Oxford Nanopore Technologies
A biotechnology company developing nanopore-based platforms for real-time DNA and RNA sequencing and molecular analysis.
Last updated September 23, 2026
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Overview
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc is a United Kingdom biotechnology company that develops and sells nanopore-based molecular sensing systems. Its technology is designed to analyze DNA and RNA in real time by passing nucleic-acid strands through biological nanopores and measuring changes in electrical current. Unlike many short-read sequencing approaches, the platform is intended to read long fragments and can identify some chemical modifications directly, supporting applications that require structural information, rapid turnaround or field portability. The company was established in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford. Its founding team included researchers and entrepreneurs Hagan Bayley, Gordon Sanghera and Spike Willcocks, with early support from IP Group. The business commercialized a platform built around disposable flow cells, sequencing instruments, reagents and software rather than a single laboratory device. This model allows users to select systems ranging from a portable, USB-connected instrument to larger, high-throughput platforms for institutional and population-scale projects. The MinION became the company’s best-known product. Its small form factor and connection to a computer made it suitable for mobile and distributed sequencing, including field research, outbreak investigation and teaching. Larger GridION and PromethION systems were developed for laboratories requiring greater throughput. PromethION platforms use substantially more nanopore channels than MinION and are designed for larger DNA and RNA sequencing projects. The product portfolio also includes flow cells, library-preparation and sequencing chemistries, data-processing tools and the EPI2ME analysis environment. Oxford Nanopore’s commercial and scientific scope covers research genomics, human genetics, infectious-disease surveillance, environmental and agricultural science, oncology, transcriptomics and other forms of molecular analysis. Its customers include academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, public-health organizations and clinical or applied research laboratories. The company emphasizes real-time data generation, long-read sequencing, flexible scale and the ability to deploy instruments outside conventional high-throughput sequencing centers. The company has periodically upgraded its sequencing chemistry and nanopore technology to improve accuracy, output and usability. In 2016 it announced the R9 chemistry upgrade, developed with researchers associated with VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Oxford Nanopore became publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange in September 2021 under the ticker ONT and has been included in the FTSE 250 Index. Its ongoing strategic challenge is to expand adoption in research and applied markets while improving accuracy, workflow simplicity, instrument economics and the regulatory readiness of its technology for clinical use. Oxford Nanopore remains active as a specialist sequencing and molecular-analysis company. Its brand is positioned around portable and scalable real-time sequencing, long-read information and a broad software-and-consumables ecosystem rather than around conventional desktop sequencing alone.
History
Oxford Nanopore Technologies was founded in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford. The company was created to commercialize nanopore-based molecular sensing, an approach in which biological nanopores are used to detect and characterize nucleic-acid molecules through electrical signals. Hagan Bayley, Gordon Sanghera and Spike Willcocks were among the founders, and IP Group provided early seed support. The company’s development strategy centered on combining nanopore chemistry, electronic sensing, disposable flow cells, sequencing instruments and analysis software. This integrated approach allowed Oxford Nanopore to address several scales of use, from individual researchers and mobile laboratories to large sequencing centers. The company’s technology was designed to generate data while a run was in progress, rather than requiring the complete run to finish before analysis could begin. MinION became the company’s signature portable product and was commercially available from May 2015. The harmonica-sized device connected through USB and used replaceable flow cells. Its portability broadened the potential setting for sequencing, including field studies, infectious-disease work and laboratories without access to large centralized sequencers. The company subsequently expanded its instrument range with GridION, a desktop system introduced commercially in 2017 that could process multiple MinION flow cells in parallel. In March 2016, Oxford Nanopore announced its R9 chemistry upgrade. The company described R9 as an effort to improve sequencing error rates and yield, and the development involved collaboration with the laboratory of Han Remaut at VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Chemistry improvements became an important part of the company’s continuing product strategy because sequencing accuracy, output and consistency directly affect the range of scientific and applied uses available to customers. Oxford Nanopore later developed the PromethION family for higher-throughput work. PromethION systems use many more nanopore channels than MinION and are intended for large DNA and RNA projects. PromethION 24, released in 2019, provided 24 independently operated flow-cell positions, allowing users to distribute runs across samples or projects. The company also introduced software products such as EPI2ME, designed to make routine data processing more accessible to users who lack specialized programming skills or high-performance computing infrastructure. The platform has been marketed for applications including whole-genome and targeted sequencing, transcriptomics, human genetics, cancer research, pathogen surveillance, agricultural science and environmental research. The ability to sequence long molecules and generate results during a run gives the technology particular relevance to structural-variation analysis, rapid pathogen characterization and projects where sample-to-answer speed or deployment flexibility matters. Oxford Nanopore became a public company through an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange on 30 September 2021, trading under the symbol ONT. It is also associated with the FTSE 250 Index. As a listed company, it has continued to operate as a dedicated sequencing-technology business, generating revenue from instruments, flow cells, reagents, software and related services. In December 2025, the company announced that Francis Van Parys would succeed Gordon Sanghera as chief executive. Van Parys brought prior experience as president and chief executive of Radiometer and senior leadership experience at Cytiva and GE Healthcare. The leadership transition formed part of the company’s continuing effort to scale its commercial operations and broaden adoption of nanopore sequencing across research, applied and clinical markets. Oxford Nanopore’s history is therefore defined by the progression from university spin-out to publicly traded life-sciences technology company, with product development moving from a highly portable single-device system toward a portfolio spanning portable, desktop and high-throughput sequencing. Its competitive identity remains tied to real-time analysis, long-read capability, flexible deployment and an integrated instrument, consumables and software ecosystem.
