University of York spin-out company receives funding boost

Posted on Monday 6 October 2025

MORF-Bio says its mission is to be able to enable researchers to analyse data without the need for coding skills, and the new funding will speed up the development of its innovative bioinformatics platform.

Funding

The company will receive funding from a consortium of investors led by Deeptech Seed Fund, with support from York Angels, who facilitated pitching opportunities and connected the company to local angel investors.

Professor Gavin Thomas, MORF-Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer said: “Innovations for tackling climate change, developing new medicines and improving food security will be quicker and easier to develop because of better use of data.

“As scientists we look for patterns and these can be seen at a glance in the visual plots on our online platform.”

Monumental

Joyce Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of MORF-Bio, added: "This investment is a monumental step for us. The funds will be instrumental in allowing us to develop scalable, user-driven products. We’re excited to bring our unique data visualisation capabilities to a wider market, empowering scientists and researchers to make discoveries faster than ever before."

The University of York’s Commercialisation Team provided mentorship and expertise  for the spin out, liaising with funders and partners, while safeguarding intellectual property rights and supporting contract negotiations to accelerate the journey from idea to impact.

Strength

James Kitson, Head of Commercialisation at the University of York, said: “We are delighted to see MORF-Bio successfully spin out from the University. This achievement demonstrates the strength of York’s research base and our commitment to supporting entrepreneurial academics on their journey to impact. With a growing pipeline of spin-outs each year, MORF-Bio highlights how York is building a reputation at the forefront of translating world-class science into commercial success stories.”