using Alignment.io and The System of Alignment™ to conduct your strategic planning—using these AI-generated insights as inspiration and reference points to blend with your team's invaluable knowledge.

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The Twist Bioscience SWOT analysis reveals a company at a critical inflection point. Its core strength lies in a revolutionary DNA synthesis platform that has secured a diverse customer base and fueled impressive biopharma growth. However, this potential is constrained by significant operational weaknesses, namely persistent unprofitability and execution risks tied to scaling its new facility. The primary opportunity is to leverage its platform to dominate the high-value biopharma discovery market. This path is threatened by intense competition, potential technological disruption from enzymatic synthesis, and macroeconomic headwinds. The strategic imperative is clear: achieve profitable scale through operational excellence in its new factory, while simultaneously cementing its leadership in the lucrative biopharma space to fund future innovation and secure long-term market dominance.

Integrated DNA Technologies (Danaher) GenScript Azenta Codex DNA Evonetix

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To improve health and sustainability by being the leading company writing the future with DNA.

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Strengths

PLATFORM: Proprietary silicon-based tech enables massive parallel DNA.
GROWTH: Biopharma revenue grew 53% YoY, showing strong market traction.
CUSTOMERS: Diversified base of >3,500 customers, reducing single risk.
PORTFOLIO: Broad offering from genes to NGS to antibody discovery.
SCALE: New Wilsonville facility poised to significantly increase capacity.

Weaknesses

PROFITABILITY: Persistent net losses (-$205M TTM) drive high cash burn.
EXECUTION: Delays and cost overruns in scaling Wilsonville operations.
MARGINS: Gross margins (~35-40%) lag behind mature life science tools.
DEPENDENCE: Heavily reliant on Ginkgo Bioworks for a share of revenue.
COMPLEXITY: Managing multiple distinct business lines stretches focus.

Opportunities

BIOPHARMA: $1.2T biologics market offers huge upside for antibody discovery.
DATA-STORAGE: DNA data storage market projected to grow exponentially.
DIAGNOSTICS: Expanding NGS portfolio to capture liquid biopsy market.
APAC: Untapped growth potential in Asia-Pacific synbio/pharma markets.
AI-PARTNERSHIPS: Partner with AI drug discovery firms to be the DNA engine.

Threats

COMPETITION: Intense pricing pressure from GenScript and IDT (Danaher).
TECHNOLOGY: Enzymatic DNA synthesis could disrupt silicon-based methods.
MACRO: Reduced biotech funding and cautious R&D spending affect demand.
REGULATION: Increased scrutiny on DNA synthesis providers (bio-security).
IP: Constant threat of intellectual property disputes from competitors.

Key Priorities

PROFITABILITY: Drive path to profitability by scaling Wilsonville ops.
BIOPHARMA: Double down on Biopharma Solutions to capture high-value market.
INNOVATION: Neutralize tech threats by investing in next-gen synthesis R&D.
EFFICIENCY: Streamline operations to improve gross margins across portfolio.

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Twist Bioscience OKR

Updated: October 6, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

This Twist Bioscience OKR plan is a masterclass in strategic focus. It directly translates the SWOT's existential priorities into clear, ambitious objectives. 'SCALE TO PROFIT' tackles the profitability weakness head-on, while 'WIN BIOPHARMA' decisively targets the largest value-capture opportunity. The plan wisely balances immediate execution with long-term defense through 'LEAD THE FUTURE', addressing technological threats. Finally, 'OPTIMIZE THE CORE' ensures the foundational business is not neglected. The Key Results are specific, outcome-driven, and smartly integrate AI initiatives to create leverage. This is not just a plan; it's a clear roadmap for transitioning from a cash-burning innovator to a profitable, market-defining leader in synthetic biology.

Integrated DNA Technologies (Danaher) GenScript Azenta Codex DNA Evonetix

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To improve health and sustainability by being the leading company writing the future with DNA.

SCALE TO PROFIT

Achieve operational excellence and profitable growth.

WILSONVILLE: Achieve 75% of target production capacity at the Wilsonville facility to drive down COGS.
MARGINS: Increase consolidated gross margin by 500 basis points through process optimization and scale.
CASH-BURN: Reduce quarterly non-GAAP operating cash burn by 20% through disciplined spending and efficiency.
AUTOMATION: Implement AI-driven predictive maintenance on key synthesis lines, reducing downtime by 30%.

WIN BIOPHARMA

Become the undisputed leader in antibody discovery.

