Invizyne Technologies

Invizyne Technologies is a United States-based biotechnology company that has rebranded and now operates commercially as eXoZymes. The company was spun out of the laboratory of Jim Bowie at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2019 by co-founders Tyler Korman, PhD, and Paul Opgenorth, PhD. Its founding idea was to liberate enzymes from the confines of working inside cells, enabling cell-free biomanufacturing that can produce molecules which are difficult or impossible to make through conventional chemistry or whole-cell fermentation. eXoZymes describes itself as leading the next generation of biomanufacturing. Its platform is positioned where chemistry hits its limits, using cell-free biology to unlock new medicines and other high-value compounds. The company's pipeline spans several categories: NCT (a rare natural product that activates the cell's master metabolic control switch, being developed both as an over-the-counter metabolic wellness product and as a first-in-class pharmaceutical approach to multiple metabolic diseases); non-intoxicating cannabinoids inspired by cannabinoid biology but unconstrained by traditional chemistry; and santalene, a high-value fragrance molecule whose cell-free production transforms a scarce and unsustainably extracted ingredient into a predictable, scalable one. The company is headquartered in Monrovia, California, and is publicly listed following an IPO at Nasdaq. Its leadership team includes Chief Executive Officer Michael Heltzen, Chief Commercial Officer Damien Perriman, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Tyler Korman, Co-Founder and VP of Development Paul Opgenorth, VP of Finance Fouad Nawaz, VP of Communications Lasse Görlitz, and Chief of Staff Amy Lunzer, among other directors and team leads. In 2026 the company announced that it had selected Curia as its commercial-scale manufacturing partner and CDMO for NCT, following a competitive process that involved running a 10-CDMO RFP for CDMO selection. eXoZymes has also attracted press coverage, including a Fast Company article in November 2025 about using AI to produce compounds previously impossible to manufacture.

Invizyne Technologies was founded in 2019 as a spin-out from the laboratory of Jim Bowie at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The founding idea, as described by co-founders Tyler Korman, PhD, and Paul Opgenorth, PhD, was to liberate enzymes from the confines of working inside cells, enabling cell-free biomanufacturing. This approach allows the production of molecules that are difficult or impossible to make through conventional chemistry or whole-cell fermentation. The company is headquartered in Monrovia, California. It has since rebranded and now operates commercially under the name eXoZymes, positioning itself as leading the next generation of biomanufacturing. The company completed an IPO at Nasdaq, a milestone celebrated with a ceremony that included a speech from CEO Michael Heltzen. eXoZymes has built a pipeline that includes NCT, a rare natural product that activates the cell's master metabolic control switch. NCT is being developed both as an over-the-counter metabolic wellness product and as a first-in-class pharmaceutical approach to treating multiple metabolic diseases through a single upstream mechanism. The pipeline also includes non-intoxicating cannabinoids inspired by cannabinoid biology but unconstrained by traditional chemistry, and santalene, a high-value fragrance molecule whose cell-free production transforms a scarce and unsustainably extracted ingredient into a predictable, scalable one. In 2026, the company announced that it had selected Curia as its commercial-scale manufacturing partner and CDMO for NCT, following a competitive process that involved running a 10-CDMO RFP for CDMO selection. The company has also attracted press coverage, including a Fast Company article in November 2025 about using AI to produce compounds previously impossible to manufacture.

• 2026

  Selected Curia as commercial-scale manufacturing partner and CDMO for NCT after a 10-CDMO RFP process.

• 2025

  Featured in Fast Company for using AI to produce compounds previously impossible to manufacture.

• 2019

  Spun out of Jim Bowie's lab at UCLA as Invizyne Technologies by co-founders Tyler Korman and Paul Opgenorth.

• Completed IPO at Nasdaq, with a ceremony including a speech from CEO Michael Heltzen.

Leading the next generation of biomanufacturing through cell-free biology, producing compounds where traditional chemistry reaches its limits.

• NCT (Over-the-Counter)

  A rare natural product that activates the cell's master metabolic control switch, available at scale for metabolic wellness.

• NCT (Pharma)

  A first-in-class approach to treating multiple metabolic diseases through a single upstream mechanism.

• Non-intoxicating Cannabinoids

  Novel, non-intoxicating molecules inspired by cannabinoid biology but unconstrained by traditional chemistry.

• Santalene

  A high-value fragrance molecule produced cell-free, transforming a scarce and unsustainably extracted ingredient into a predictable, scalable one.

1. 1Home - eXoZymes leading the next generation of biomanufacturingexozymes.com
2. 2Aboutexozymes.com
3. 3Fast Company: eXoZymes permite producir compuestos antes imposibles de fabricar gracias a la IAexozymes.com
4. 4Invizyne Technologies (United States) - Wikidatawikidata.org