When Laverock Therapeutics moved into the LBIC: Apex building a year ago, they did so as one of the building’s founding scientific anchors — a company whose ambitions in programmable gene control matched the scale and purpose of LBIC: Apex itself. As an early and influential presence in the building, Laverock helped define the scientific character from day one. Today, a year on, their story is one of technological advancement, team cohesion, and the quiet power of an environment designed to support high-quality, high-complexity research.

While many biotech companies enter a new facility with a sense of novelty, for Laverock the move was about structure, readiness and acceleration. They were already working on a platform that demands stringent operational reliability and so a lab environment capable of supporting these complex design–build–test cycles was vital. LBIC: Apex offered them not only the physical space to expand but the operational support to ensure their work remained uninterrupted.

What became clear very quickly is that Laverock’s first year at LBIC: Apex has been less about adjusting to a new building and more about leveraging an ecosystem designed for the kinds of deep, iterative scientific challenges they are tackling.

One of the clearest markers of Laverock’s progress over the past year has been the cohesion of the team. Moving into LBIC: Apex placed everyone - researchers, operational staff, leadership - into a unified physical environment. This has been a defining feature of their experience in the building.

“Access to talent was the number one reason we moved. By being in a hub like London, you increase your chance of attracting high-quality applicants.”
— Tom Payne, COO, Laverock Therapeutics

The team’s sense of identity strengthened in a space that “feels like us,” as one internal reflection put it. The building’s layout encouraged regular, informal exchange, and those moments of spontaneous problem‑solving and shared thinking have contributed to a deeper organisational alignment.

Recruitment has also benefited indirectly. The appeal of the LBIC ecosystem’s environment - central London location, transportation accessibility, proximity to world-class scientific and translational centres, and high‑quality serviced lab setting - has supported Laverock in attracting the calibre of scientists who thrive in an ambitious, fast‑moving environment.

Where Laverock has seen some of its greatest benefit is in the pace of its science. Programmable biology relies on tight iteration loops: design hypotheses, test constructs, validate outcomes, refine. Bottlenecks in space, equipment, or operational support can easily extend those loops, throttling progress. LBIC: Apex has helped remove those bottlenecks.

“We were able to move in quickly because the labs were designed for us. That meant we could execute our strategy very effectively from day one.”
— Tom Payne, COO, Laverock Therapeutics

From consistent temperature control to dependable equipment maintenance have provided the foundation for uninterrupted work. Laverock’s scientists could plan multi‑stage experiments knowing that the environmental variables they depended on would be stable. With materials, consumables, and specialised deliveries fully managed, they kept complete focus on accelerating their platform. Their scientific throughput has increased, their project cycles have become sharper, and their capacity to scale new programme areas has strengthened.

LBIC: Apex’s physical infrastructure is only part of the story. The LBIC operations team has played a decisive role in enabling Laverock’s progress. The team’s responsiveness, understanding of lab workflows, and proactive management of services have made it possible for Laverock to maintain scientific momentum even during periods of heightened activity.

When a company’s platform is as intricate and demanding as Laverock’s, operational drag can easily become a limiting factor. Instead of becoming a burden, LBIC’s support has been a multiplier. By ensuring that the basics were never in question they are eliminating common sources of friction that often undermine biotech timelines.

Laverock’s second year at LBIC: Apex is already seeing recognition of their momentum as the team recently secured two highly competitive innovation grants totalling in excess of £2.2M*. The first will focus on scaling their platform to enable rapid identification of the preferred combination of T-cell features to unlock efficacy and safety in solid tumour cancer indications. While the second allows expansion of macrophage-based programmes into non-oncology indications.

“As we push towards the clinic for our lead programme, this additional funding will help unlock the true breadth of what our technology can achieve.”
— David Venables, CEO, Laverock Therapeutics

LBIC: Apex will continue to play a role in that development. It is the environment where the company built its momentum, where its team aligned, and where the next generation of its scientific strategy will unfold. Just as the building entered its second year with a sense of identity and purpose, so too does Laverock. Their first year at LBIC: Apex was defined by growth and consolidation; their second will be defined by ambition, visibility, and further scientific expansion.

PRESS RELEASE: *Laverock Therapeutics, news, June 2026. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Whipps Photography