PIPELINE: Double the number of active antibody discovery programs with top 20 pharma partners this year.
REVENUE: Increase Biopharma Solutions revenue contribution to 35% of total company revenue.
AI-PLATFORM: Launch a generative AI antibody design module, securing 5 pilot programs with key partners.
CONVERSION: Improve lead-to-clinical candidate conversion rate by 25% via enhanced screening library.

LEAD THE FUTURE

Pioneer the next generation of DNA technology.

R&D: Demonstrate a new enzymatic synthesis method that outperforms current platform on a key metric.
DATA-STORAGE: Secure a multi-year, $10M+ contract for a DNA data storage archival pilot project.
IP: File 20 new patents related to generative AI for protein design and next-generation synthesis.
TALENT: Hire a world-renowned AI leader to build and lead a new centralized AI research division.

OPTIMIZE THE CORE

Maximize efficiency of our core Synbio & NGS businesses.

TAT: Reduce average order turnaround time for complex genes by 20% through workflow enhancements.
ECOMMERCE: Redesign customer portal to increase average order value by 15% via up-sell/cross-sell.
SUPPLY-CHAIN: Reduce key raw material costs by 10% through strategic sourcing and volume purchasing.
PRODUCT-AI: Launch an AI-powered 'manufacturability score' for customers, reducing order errors by 50%.

METRICS

Gross Margin Percentage: Target >45%
Biopharma Solutions Revenue: Target >$100M
Net Cash Burn: Target <$30M per quarter

VALUES

Grit to Succeed
Customer Centrality
Make it Happen
Be Bold, Be Humble

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Twist Bioscience Retrospective

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Integrated DNA Technologies (Danaher) GenScript Azenta Codex DNA Evonetix

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To improve health and sustainability by being the leading company writing the future with DNA.

Toggle Theme

What Went Well

BIOPHARMA: Revenue from Biopharma Solutions segment grew over 50% YoY.
DEMAND: Core synbio product demand remains robust despite macro environment.
NGS: Strong quarter for NGS tools, particularly with large customers.
WILSONVILLE: Began shipping products from the new Oregon facility.
CASH: Ended the quarter with a solid cash position of over $300M.

Not So Well

GUIDANCE: Revenue guidance for the upcoming quarter was below expectations.
MARGINS: Gross margin percentage slightly declined due to ramp-up costs.
OPEX: Operating expenses remain high, delaying path to profitability.
RAMP-UP: Wilsonville factory ramp-up is slower and more costly than planned.
CHINA: Revenue in China was soft, reflecting geopolitical and economic factors.

Learnings

SCALE: Scaling a complex biological manufacturing process is incredibly hard.
MACRO: Biotech funding environment directly impacts customer order patterns.
BIOPHARMA: High-value services are key to improving overall margin profile.
EFFICIENCY: Must focus relentlessly on cost per unit to achieve profitability.
DIVERSIFICATION: Geographic and product diversification helps mitigate risks.

Action Items

COSTS: Implement rigorous cost control measures across all departments.
WILSONVILLE: Create a dedicated team to accelerate the Wilsonville ramp-up.
BIOPHARMA: Increase sales and marketing focus on high-margin Biopharma.
PRICING: Review pricing strategy for NGS and synbio to optimize margins.
FORECASTING: Improve demand forecasting to better align with macro trends.

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Organization	SWOT Analysis	OKR Plan	Top 6	Retrospective

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Twist Bioscience Market

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Founded: 2013
Market Share: Leading share in synthetic gene market; growing in NGS/Biopharma.
Customer Base: Biopharma, industrial chemical, academic, and agricultural companies.
Category:
Synthetic Biology
SIC Code: 2836
NAICS Code: 325414 Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing
Location: South San Francisco, California
Zip Code: 94080 San Francisco Bay Area, California
Congressional District: CA-15 REDWOOD CITY
Employees: 1200

Competitors

Integrated DNA Technologies (Danaher) Request Analysis

GenScript Request Analysis

Azenta View Analysis

Codex DNA Request Analysis

Evonetix Request Analysis

Products & Services

No products or services data available

Distribution Channels

Twist Bioscience Business Model Analysis

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Problem

DNA synthesis is a bottleneck for R&D.
Access to custom DNA is slow and expensive.
Drug discovery is inefficient and costly.

