Beryllium
AcquiredBedford, US · Founded 2009 · 28 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
Beryllium was a drug discovery contract research organization acquired by UCB Pharma in 2017.
Also known as Beryllium Discovery · Beryllium Discovery, LLC
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$7.5M disclosed across 1 round · 2014
▶$7.5MraisedFeb 2014 · 1 investors · PharmaceuticalsRule 506(b)
- Johan PontinDirector
- Neil WeirDirector
- Brian HubbardDirector
- Jeffrey NewtonDirector
- Brent BannermanDirector
- Offering amount
- $7.5M
- Amount sold
- $7.5M
- First sale
- Feb 2014
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2009
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Beryllium (also referred to as Beryllium Discovery, LLC) was a privately held, specialized drug discovery contract research organization headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts. The company provided structure-guided drug-discovery services, integrated biophysics platforms and cell-functional biology solutions to biotech, pharmaceutical and academic R&D groups, and also entered into research collaborations with those partners.
The company applied a biology-first, target-centric approach and built expertise in protein engineering, protein expression and purification, functional biology and protein structure determination, with the aim of identifying therapeutic drug candidates against genetically and clinically validated targets. In 2015 it opened a 24,000-square-foot headquarters at 3 Preston Court in Bedford, Massachusetts, including office space and a 15,000-square-foot laboratory, complementing an existing 17,000-square-foot facility in Seattle. In June 2017 UCB Pharma, Ltd. acquired the company; Outcome Capital acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Beryllium on the transaction.
Business model
Beryllium operated as a contract research organization, selling drug discovery research services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic clients and entering into research collaborations and partnerships with them.
Traction
Beryllium maintained a long-running partnership with UCB, which took a minority stake in the company before acquiring it outright in 2017. Its scientific team published more than 150 journal articles and contributed more than 1% of structures in the public protein data bank, and it expanded its laboratory and office footprint in Bedford, Massachusetts in 2015.
Latest developments
In June 2017, UCB Pharma, Ltd. acquired Beryllium Discovery, LLC. Johan Pontin, CEO of Beryllium Discovery, stated that UCB would further build the Beryllium platform for its discovery programs.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as a specialized drug discovery CRO; its scientific team published more than 150 journal articles and contributed more than 1% of all structures deposited in the public protein data bank.
Technology
The company used a biology-first, target-centric drug discovery platform combining protein engineering, protein expression and purification, functional biology and protein structure determination, together with structure-guided drug discovery services, integrated biophysics platforms and cell-functional biology solutions.
Go-to-market
Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and academic R&D groups.
Geography
Headquarters and laboratory in Bedford, Massachusetts (3 Preston Court), with an additional facility in Seattle, Washington.
History
In April 2015 the company opened an expanded 24,000-square-foot headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts, adding to a 17,000-square-foot Seattle facility; the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center described the move as establishing an integrated drug-discovery platform. UCB acquired a minority stake in the company before acquiring it in full in June 2017.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsUCB Pharma, Ltd. acquired privately held Beryllium Discovery, LLC. Outcome Capital served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Beryllium. UCB had previously acquired a minority stake in the company.
Beryllium held an open house and ribbon-cutting for its new headquarters at 3 Preston Court in Bedford, Massachusetts, a 24,000-square-foot facility including a 15,000-square-foot laboratory, complementing a 17,000-square-foot facility in Seattle.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Beryllium do?
- Beryllium was a drug discovery contract research organization acquired by UCB Pharma in 2017.
- Who are Beryllium's investors?
- Beryllium's investors include Bullpen Capital.
- How much funding has Beryllium raised?
- Beryllium has disclosed $7.5M raised across 1 round.
- Where is Beryllium headquartered?
- Beryllium is headquartered in Bedford, US.