Ensilitech
Founded 2022 · 18 employees on LinkedIn · 9 known investors
EnsiliTech develops ensilication technology, a silica-based method to stabilise vaccines and biopharmaceuticals so they can be stored and transported without refrigeration. The company serves the pharmaceutical and biotech industry and originated from research at the University of Bath.
Also known as Ensilicated Technologies Ltd · EnsiliTech
Founders & leadership
Ensilitech was founded in 2022 by Asel Sartbaeva, Matt Slade, Stephen Wells, and Aswin Doekhie.
Investors · 9
Also in the syndicate · 6
Company profile
researched Aug 2026EnsiliTech (registered as Ensilicated Technologies Ltd) is a biotechnology company developing Ensilication, a patented method of encasing thermally unstable biomolecules within a silica network so they resist degradation across a temperature range of roughly -80°C to +50°C and gain extended shelf-life. Thin layers of inorganic silica are applied to the biological material to form an individually tailored protective 'cage' around the active ingredient; because silica is biocompatible, inert and inexpensive, the cage can be cracked open and removed at the point of administration, leaving the active ingredient in its original functional form. Unlike other stabilisation approaches, the company states the process does not rely on lyophilisation or other harsh conditions and can be applied to both existing and newly developed biopharmaceutical formulations.
The stated application set spans therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies, subunit, viral, virus-like and bacterial vaccines, antimicrobial-resistance products, genetic material, probiotics and additives, and enzymes, for human and animal health as well as laboratory research. The company frames the market problem around the cold chain: it cites World Health Organisation figures that more than 25% of vaccines worldwide are wasted (up to 50% in developing economies) because of cold-chain failures, estimated industry losses of about £26 billion (~$35B) a year, 1.5 million infant deaths annually from vaccine-preventable disease, and cold-chain emissions of over 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2021. Removing refrigeration is positioned as reducing supply-chain cost, drug waste and environmental impact while opening alternative administration routes such as oral or subcutaneous delivery.
The company is a University of Bath spinout, with CEO Asel Sartbaeva having begun developing ensilication in 2012 and continuing as a researcher in Bath's Department of Chemistry. Its team combines founders from the original research group with commercial hires including a CFO, a chief commercial officer with three decades of bio-pharma experience, a project manager and a research and junior scientist group, alongside a board and advisers drawn from biotech leadership and investor representatives.
Founding story
Ensilication originated in academic research: CEO Asel Sartbaeva, who holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, started developing the method in 2012 and supervised PhD students on it at the University of Bath, including Matt Slade (from 2017) and Aswin Doekhie, who worked on ensilication of vaccines. Co-inventor Stephen Wells contributes scientific and intellectual-property advice. The four researchers founded the company as a University of Bath spinout in 2022.
Business model
EnsiliTech positions Ensilication as a patented platform technology applied to third-party biopharmaceutical formulations rather than as its own therapeutic pipeline, working with pharmaceutical and biotech partners on proof-of-concept projects and, according to investor commentary, progressing to licensing negotiations with large pharmaceutical companies.
Sources describe partner-funded proof-of-concept work and licensing negotiations for the patented Ensilication platform; specific pricing or revenue terms are not disclosed.
Traction
EnsiliTech reports progressing from academic publication to licensing negotiations within three years, with demonstrated technical efficacy, early in vivo safety validation and live commercial negotiations with large pharmaceutical partners cited by seed investor Empirical Ventures. Both its 2022 pre-seed and 2025 seed rounds were oversubscribed, and the team has grown with laboratory and commercial hires between 2023 and 2026.
Latest developments
In August 2025 EnsiliTech announced a £4.5 million oversubscribed seed round led by Eos Advisory with follow-on from Calculus Capital and participation from Empirical Ventures, Fink Family Office, QantX, Angel Investors Bristol, HERmesa, Penn Park Capital, chANGELS and individual angels. The proceeds are earmarked for new hires, enhanced laboratory infrastructure, faster proof-of-concept adoption and generation of validation data for integration into pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows. The company continued adding scientific staff into 2026.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The company describes itself as a recent biotech startup with a patented platform, and an investor in the seed round described its ambition as becoming a category leader in biologics thermostabilisation. It has been recognised in several UK innovation awards and has taken part in multiple accelerator and commercialisation programmes.