Solution

High-throughput silicon DNA synthesis platform
E-commerce portal for custom DNA ordering
End-to-end antibody discovery service

Key Metrics

Revenue Growth Rate
Gross Margin %
Customer Acquisition & Retention
Cash Burn Rate

Unique

Massively parallel synthesis on silicon chip
Unmatched scale, quality, and price point
Integrated data-driven discovery platform

Advantage

Proprietary semiconductor manufacturing tech
Massive economies of scale
Growing biological data moat

Channels

Direct enterprise sales force
Online e-commerce platform
Distributors in select regions

Customer Segments

Large biopharmaceutical companies
Academic and government research labs
Industrial chemical and ag-tech firms

Costs

R&D for platform improvement
Manufacturing (reagents, labor, facilities)
Sales, General & Administrative (SG&A)

Twist Bioscience Product Market Fit Analysis

Updated: October 6, 2025

Twist Bioscience accelerates innovation for health and sustainability. By writing DNA on a silicon chip, it provides scientists with unprecedented scale and quality, enabling them to develop new drugs, create sustainable materials, and even store digital data in DNA. This platform transforms R&D from a slow, expensive process into a rapid, scalable engine for discovery.

ACCELERATION: Radically shorten R&D cycles.

SCALE: Enable experiments previously impossible.

QUALITY: Provide reliable DNA for critical apps.

Before State

Slow, expensive, low-throughput DNA synthesis
Limited access to custom genetic material
Fragmented tools for discovery pipelines

After State

Fast, affordable, high-quality synthetic DNA
Democratized access to genetic engineering
Integrated platforms for accelerated research

Negative Impacts

Stifled R&D innovation and long timelines
High cost of experimentation limits discovery
Inability to test hypotheses at massive scale

Positive Outcomes

Accelerated drug discovery and development
Creation of sustainable bio-based products
Breakthroughs in diagnostics and data storage

Key Metrics

Customer Retention Rates

Estimated >90% for key accounts

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Not publicly disclosed; likely positive

User Growth Rate

~10-15% annual growth in customer count

Customer Feedback/Reviews

Limited public reviews, enterprise focus

Repeat Purchase Rates

High, core to the business model

Requirements

A scalable DNA synthesis manufacturing platform
Robust e-commerce and project management tools
Expertise in molecular and computational biology

Why Twist Bioscience

Pioneering silicon-based DNA synthesis method
Building the 'Factory of the Future' for scale
Vertically integrating into biopharma services

Twist Bioscience Competitive Advantage

Proprietary platform offers unmatched scale
Cost advantage per base pair synthesized
End-to-end solutions from code to antibody

Proof Points

Over 3,500 customers served in FY2023
Multiple partnerships with top-tier biopharma
Selected by Microsoft for DNA data storage R&D

Twist Bioscience Market Positioning

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Strategic pillars derived from our vision-focused SWOT analysis

SCALE

Achieve profitable scale via the Factory of the Future.

BIOPHARMA

Dominate antibody discovery and optimization market.

DATA

Pioneer DNA as a long-term, high-density data storage.

PLATFORM

Expand synbio product offerings on our core platform.

What You Do

Manufactures high-quality synthetic DNA on a proprietary silicon platform.

Target Market

Scientists in biopharma, academia, and industrial biotech.

Differentiation

Massively parallel synthesis on silicon
High throughput and quality at scale
Integrated solutions from genes to antibodies

Revenue Streams

Synbio Product Sales (Genes, Oligos)
NGS Product Sales
Biopharma Services (Discovery/Licensing)

Twist Bioscience Operations and Technology

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Company Operations

Organizational Structure: Functional structure with key business units (Synbio, NGS, Biopharma).
Supply Chain: Key raw materials sourced globally for DNA synthesis and reagents.
Tech Patents: Extensive patent portfolio covering synthesis methods and applications.
Website: https://www.twistbioscience.com

Top Clients

Board Members

Twist Bioscience Competitive Forces

Threat of New Entry

MODERATE: High capital investment for scaled manufacturing and significant IP hurdles create barriers, but novel tech could lower them.

Supplier Power

MODERATE: Key chemical reagents for DNA synthesis are specialized, giving some suppliers leverage. Mitigated by multi-sourcing.

Buyer Power

MODERATE to HIGH: Large pharma/biotech customers (e.g., Ginkgo) have significant negotiating power due to volume, driving price pressure.

Threat of Substitution

MODERATE: Enzymatic DNA synthesis is the primary technological substitute, offering potential advantages but not yet at commercial scale.

