Oxford Nanopore Technologies vs Duckie

About

Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) was spun out of the University of Oxford in 2005, commercializing a radically different sequencing approach: passing DNA strands through biological nanopore proteins embedded in a membrane and detecting characteristic ionic current changes to call bases in real time. This enables ultra-long reads (megabase scale), direct RNA sequencing, and epigenetic base modification detection without prior amplification.\n\nONT's product range spans from the palm-sized MinION (the world's first portable DNA sequencer) to the high-throughput PromethION 2 Solo and PromethION 48 platforms. These instruments have enabled field sequencing for infectious disease outbreak response (COVID-19, mpox, Ebola), real-time clinical microbiology, plant pathogen surveillance, and cancer genomics. The company reported £223 million in FY2025 revenue, representing 24% constant-currency growth, with clinical revenues up 60% and biopharma revenues up 30%.\n\nONT is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and holds approximately £300 million in cash. While accuracy has historically lagged Illumina and PacBio, successive chemistry improvements and the Kit14 chemistry have closed the gap for many applications. The company is expanding its presence in clinical diagnostics, with regulatory filings underway in key markets, and remains the benchmark for portable, real-time, and long-read sequencing.