Forbes Names Ossium Health a 2026 Next Billion-Dollar Startup

Business

Forbes Names Ossium Health a 2026 Next Billion-Dollar Startup

2026-07-29 11:59 Last Updated At：12:01

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 28, 2026--

Ossium Health, a bioengineering company that built the world's first bank of organ donor-derived bone marrow, has been named to the 2026 Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, Forbes' annual selection of 20 fast-growing U.S. companies it considers most likely to reach a $1 billion valuation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260728583386/en/

Produced by Forbes for the twelfth consecutive year, the list is selected from startups that are venture-backed, based in the United States, and currently valued at less than $1 billion. Of the 275 companies named to the list since its inception, 60% have gone on to become unicorns.

"This recognition reflects the value of the platform we've built and the scale of the problem it addresses," said Kevin Caldwell, CEO, Co-Founder & President of Ossium Health. "Thousands of patients each year never reach transplant because no donor is available in the timeframe their disease allows. Our bank removes this wait from the critical path. As our bone marrow becomes more widely available over the next year, we expect to serve more patients and narrow the donor availability gap."

Ossium has now treated 28 patients, and in every case the company's marrow took hold and began producing healthy white blood cells in the recipient, a critical milestone known as neutrophil engraftment.

About Ossium Health

Ossium Health is a bioengineering company that leverages its proprietary organ donor bone marrow banking platform to develop stem cell therapies for patients with life-threatening hematologic conditions and musculoskeletal defects. Founded in 2016, the company is led by Kevin Caldwell, CEO, Co-Founder & President, and Erik Woods, Chief Science Officer, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President. Ossium's manufacturing facility is registered with the FDA and its laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). For more information, visit ossiumhealth.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and X.

BRICS leaders meet in India as wars and US tensions test the bloc

NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS nations met in New Delhi on Saturday for a summit focused on trade, investment and global conflicts, as the bloc seeks a bigger role in shaping the global agenda for emerging and developing countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and counterparts from the other eight BRICS members. The summit comes as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with rising U.S.-China tensions, test the bloc’s ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed around the summit venue and other parts of New Delhi, with traffic restrictions and diversions in place.

Saturday’s talks began with an address by Modi, who sought to ease concerns that BRICS was intended to counter Western-led alliances, while portraying the grouping as a platform for emerging and developing economies to have a greater voice in global affairs.

“BRICS is not against anyone,” he said, adding that the bloc had reached a “coming of age” moment in which the Global South must evolve into a “rule-shaper” in global governance.

“It is time for us to translate our unity and consensus in BRICS into concrete outcomes,” he said.

Modi also proposed a BRICS seafarers’ network to strengthen the safety and welfare of maritime workers, particularly as disruptions to maritime trade from the war in Iran have heightened risks for mariners.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. It has since expanded to 11 members, representing about half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. The group has increasingly called for greater representation for developing countries in global institutions.

The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, energy, food security, technology, supply chains and reforms to global institutions. Reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar will also be a priority, with members promoting greater use of their own currencies in trade and payments, as well as pushing for alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions.

China and Russia see BRICS as a way to reduce Western dominance, particularly that of the United States, while strengthening cooperation among emerging and developing economies.

Putin, in a speech at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on Friday, said the grouping was not against anyone and Moscow was open to cooperation with countries around the world

“We are in favor of our interests,” he said.

Iran has also pushed for mechanisms that could reduce the bloc’s reliance on Western financial systems and shield members from economic pressure, as Tehran faces sweeping sanctions and a U.S. blockade.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian backed expanding trade in national currencies among BRICS members.

“One of the most important steps is to expand the use of national currencies in trade among the members,” he told reporters on Friday.

China, meanwhile, is leveraging the grouping to deepen its influence within the bloc and position it as a counterweight to U.S. power.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday that Xi was expected to discuss major international issues and ways to deepen cooperation among BRICS members.

For India, the summit highlights its effort to maintain strategic ties with Russia and Iran while deepening relations with the U.S. and Europe. New Delhi has sought to balance its longstanding partnerships with Moscow and Tehran with efforts to expand economic, defense and technology ties with Washington and other Western nations.

India has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Tehran despite the war in Ukraine and tensions between Iran and the U.S., while calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. Modi met Putin and Pezeshkian separately in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the summit.

India is also hoping the forum will help ease its longstanding strained ties with China. Modi and Xi are expected to hold talks later Saturday, a meeting that could help consolidate a diplomatic thaw between the two countries after border tensions escalated in 2020.

A key test for India will be whether it can secure a joint statement from leaders at the summit. Those divisions were evident in May, when BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement over the Iran war, forcing India to issue a chair’s summary instead.

The summit convenes as fears grow that the Iran war, triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, may expand amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels. The bloc's unity under pressure is expected to be tested as its members navigate differing positions on the conflict and relations with the U.S.