Competitive Rivalry

HIGH: Intense rivalry from established players (IDT, GenScript) and startups. Competition is primarily on price, speed, and quality.

Analysis of AI Strategy

Updated: October 6, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

The Twist Bioscience AI SWOT analysis highlights a powerful, yet underleveraged, strategic asset: its massive proprietary dataset. This data is the fuel for a dominant AI engine. Strengths are rooted in this data moat and its integrated platform. However, weaknesses in attracting elite AI talent and formulating a clear data monetization strategy are significant hurdles. The most compelling opportunity is to transition from a DNA manufacturer to an AI-driven therapeutic design powerhouse, offering generative models for antibody discovery. This move is threatened by AI-native drug discovery firms and tech giants entering the space. The core AI strategy must be to weaponize its data advantage by building a world-class AI team and deploying generative models to both optimize internal operations and create high-margin, AI-powered design services for its biopharma clients.

Integrated DNA Technologies (Danaher) GenScript Azenta Codex DNA Evonetix

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To improve health and sustainability by being the leading company writing the future with DNA.

Strengths

DATA: Massive, proprietary dataset of DNA sequences and synthesis results.
INTEGRATION: Vertically integrated from digital sequence to physical DNA.
WORKFLOW: In-house software tools for gene design and order processing.
EXPERTISE: Deep domain knowledge in computational and molecular biology.
SCALE: Ability to physically produce and test AI-generated DNA designs.

Weaknesses

TALENT: Not yet known as a top destination for elite AI/ML research talent.
FOCUS: AI efforts may be siloed within business units vs. a central team.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Legacy systems may hinder rapid deployment of new models.
MONETIZATION: Lacks a clear strategy to monetize data/AI as a service.
COMPUTE: May lack the massive, dedicated GPU clusters of big tech firms.

Opportunities

DESIGN: Use generative AI to design novel antibodies and proteins for partners.
OPTIMIZATION: AI-driven optimization of synthesis for higher yield and purity.
PREDICTION: Predict DNA manufacturability, reducing errors and turnaround time.
DATA-PRODUCT: Offer a 'Foundry-as-a-Service' with AI design capabilities.
STORAGE: Develop AI-based encoding/decoding algorithms for DNA data storage.

Threats

COMPETITION: AI-native drug discovery firms could become primary competitors.
OPEN-SOURCE: Advanced open-source bio-AI models could commoditize design.
NVIDIA: Tech giants like NVIDIA (BioNeMo) entering the bio-design space.
SECURITY: AI could be used to design harmful sequences, increasing biosecurity.
DATA-PRIVACY: Customer concerns over how their sequence data is used for training.

Key Priorities

THERAPEUTICS: Build a generative AI platform for antibody/protein design.
OPERATIONS: Deploy AI to optimize yield & TAT in the Factory of the Future.
PRODUCT: Integrate predictive AI tools into the customer e-commerce portal.
TALENT: Establish a world-class AI research group focused on synthetic bio.

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Twist Bioscience Financial Performance

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Twist Bioscience Q2 2024 Earnings Report and Call Transcript
Twist Bioscience Investor Day Presentations
SEC Filings (10-K, 10-Q)
Yahoo Finance & Seeking Alpha for market data and analysis
Company website for mission, vision, and leadership information

Profit: Net Loss TTM: -$204.9M (as of March 31, 2024)

Market Cap: $1.65B (as of early June 2024)

Stock Performance

Annual Report: View Report

Debt: Total Liabilities: $317.7M (as of March 31, 2024)

ROI Impact: Long-term growth focus impacts near-term profitability.

SWOT Index

Composite strategic assessment with 10-year outlook

/ 100

Category Challenger

ICM Index

STRATEGIC ADVISOR ASSESSMENT

Twist has a societally impactful vision (Ambition: 85) but faces significant execution risks, capping Achievability. The SWOT is balanced, with massive biopharma upside offset by profitability and competitive threats. OKRs are strong and category-shaping. The high AI potential from its data moat is a key future lever. The overall index reflects a high-potential company at a critical inflection point where operational execution will determine if it becomes a market leader or a cautionary tale.

SWOT Factors

Upside: 83.3 Risk: 80.0

OKR Impact

AI Leverage

Top 3 Strategic Levers

Achieve profitable scale at the Wilsonville facility

Dominate the high-margin antibody discovery market

Build a world-class generative AI platform for bio-design

AI Disclosure

This report was created using the Alignment Method—our proprietary process for guiding AI to reveal how it interprets your business and industry. These insights are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

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