英国Abcam    
Abcam的名字来自antibody和the University of Cambridge的综合，abcam初期的主要成功来自 Chromatin antibodies , loading control antibodies and GFP antibodies 。后来，由于越来越多的人加入和风险投资的支持，abcam得到了迅速的发展。至今，abcam可以提供上万种高质量的抗体。Abcam不仅提供全面人性化的在线电子目录，而且提供用户使用这些抗体的心得体会。

Abcam公司位于英国的剑桥科学园,成立于1998年. 公司的愿景是提供优质的产品,更完善的客户服务,帮助科研人员快速地找到研究所需要的最好抗体. 公司在网站内设立了在线电子目录,客户数秒内就能找到所需产品.几年来,公司向世界各地的五十多个国家提供了上万种产品.公司秉持的三大理念使成千上万的科研者把Abcam作为自己的首选,那就是提供充分的信息支持,免费的技术帮助和快速的物流配送. 该公司提供多种第一抗体，可应用于包括染色质、神经科学、DNA损伤和修复等广阔的研究领域，还有抗13个不同物种的全面的第二抗体，帮助选择你所需要的荧光标记物。公司的辅产品包括全系列的溶菌液、载片组织。该网站提供包括产品目录、购物篮、职业和资源等在内的相关信息。
 
Abcam的概念萌芽于英国剑桥的一个实验室里。一九九八年, 主要创立人Jonathan Milner在Tony Kouzarides教授的实验室当博士后, 研究当时新发现的乳腺癌蛋白BRCA2。但因为找不到质量高及附有可靠、详细、最新资料的抗体,令这项研究工作受到阻延 。就在大家正感到沮丧之时, Jonathan和实验室同事提出一个构思: 成立一间了解科学研究人员需要的网上抗体销售公司。Tony更将antibody(ab) 和Cambridge(Cam) 两个英文字合拼, 将公司取名为Abcam。

他们当时的理念是Abcam销售质量高的抗体,并提供最全面、诚实、时新的说明书, 快速的送货服务,及高效率的顾客和技术支持服务。

很幸运地, 这个构思得到电信企业家David Cleevely的支持及注资。一九九八年的夏天, Jonathan离开学术研究界, 凭着再抵押自已的房子的钱, 及从家人朋友和David Cleevely得来的资金, 全职发展Abcam, Jonathan形容此决定为他最冒险的决定。 Abcam终于成立, 但当时公司仍然须要筹集更大量的资金来建立网站及增加Abcam 抗体的生产量。因此Abcam成立初年, 公司董事们不断四出向风险资本推销公司的理念及游说他们注资。

由于当时Abcam的前景很暗淡, Abcam很须要在短时间内做出销售额来, 于是Jonathan便拿着一个放满Abcam抗体的冰桶,亲身到剑桥大学的实验, 向朋友及同事推销。幸好,他们对Abcam的抗体很支持, 纷纷购买。Abcam的抗体销售传奇就由这一个微不显眼的冰桶开始!

到了千禧年, Abcam出现两个突破, 令公司业务起飞。

第一个突破是Abcam得到了剑桥本地商业天使群体支持及注资; 第二个突破是Abcam开始招募一些拥有共同理念的科学家及有才华的精英们加入, 形成现在管理层的雏型。Abcam这个成功的发展,有赖于我们坚定的信念, 深信我们的商业计划是可建立一间既能对自然科学研究有所供献,又能赚钱的公司。 有很多科学研究员曾问莫莉羊的构思是从那里来的。其实很简单,因为克隆羊多莉当时成了瞩目的新闻标题,因此我们就用分子空问填充模型作为身体,用抗体作为腿,而这个分子多莉羊就成了莫莉羊!

The idea for Abcam came early in 1998 out of a laboratory in the University of Cambridge, UK. The principal founder Jonathan Milner was working as a Post-Doctoral researcher studying the newly discovered breast cancer protein BRCA2 in Professor Tony Kouzarides' laboratory. The project slowed because of problems finding quality antibody reagents that had honest and up to date information about their uses and limitations. It was frustrating. It was then that Jonathan and a number of other people in the laboratory, came up with the idea for a web-based antibody company of like-minded scientists. Tony invented the name which is a hybrid of antibody (ab) and Cambridge (cam). The idea was that Abcam would sell the best antibodies in the world with the most comprehensive, honest and up-to-date datasheets, fast delivery and helpful customer service & technical support. It was a tough vision!

A lucky break came when Jonathan met and discussed the idea with Dr David Cleevely (a Cambridge telecoms entrepreneur) who was smart (or some said crazy!) enough to join him in the venture. So in the summer of 1998, Jonathan left the world of academia to work full-time on Abcam, which he describes as the scariest thing he has ever done. Initially Abcam had a small amount of money from David, family, friends and Jonathan (after re-mortgaging his house; he has a very understanding wife!), but they realized that they needed a big injection of capital to build a website to accomplish the vision and increase production of Abcam's own antibodies. A business plan was written and the Directors went out confidently to raise money from venture capitalists. However, the next couple of years were really tough as Abcam struggled to convince the VCs that a viable business could be built from such an idealistic vision.

Things were looking really bleak and Abcam needed to get some sales quickly, so Jonathan took an ice-bucket full of popular antibodies around the University of Cambridge laboratories in order to get friends and colleagues to buy them, which they did (thanks guys!). Hence the legend of Abcam's humble beginnings from an ice-bucket was born!

Our first notable successes arrived in the early part of the new millenium: Chromatin antibodies, loading control antibodies and GFP antibodies. Then we had two further lucky breaks. First, some local business angels (people from the Cambridge business community who wish to help technology businesses get started) were convinced to invest and second, some like-minded scientists and talented individuals were recruited (who form the basis of Abcam's management team today) and this succeeded in boot-strapping the company through those difficult times. Of course there was also tremendous determination to prove that those venture capitalists were wrong and that a successful profitable company, that would also make a valuable contribution to life science researchers, could be built on such a business plan.

A lot of researchers ask where we got the idea for Molly the sheep. It was simply because Dolly the sheep was making headline news at the time, so we created the body out of a molecular space fill model and gave her antibody legs, and thus the molecular Dolly became Abcam's Molly.