BIO STUDIO PROJECT
SpaceM
The SpaceM project aims to develop tools for computational biology to picture metabolism in time and space across spatial scales from organisms to tissues to single cells.
About the Bio Studio program
The Bio Studio Program supports world-class entrepreneurial academic researchers in translating their science into innovative products and solutions. The program’s projects will join BII and establish a team that will work in BII’s office and lab space alongside other Bio Studio projects and start-ups. Bio Studio projects will be supported by a tailored program to develop the teams’ entrepreneurial and commercial competencies and by dedicated BII anchors to help guide project progression.
"Theodore Alexandrov has been a Group Leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and the head of the EMBL Metabolomics Core Facility since 2014. He has also been an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy, University of California San Diego for almost six years."
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"Kåre Engkilde is working as an Entrepreneur in Residence at BioInnovation Institute for the SpaceM project, alongside being a consultant for several life science companies covering Diagnostics, MedTech, and Therapeutics across Europe. He previously worked as a CEO for the Swedish biotech company Amniotic, which focused on developing stem cell therapies for respiratory, renal, neuronal, and oncology disorders..."
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Interview with Kåre Engkilde
Why have you decided to join the SpaceM project as an Entrepreneur in Residence?
SpaceM is an exciting project in the tech-bio/pharma-service space, focusing on spatial and single-cell metabolomics using imaging mass spectrometry, an emerging and enabling technology with great potential.
Over the years, we have seen genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics research development. Studying and understanding metabolomics is a natural next step in systems biology research that will give us valid insights into what is happening inside the cells.
What is your role as an Entrepreneur in Residence?
As an Entrepreneur in Residence, I focus on ensuring the best market fit and business opportunities for the project’s platform technology while providing leadership to the local scientific team and building an investable business case.
What attracted you to become a part of BII’s entrepreneurial community?
The possibility of working with like-minded entrepreneurial spirits, being part of an agile environment, and translating world-class research into innovative companies.
What are some of the biggest learnings from your career that you bring to your position as an Entrepreneur in Residence?
I bring vast experience working in large corporations, scale-ups, and start-ups within Medtech and Pharma. Working across the whole value chain in life sciences provided me with some critical learnings:
– It’s more challenging than expected; you need to be able to reevaluate and realign continuously.
– Life science is a capital-intensive business, underlining the importance of building a network with investors and key opinion leaders at an early stage.
– Good data is an absolute cornerstone in achieving success. However, you still need to present data appealingly.
What are some of your near-term plans in this role?
To connect with relevant investors, initiate relevant collaborations, and ensure the project has a robust foundation to spin out a company.
How did previous experiences shape your approach to the role of Entrepreneur in Residence?
I have learned from working in different places throughout my professional career that there is no ‘golden’ approach to being an Entrepreneur in Residence. Often, it depends on the technology and the project’s focus. Nevertheless, the quality of the founder team should be considered as they are the foundation of building a successful company. It’s also important to remember to have fun during the journey and celebrate when good results are achieved.
“The SpaceM project is an excellent example of what the Bio Studio program aims to support: the technology is cutting edge, Dr. Alexandrov is a leading researcher with a strong entrepreneurial background, and the project can have significant impact on human health through accelerating drug development,”
“Initially, I thought entering this program was already an excellent funding opportunity, but I realized that BII offers much more by providing lab space, support and training. SpaceM will also immensely benefit from its business expertise and investor network through the close collaboration between EMBLEM and BII. These factors multiply the impact of the excellent funding which comes with entering the Bio Studio program and create a unique opportunity to capitalize on the technology developments created by our team. I truly believe that we can make something big here.”
“The possibility of working with like-minded entrepreneurial spirits, being part of an agile environment, and translating world-class research into innovative companies attracted me to join BII’s Bio Studio program as an Entrepreneur in Residence. I’m looking forward to working with the SpaceM project, as the technology holds excellent commercial potential and paves the way for providing insights into what is happening inside the cells.”