Company materials contrast Ensilication with other stabilisation technologies on the basis that it does not require lyophilisation or harsh processing conditions, works with both existing and new formulations, and uses silica, a biocompatible, inert and low-cost material, to protect the active ingredient reversibly.
Technology
Ensilication is a patent-protected process in which a silica-based nanoshell is grown around individual biomolecules, forming a protective inorganic coating that prevents degradation from temperature variation and humidity between about -80°C and +50°C and extends shelf-life. The process avoids lyophilisation and harsh processing conditions and is intended to be integrated into existing pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows; the silica shell dissolves or cracks away before administration.
Go-to-market
The company solicits partners with specific biologicals or applications for joint evaluation of ensilication, and is using seed funding to accelerate proof-of-concept uptake for existing and novel biopharmaceuticals and to generate validation data needed to integrate the process into pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows. It participates in industry bodies such as the BioIndustry Association and in accelerator programmes including Spin Up Science Ventures, ICURe, the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship and Shott Scale-up accelerator, Pioneer LAUNCH and the SETsquared Scale-up programme.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies producing vaccines, antibodies, mRNA therapies, enzymes and diagnostics, across human and animal healthcare and laboratory research markets; investor commentary references live commercial negotiations with billion-euro pharma partners.
Geography
Bristol-based in the United Kingdom, with roots in and continued links to the University of Bath; the technology is targeted at global distribution of biopharmaceuticals, particularly regions with limited refrigeration infrastructure.
History
The underlying ensilication method was developed by Asel Sartbaeva beginning in 2012 at academic laboratories, with co-founder Matt Slade joining the research in 2017 as a PhD student and Aswin Doekhie completing a PhD on ensilication of vaccines. The company spun out of the University of Bath in 2022, founded by Asel Sartbaeva, Stephen Wells, Aswin Doekhie and Matt Slade. It raised a £1.2 million oversubscribed pre-seed round in December 2022, began hiring laboratory scientists from January 2023 onward, and announced a £4.5 million oversubscribed seed round in August 2025 led by Eos Advisory.
Risks & controversies
The company remains at an early commercial stage, moving from academic publication toward licensing agreements, with adoption dependent on generating validation data sufficient to integrate ensilication into regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 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 · 6
launches, deals, and filingsEnsiliTech raised £4.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by Eos Advisory, followed on by Calculus Capital, with Empirical Ventures, Fink Family Office, QantX, Angel Investors Bristol, HERmesa, Penn Park Capital, chANGELS and individual angels participating. Funds are for new hires, infrastructure, proof-of-concept uptake and validation data.
Listed among the company's awards alongside Royal Society of Chemistry Change Maker recognition.
Named Start-up of the Year South West for innovative start-up, MedTech & HealthTech start-up and overall regional award (2025); Leadership Awards South West 2025 recognised Asel Sartbaeva as Emerging Entrepreneur and Matt Slade as Young Leader.
Won AHNTI Production Showcase audience choice (2024) and EntreConf Science and Female Entrepreneur of the Year (2024).
EnsiliTech (Ensilicated Technologies Ltd) raised £1.2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round in December 2022.
EnsiliTech was established in 2022 as a University of Bath spinout by Asel Sartbaeva, Stephen Wells, Aswin Doekhie and Matt Slade.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Ensilitechensilitech.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Ensilitech do?
- EnsiliTech is a University of Bath spinout whose silica-based Ensilication technology stabilises vaccines and biologics without cold chain.
- Who founded Ensilitech?
- Ensilitech was founded by Asel Sartbaeva, Matt Slade, Stephen Wells, Aswin Doekhie in 2022.
- Who are Ensilitech's investors?
- Ensilitech's investors include Calculus Capital Ltd., Elbow Beach Capital, Eos Advisory.