José Castillo

José Castillo co-founded Univercells in 2013. Under his leadership, Univercells has become a pioneering force in the biopharmaceutical industry, with highly efficient production processes that aim to make biologics available and affordable for all.

In June 2021, building on his success at Univercells, José launched Quantoom Biosciences, a cutting-edge biotech with a mission to remove the barriers to making mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, from sequence up to mass production. As the CEO of Quantoom Biosciences, José continues to drive innovation and create solutions that have the potential to revolutionize mRNA production.

As a recognised technology leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, José brings a strong track record in innovative process design and successful commercialization. Previous accomplishments include the start-up of Artelis, where he designed and developed bioreactors that transformed industrial operations – the iCellis system is now considered standard in the vaccines and gene therapy industry. The technology was industrialized at ATMI LifeSciences and Pall Lifesciences, where José held the position of Cell Culture Technologies Director. Before Artelis, José was Head of Viral Vaccine Industrialization at GSK Vaccines. 

With a background in Chemical Engineering, Jose’s education includes a PhD in Applied Sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and an entrepreneurship degree from the Solvay Business School.