Organization · Community
iGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes synthetic biology through education and global student competitions. Founded in 2004, it engages multidisciplinary teams to address real-world challenges.
Overview
What iGEM does
What iGEM is
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes synthetic biology through education and global student competitions. Founded in 2004, it engages multidisciplinary teams to address real-world challenges.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports community and event host and publisher capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Community
- Founded
- Founded in 2004
- Approximate age
- About 22 years
- Structured capabilities
- Community · Event host · Publisher
- Last reviewed
- March 13, 2026
Official channels
Find iGEM elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
iGEM as a community
Community overview
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the field of synthetic biology through education and competition. Founded in 2004, iGEM is based internationally and aims to build a collaborative community that seeks solutions for global challenges. The organization is known for its annual competition, which engages multidisciplinary student teams in designing and building synthetic biology projects.
Community focus
iGEM focuses on advancing synthetic biology by providing educational opportunities and fostering innovation through its competition. The iGEM Competition invites teams to tackle real-world problems using synthetic biology, encouraging creativity and collaboration among participants. The organization also emphasizes responsible innovation, biosafety, and biosecurity in its initiatives.
Member value
Members gain access to educational resources, networking opportunities, and the chance to participate in a global competition that fosters innovation in synthetic biology.
Membership
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
- Next recorded event
- November 13, 2026
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Students · Founders
- Benefits
- network-access and mentorship
- Program types
- community
- Selection criteria
- open
- Regions
- Global
Community activity
- Annual events
- 1
Events and activity
The Grand Jamboree is an annual event where teams present their projects and compete for awards. The next event is scheduled for November 13-16, 2026, in Paris, France.
Notable members
Key team members include Tianyue Yu, Yufeng Miao, Weiji Li, Zhicheng Luo, Cheng Pan, Jialuo Yu, Shenhan Xu, Weixiao Xie, Chuwen Xiao, Qilong Chen, and Lynn Shan.
Capability profile
iGEM as an event host
Event focus
iGEM focuses on advancing synthetic biology by providing educational opportunities and fostering innovation through its competition. The iGEM Competition invites teams to tackle real-world problems using synthetic biology, encouraging creativity and collaboration among participants. The organization also emphasizes responsible innovation, biosafety, and biosecurity in its initiatives.
Format narrative
The iGEM Competition is an annual global event where student teams design, build, and test synthetic biology projects, culminating in a presentation at the annual Grand Jamboree.
Participant value
iGEM provides a platform for students to engage in synthetic biology, offering resources, networking opportunities, and support for entrepreneurial initiatives within the field.
Format and cadence
- Event types
- conference
- Recurrence
- annual
- Modality
- in-person
- Startups can present
- Yes
Availability
- Registration state
- Accepting
- Next recorded event
- November 13, 2026
- Next event location
- Paris, France
Audience and fit
- Selection criteria
- open
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Audience
- Students · Founders
- Sectors
- Biotech & Life Sciences
- Regions
- Global
Capability profile
iGEM as a publisher
Editorial focus
The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is dedicated to advancing the field of synthetic biology through education and competition. iGEM focuses on providing educational opportunities and fostering innovation via its annual competition, which invites multidisciplinary student teams to tackle real-world problems using synthetic biology. The organization emphasizes responsible innovation, biosafety, and biosecurity in its initiatives.
Audience value
iGEM provides a collaborative platform for students and professionals in synthetic biology, fostering creativity, innovation, and responsible practices in the field. Through its competitions and programs, iGEM engages participants in meaningful projects that address global challenges.
Format and cadence
- Content formats
- blog, podcast, and video-series
- Primary platform
- iGEM website
Availability
- Guest pitch state
- Not currently accepting
Audience and focus
- Audience
- Students · Researchers
- Sectors
- Biotech & Life Sciences
- Regions
- Global
Flagship work and coverage
Flagship properties
iGEM's notable initiatives include the iGEM Competition, an annual global event where student teams design, build, and test synthetic biology projects; the After iGEM Program, which supports over 40,000 alumni; and the Entrepreneurship Program Innovation Community (EPIC), aimed at supporting the entrepreneurial community within synthetic biology.
Common questions
What to know about iGEM
Upseed classifies iGEM under the Community organization type. Its current public profile includes community, event host, and publisher capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 13, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.