Abcam
www.abcam.comSymbol: ABC.L
Currently trading at: 1690p DOWN 10.00
Abcam’s growing reputation has only been exceeded by the firm’s actual growth over the last several years, vindicating a business that says it was shunned by the Venture Capital community and had to famously resort to selling antibodies from a bucket of ice in the Cambridge colleges.
Dedicated to selling high-quality antibodies over the Internet, the Cambridge Science Park-based business listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM list in November 2005and raised over £10m.
Abcam markets research-grade antibodies to academic and commercial users and is headquartered in Cambridge.
Abcam’s principal founder and now managing director, Dr Jonathan Milner, left academia to set the company up in 1998 after he and colleagues were frustrated in their search for quality antibodies, vital for much of their research.
The plan was to sell the best antibodies in the world with the most comprehensive, honest and up-to-date datasheets, fast delivery and helpful customer support.
The original business plan was rejected by VCs when it was looking for the funds necessary to build its all important website.
Dr Milner sought early investment from friends and family and some from local business angels which saw it through its first couple of years.
The initial lack of support left Dr Milner to roam the University of Cambridge labs with a bucket full of ice and antibodies in a desperate attempt to generate some cashflow.
Now, as well as its 13,000 sq ft base on the Science Park, it has two international offices in Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Abcam provides more than 48,000 products, which are shipped direct to over 65 countries, and employs nearly 250 people.
Staff
 Dr Jonathan Milner, Chief Executive OfficerThe principal founder and chief executive is Jonathan Milner. He was working as a Post-Doctoral researcher studying the newly discovered breast cancer protein BRCA2 at Cambridge University.. The project slowed because of problems finding quality antibody reagents that had honest and up to date information about their uses and limitations. It was then that Jonathan and a number of other people in the laboratory came up with the idea for a web-based antibody company of like-minded scientists. Tony invented the name which is a hybrid of antibody (ab) and Cambridge (cam). A lucky break came when Jonathan met and discussed the idea with Dr David Cleevely (a Cambridge telecoms entrepreneur) who was smart (or some said crazy!) enough to join him in the venture. |  Jim Warwick, Managing DirectorJim Warwick has a degree in Computer Science from Cambridge University. From 1986 to 2003 he worked for Analysys Ltd, a Cambridge based telecoms consultancy, heading up their IT, software and web development initiatives. During this period he also held a number of external nonexecutive directorships including Workbench Software Ltd, a start-up with a targeted software package for time recording systems and VBN Ltd, a web-based hosting company specialising in business cluster and innovation network solutions. He joined Abcam in 2001 as Technical Director, initially part time then full time from 2003. He has overseen the expansion of Abcam’s bespoke web-based systems. Jim was promoted to Managing Director of Abcam Ltd in June 2004. |
 David Cleevely, PhD, ChairmanDavid Cleevely is the Chairman of the Communications Research Network, part of the Cambridge MIT Institute, and the founder and former Chairman of telecoms consultancy Analysys (acquired by Datatec International in 2004). In 1998, he co-founded Abcam with Jonathan Milner (CEO) and Tony Kouzarides. He has been directly involved with 3WayNetworks, Hotxt, Bango, Cambridge Network and Cambridge Wireless. He is also a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board, the Expert Panel for the Department of Media, Culture and Sport and the IET Telecoms Sector Panel. Since selling Analysys he has continued to develop his business and academic interests and he currently holds an Industrial Fellowship at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. |
Contact details
Cambridge CB4 0WN
+44 (0) 1223 696000
