About BII
About BII
About BII
Embracing start-ups
Do you want to bring life science research to the market?
BII offers entrepreneurially-minded researchers or anyone with a research-based idea help to bring interdisciplinary ideas to life and research to market. We offer state-of-the-art facilities and various funding opportunities, as well as partnerships and programs with technical, scientific and commercial experts.
Our main focus is health tech, bio-industrials and therapeutics. We envision that strong collaborations, a passion for science, and an open mind will foster research-based innovation and viable start-ups. BII does not work for profit but for the benefit of human welfare and society around the globe.
About the BioInnovation Institute Foundation
The BioInnovation Institute Foundation (BII) is an international non-profit foundation supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. BII operates an incubator to accelerate world-class life science innovation that drives the development of new solutions by early-stage life science start-ups for the benefit of people and society.
BII, located in Copenhagen,, Denmark, offers start-ups and early-stage projects within health tech, therapeutics and bio-industrials state-of-the art labs, vibrant office facilities, business development, start-up business incubation, access to high-level mentoring and international networks plus unique funding opportunities of up to 1.3 million euro per start-up and 2.4 million euro per project.
With continued positive development, The Novo Nordisk Foundation can provide up to EUR 470 (3,5 mia. DKK) to BII over 10 years to support early-stage life science projects and start-ups for the benefit of people and society.
Since the inauguration of BII in November 2018, BII has awarded 48 million euros to 85 high-growth start-up companies.
Read more about the Novo Nordisk Foundation
Any questions? Check out our FAQ.
Establishing the BII Foundation
Meet the BII team
Collaboration is key to us, so please get in touch
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Jens Nielsen
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Bobby Soni
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Markus J. Herrgård
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Thomas Hoffmann
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Alberte Thude
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Birgitte Bosse Knudsen
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Bo Jiang
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Bo Heinemann
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BJ
Boyang Ji
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Brian Rosenberg
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Casper Linnemann
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Cathrine Nygaard Christensen
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Christian Brix Tillegreen
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Giles Dudley
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Heike Ross
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Helle Clausen
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Hervør Lykke Olsen
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Jeroen Bunck
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JR
Johanna Roostalu
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Laura Locher
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Louise Clemmensen (on maternity leave)
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Louise Faurby
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Mette Munch Jørgensen
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Maria Gøtz Konradsen
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Maria Henriques De Jesus
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Marie Vedel
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Matthias Wulf
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Nina Isaxon-Plougmann
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Paulina Mikkelsen
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Sofie Lorentzen
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Tony Cheng-fu Chang
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Trine Bartholdy
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Zia Winther
Board of directors
Meet the BII Board of Director in the three-year establishment phase
Sten Scheibye, Ph.D., is the Chairman of the BII board of directors under the three-year establishment phase. He was a member of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s board of directors and Chairman of the board from 2013 to 2018. He holds a MSc in Chemistry and Physics from 1978 and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from 1981, both from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. In 1983, he obtained a BComm from Copenhagen Business School. From 1995 to 2008, Sten Scheibye was President and CEO of Coloplast A/S, Denmark. Before joining Coloplast in 1993, he served as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing in Leo Pharma A/S, Denmark. He joined this company in 1981. Sten Scheibye is Chairman of the Danish Industry Foundation, RMIG, Knud Højgaards Foundation, Højgaard Ejendomme A/S and Healthcare DENMARK.
Chairman
Member of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2014 and Vice-Chair since 2018. Marianne Philip serves on several boards including as chair of The Committee on Foundation Governance and is among others experienced in company and foundation law, investments and corporate governance.
Vice-chair
Birgitte Nauntofte has served on several boards and science committees. She currently serves as Committee Member of Recommendations on Foundation Governance. Before joining the Novo Nordisk Foundation, she had the position of Vice Dean at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Board member
Member of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2005 to 2017. Bo Ahrén has previously been Chief of Medicine at Region Skåne in Sweden, Head of the Research Clinic at Skåne University Hospital in Lund and Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Lund University. He conducts research on diabetes and has been involved in developing new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes
Board member
Serial entrepreneur with a background in drug discovery and development, corporate strategy, financing and management. Hans Schambye has an extensive experience in managing biotech companies, based on in depth biological understanding of diseases and pharmaceutical R&D.
Board member
With + 25 years of international experience from the biotech industry, Martin Bonde has held several leadership positions as CEO for e.g. Vaccibody, Epitherapeutics, Natimmune, Combio,Torsana Biosensor, and Ostemeter Biotech.
Board member
Regina is a Managing Partner at Wellington Partners Life Sciences (WPLS) and represents the WPLS funds on the Boards of Ayoxxa, Carisma Therapeutics, Endostim, GTX Medical, SNIPR Biome, STipe Therapeutics, Themis and TRiCares. She was a founding investor in Rigontec (acquired by MSD), Sapiens (acquired by Medtronic), Middle Peak Medical (acquired by Symetis / Boston Scientific), and an external director at GlaxoSmithKline’s Respiratory TA Board. Since joining the industry in 2000, she has become an influential investor in the European VC industry, focusing on early-stage and growth deals in Life Sciences. She currently serves as the Spokesperson for the Board of the German PE and VC Association (BVK).
Before joining WPLS, Regina led the European life sciences efforts of Boston-based Atlas Venture. She was the founding investor in Bicycle Therapeutics, F-star, and Jenavalve, and served on several Boards, including U3 Pharma (acquired by Daiichi Sankyo), Nitec Pharma (now part of Horizon Pharma NASDAQ HZPN), Egalet (NASDAQ: EGLT), and Novamed (acquired by SciClone NASDAQ SCLN). Before, Regina worked for Apax Partners, and built her extensive network in the global healthcare industry during her tenure at McKinsey. In the 90s, Regina gained initial insights into the fast-growing biotech sector as post-doctoral researcher at the MRC Cambridge UK. Regina studied chemical engineering in Vienna and holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry.
Board member
Robert G. Urban has over 25 years of international experience in the healthcare industry. In 2018, Robert retired from Johnson and Johnson as the Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, LLC. Prior to joining J&J, Robert was the founding Executive Director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was previously the CEO of Acretia Inc, he has also held founding and executive positions at ZYCOS Inc and Pangaea Pharmaceuticals. Robert has served on the Board of diverse companies and not-for-profit organizations.
Board member
Senior management professional with +25 years of R&D and business development experience from the bacteria and enzymes industry. He is a co-inventor on a number of patents as well as publisher of several scientific papers and publications with WWF, WEF, and the German Bioeconomy council.
Board member
Governance
The BioInnovation Institute Foundation is a Danish commercial foundation that operates independently of any other interests than those described in the Foundation’s objects.
The Foundation is governed by the Danish Foundation Act, and the Danish Business Authority therefore supervises the Foundation.
In addition, the BioInnovation Institute Foundation is covered by the Recommendations on Foundation Governance of the Committee on Foundation Governance.
Job postings
Job postings
We are building the BII community and we are looking for people who share our vision and passion to be part of that.
We are currently looking for a new colleague who will be the operational backbone in the laboratory as our new Laboratory Technician. Your everyday tasks will include making sure the laboratory is up and running and that the equipment is ready for action. Apply or learn more about the position here.
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