TWST Stock: Insider Activity, Filings & Research

Twist Bioscience Corporation (TWST) — Drillr’s hub for TWST insider activity, SEC filings, earnings signals and AI research. Over the trailing 3 months, TWST insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 42 sales (SEC Form 4).

Over the trailing 90 days, insiders recorded 0 open-market purchases and 42 sales, a net selling of $10.5M. The largest was Leproust Emily M. (director, officer: Chief Executive Officer) selling $1.6M. The stock gained 50.5% over three months. Institutional holders were net accumulators over recent 13F filings. Insider sentiment scores 0/100.

Updated Jun 4, 2026 · based on SEC Form 4 filings · not investment advice

Sentiment

0/100

Buys (3m)

Sells (3m)

Net (3m)

-$10.5M

Insider trades by month Buys Sells

Jan

Feb

Mar

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Jun

Context3-month price +50.5%Institutions accumulating (13F)

Date	Insider	Type	Shares	Price
Jun 2, 2026	Laponis Adamofficer: Chief Financial Officer	Sell	4,000	$70.00
Jun 2, 2026	Cho Dennisofficer: See Remarks	Sell	14,205	$69.75
Jun 1, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	1,482	$65.33
Jun 1, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	7,623	$67.95
Jun 1, 2026	Starovasnik Melissa A.director	Sell	2,500	$68.00
Jun 1, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	6,465	$68.61
Jun 1, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	900	$66.85
Jun 1, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Option	16,470	$8.82
May 28, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	1,265	$66.28
May 28, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	24,282	$65.08
May 28, 2026	Starovasnik Melissa A.director	Sell	500	$61.04
May 28, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Option	25,017	$8.82
May 28, 2026	WERNER ROBERT F.officer: Chief Accounting Officer	Sell	800	$62.48
May 28, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Sell	23,752	$65.24
May 28, 2026	Leproust Emily M.director, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Option	24,282	$8.82

Source: TWST SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jun 2, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.

Overview

Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST) is a synthetic biology company founded in 2013 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California. The company went public in October 2018 and has established itself as a leader in DNA synthesis technology. Twist operates a proprietary silicon-based DNA synthesis platform that enables the manufacturing of synthetic DNA by literally "writing" DNA sequences on silicon chips, similar to how computer chips are manufactured. The company has grown from a startup to serving over 3,500 customers globally across academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets.

Business

Twist Bioscience operates in the synthetic biology industry, which involves engineering biological systems for useful purposes. The company's core technology is a revolutionary DNA synthesis platform that manufactures synthetic DNA sequences on silicon chips using semiconductor manufacturing processes, rather than traditional chemical methods. The company operates three main business segments: 1. Synthetic Biology (SynBio) - approximately 37% of revenue: This segment produces synthetic genes, gene fragments, and other DNA-based products. The flagship product is Express Genes, which offers faster turnaround times for gene synthesis compared to traditional methods. DNA synthesis is the process of artificially creating DNA sequences in a laboratory, which researchers use for various applications including drug development, agricultural biotechnology, and basic research. Traditional DNA synthesis is slow and expensive, but Twist's silicon-based approach allows for parallel synthesis of thousands of DNA sequences simultaneously. 2. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) - approximately 55% of revenue: This segment provides tools and reagents for DNA sequencing applications. NGS is a technology that determines the order of nucleotides in DNA, essential for genomics research, clinical diagnostics, and personalized medicine. Twist's NGS products focus on specialized applications like liquid biopsy (detecting cancer DNA in blood samples) and minimal residual disease monitoring (tracking cancer recurrence). 3. Biopharma Services - approximately 6% of revenue: This segment offers antibody discovery and development services to pharmaceutical companies. Antibodies are proteins that can bind to specific targets and are used as therapeutic drugs for treating diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders. The company also has emerging initiatives in DNA data storage, where digital information is encoded and stored in synthetic DNA molecules, offering potentially massive storage density and longevity compared to traditional electronic storage media.