- 2025
Chief executive succession announced
[1]Oxford Nanopore announced that Francis Van Parys would succeed Gordon Sanghera as chief executive.
- 2021
Initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange
[1]Oxford Nanopore completed its initial public offering on 30 September 2021 and began trading under ONT.
- 2019
PromethION 24 released
[1]The company released PromethION 24, a platform with 24 independently operated flow-cell positions for DNA and RNA sequencing projects.
- 2017
GridION becomes commercially available
[1]GridION entered commercial availability as a desktop platform capable of operating multiple MinION flow cells in parallel.
- 2016
R9 nanopore sequencing chemistry announced
[1]The company announced R9 chemistry, intended to improve sequencing error rates and yield through an updated nanopore approach.
- 2015
MinION becomes commercially available
[1]The portable MinION sequencing device entered commercial availability, giving researchers access to a compact USB-connected nanopore sequencing system.
- 2005
Company founded as a University of Oxford spin-out
[1]Oxford Nanopore Technologies was established by Hagan Bayley, Gordon Sanghera and Spike Willcocks with early seed support from IP Group.
Products and positioning
A specialist life-sciences technology provider focused on real-time, long-read and portable nanopore sequencing, serving research, applied genomics and emerging clinical applications.
Portable nanopore sequencer · 2015
MinION
MinION is a compact, USB-connected nanopore sequencing device designed for portable and distributed use. It operates with disposable flow cells and produces sequencing data in real time. Its small size has made it suitable for academic research, field biology, infectious-disease surveillance, education and laboratories that do not require a large centralized sequencing instrument.
Desktop nanopore sequencer · 2017
GridION
GridION is a desktop sequencing system that can operate up to five MinION flow cells at the same time. It is intended for laboratories needing more throughput and operational control than a single portable device while retaining the nanopore platform’s real-time data generation and long-read workflow.
High-throughput nanopore sequencer
PromethION
PromethION is Oxford Nanopore’s higher-throughput sequencing platform for large DNA and RNA projects. Its flow cells contain substantially more nanopore channels than MinION flow cells, enabling much greater data production per run. It is aimed at institutional genomics laboratories, population-scale studies and other applications requiring higher sequencing capacity.
Multi-flow-cell sequencing platform · 2019
PromethION 24
PromethION 24 is a PromethION-family desktop system released for DNA and RNA sequencing projects. It provides 24 flow-cell positions that can be operated independently, allowing laboratories to run samples in parallel and allocate sequencing capacity across projects with different sizes, schedules or coverage requirements.
Bioinformatics software
EPI2ME
EPI2ME is a data-analysis product intended to simplify the processing of nanopore sequencing results. It targets customers who may not have extensive programming experience or access to high-performance computing resources, providing workflow-oriented analysis for selected sequencing applications.
Sequencing chemistry · 2016
R9 chemistry
R9 was an important chemistry upgrade announced in 2016. Oxford Nanopore described it as a development intended to improve sequencing error rates and yield, supported by work with the laboratory of Han Remaut at VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Brand decisions
2025
Chief executive successionStrategyBackground
Oxford Nanopore announced a leadership transition as it continued expanding the commercial use of its sequencing platform.
Action taken
The company announced that Francis Van Parys would succeed Gordon Sanghera as chief executive.
Aftermath
Van Parys brought experience from Radiometer, Cytiva and GE Healthcare to the company’s next phase of development.
2021
Public listing on the London Stock ExchangeOtherBackground
The company required public-market access to support its development and commercialization as a sequencing-technology business.
Action taken
Oxford Nanopore completed an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange and began trading under ONT.
Aftermath
The company became a listed life-sciences technology issuer and was associated with the FTSE 250 Index.
2016
Adoption and announcement of R9 sequencing chemistryGeneration changeBackground
The company sought to improve the performance of its nanopore sequencing platform, particularly sequencing error rates and data yield.
Action taken
Oxford Nanopore announced an R9 chemistry upgrade developed with external academic collaborators.
Aftermath
R9 became part of the company’s continuing chemistry-development strategy and supported efforts to expand nanopore sequencing applications.
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