Revenue model

Twist generates revenue primarily through product sales and service fees across its three business segments. The SynBio segment sells synthetic DNA products directly to customers, with pricing based on sequence complexity, length, and delivery speed. The Express Genes product line commands premium pricing (20-60% above standard rates) due to faster turnaround times. The NGS segment sells sample preparation kits, panels, and reagents to laboratories and research institutions, with revenue driven by the number of tests performed and the complexity of the analysis required. The Biopharma Services segment operates on a service fee model, providing antibody discovery and development services to pharmaceutical companies. This includes both upfront service fees and potential milestone payments based on successful drug development outcomes. Several factors influence the company's margins and profitability. Positive margin drivers include economies of scale as production volume increases, operational efficiency improvements from the company's automated manufacturing processes, premium pricing for faster delivery products, and the shift toward higher-margin applications like liquid biopsy and clinical diagnostics. The company's proprietary silicon-based synthesis platform provides cost advantages over traditional chemical synthesis methods as volumes scale. Negative margin pressures come from intense competition in the DNA synthesis market, particularly from lower-cost providers, the need for continuous R&D investment to maintain technological leadership, raw material cost fluctuations, and the cyclical nature of research funding that affects customer demand. Additionally, the company faces pricing pressure in commodity DNA synthesis products, though it attempts to differentiate through speed and quality rather than competing solely on price.

Competitive moat

Twist Bioscience's competitive moat is moderately strong, built primarily around its proprietary silicon-based DNA synthesis technology. The company's platform enables parallel synthesis of thousands of DNA sequences simultaneously, providing significant cost and speed advantages over traditional phosphoramidite chemistry methods used by competitors. This technological differentiation is protected by intellectual property and requires substantial capital investment and technical expertise to replicate. The company benefits from switching costs as customers integrate Twist's products into their research workflows and develop familiarity with the company's quality standards and delivery processes. In the NGS segment, Twist has built specialized expertise in emerging applications like liquid biopsy and minimal residual disease detection, areas requiring deep technical knowledge and regulatory understanding. However, the moat faces several challenges. The DNA synthesis market is becoming increasingly commoditized, with competitors offering similar products at lower prices. Large players like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Integrated DNA Technologies have significantly greater resources and established customer relationships. In the NGS market, Twist competes against well-funded companies like Illumina and 10x Genomics that have broader product portfolios and stronger market positions. The company's emerging DNA data storage technology could provide a stronger moat if successfully commercialized, as it represents a potentially massive new market with high barriers to entry. However, this technology is still in development and faces competition from other storage technologies and well-funded research initiatives from major technology companies.

Risks & safety

The company maintains a relatively strong financial position with moderate risk levels: • Liquidity and Solvency: Strong cash position of $210.4 million as of Q2 2025, with current ratio of 4.5x and quick ratio of 4.2x indicating excellent short-term liquidity. Debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18x shows conservative capital structure. • Cash Burn: Free cash flow burn of approximately $17 million quarterly, suggesting current cash could last roughly 3+ years at current burn rate. Operating cash flow has improved significantly from previous periods. • Valuation Metrics: Trading at 5.3x price-to-book ratio, which appears elevated given current losses. EV/EBITDA not meaningful due to negative EBITDA, but company targeting breakeven by end of fiscal 2026. • Profitability Trajectory: Gross margins improving toward 50% target, with management projecting $5 million quarterly improvement in adjusted EBITDA. Revenue growth of 23% year-over-year demonstrates business momentum. • Other Considerations: Recent spinout of DNA data storage business (Atlas Data Storage) with $155 million investment provides additional financial cushion and validates technology value.

Recent development

Over the past few years, Twist has executed several key strategic initiatives to drive growth and move toward profitability. The company has significantly expanded its Express product portfolio, launching Express Genes with premium pricing and faster delivery times, followed by Express Antibodies, Express Gene Fragments, and Express DNA Preps. This strategy targets the large market of researchers who currently synthesize DNA in-house, offering them a faster, higher-quality alternative. In the NGS segment, Twist has focused on high-growth, high-margin applications, particularly liquid biopsy and minimal residual disease (MRD) detection. The company has developed specialized panels and workflows for these clinical applications, positioning itself in markets with significant growth potential as personalized medicine adoption increases. A major recent development was the spinout of the DNA data storage business as an independent company called Atlas Data Storage in Q2 2025. This transaction brought in $155 million in investment from venture partners while allowing Twist to retain 24% equity and potential milestone payments. The spinout enables focused development of the data storage technology while providing Twist with additional capital and validation of the technology's commercial potential. The company has also invested in developing proprietary enzymes to differentiate its products and improve workflow efficiency. Additionally, Twist has implemented operational efficiency initiatives, including a 200% increase in NGS production capacity with the same headcount, and introduced customer-friendly programs like the "Twist Wallet" for purchasing flexibility. Management has maintained disciplined focus on achieving adjusted EBITDA breakeven by the end of fiscal 2026, with sequential quarterly improvements in profitability metrics and gross margins approaching the 50% target.

TWST company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.

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