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Health Tech
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An international research, innovation and entrepreneurship initiative in Denmark
Start-ups
Start-ups
Start-up Portfolio
Meet our diverse portfolio of start-ups working to improve human and planetary health. The start-ups listed below are currently participating in our Venture Lab, Venture House, and Bio Studio programs.
Alba Health is on a mission to reduce chronic disease risks from childhood, leveraging data science and the latest microbiome science.
AIDA Oncology enables the selection of the best cancer drug for each patient, using the RNA expression pattern of their tumor and machine learning.
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Dawn Bio develops a drug discovery platform based on human embryo models for drug development for women’s reproductive health.
Droplet automatically flushes every IV set at the precise time of medicine termination, ensuring patients’ optimal treatment quality.
FÆRM provides an enzymatic solution for plant-based cheese, translating dairy practices to legumes in cooperation with dairy plants.
Fuse Vectors aims to disrupt manufacturing to enable universal access to gene therapy.
METSYSTEM’s unique technology can predict cancer metastasis and determine the optimal chemotherapy to treat it preventively.
NorFalk rethinks soap, cosmetics and detergents by producing sustainable active and stabilizing ingredients – called surfactants.
Agoprene develops furniture foam from biomass to help the furniture industry reduce the need for petrochemicals.
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Amplify Therapeutics works on developing transformative, disease-modifying therapies for Gaucher disease and genetic subgroups of Parkinson’s disease.
The main goal of the ASAI project is to deliver a transformative approach to early diagnostics and monitoring of diseases. The cost-effective diagnostic platform will provide artificial intelligence (AI)-based evaluation of molecular fingerprints to inform clinical decisions to help slow disease progression and improve treatment plans.
The project, a collaboration between BII and Imperial College London, is headed by Molly Stevens, Professor and Research Director for Biomedical Materials at Imperial College London.
Sevenless Therapeutics is a next-generation biotech company. Using state-of-the-art mathematical methodology, Sevenless Therapeutics has identified a novel target in pain signaling, defined the drug properties required for success, and validated these predictions with data. Enabled by this insight, our highly experienced drug discovery team will efficiently deliver a safe and effective drug candidate for treating pain. This discovery will make a significant difference to the many patients suffering from inadequately treated chronic pain.
VEIL.AI Brings the quality of anonymized health data to another level with next-generation anonymization technology creating extremely high-quality row-level anonymized and synthetic data enabling better use of GDPR-free data for life science and diagnostics companies, hospitals, and health data hubs.
Learn more about VEIL.AI on their webpage
Follow VEIL.AI on LinkedIn
TriptoBio is developing a production platform for high-value plant compounds. The company’s first product will liberate the world from rat poison, by supporting safe rat sex.
Learn more about TriptoBio on their webpage
Follow TriptoBio on LinkedIn
Ebumab seeks to use its antibody AMT-technology in combination with the body’s own immune system to fight cancers.
Fimmcyte is developing the first disease-modifying treatment for endometriosis to help relieve the millions of women affected by this painful disease.
HEKA VR’s goal is to use virtual reality to provide a new time of immersive therapy for the many millions of treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients who currently have no viable treatment option.
HHC Medical is developing a technology platform based on electroporation to deliver therapies to patients across a broad spectrum of diseases.
Myco4Food transforms organic waste products into mycoprotein-enriched food ingredients. The company produces sustainable protein alternatives without using agricultural land.
MATR Foods has developed a new method to create delicious new plant food from the side streams of the current food industry.
Meet the start-ups: MATR Foods
Learn more about MATR Foods on their webpage
Follow MATR Foods on LinkedIn
Upstream Foods is on a mission to redefine the future of seafood to bring all of the taste, the mouthfeel, and the health benefits to plant-based seafood.
Meet the start-ups: Upstream Foods
Agrobiomics use cell bacteria that are metabolized to help crops cope with abiotic stress such as drought, thus, providing the farmers with new sustainable solutions.
Myopax possesses proprietary muscle stem cell technology for advanced regenerative therapies to combat the devastating consequences of muscle diseases. The spin-off originates from the translational ecosystem in Berlin, the Charité University, the Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Berlin Institute of Health.
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.
The project, a collaboration between EMBL Metabolomics Core Facility and BII, is headed by Theodore Alexandrov. Theodore is a Group Leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and the head of the EMBL Metabolomics Core Facility. He is also an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy, University of California San Diego.
Aiomic is developing the Surgical Advanced Warning (SAW) system to combat postoperative complications. With automated tracking and real-time risk assessment, the SAW system will function as a business intelligence tool for hospitals, a decision support tool for healthcare practitioners and an individualized patient empowerment tool for surgical candidates.
Read more on Aiomic’s LinkedIn page or in this article Meet the start-ups: Aiomic
Nordic Virtual Pastures aims to accelerate the cultured meat revolution through a ground-breaking new method. Our cultured minced beef product, ‘Poetic Meat’, will allow the world to continue eating meat without the environmental and ethical issues that surround the conventional meat industry.
Read more on Nordic Virtual Pastutes’ webpage or in this article Meet the start-ups: Nordic Virtual Pastures
Tetrakit Technologies develops the next generation of radioactive drugs to find and destroy cancer tumors. Their mission is to enable better, safer and more cost-effective theranostic radiopharmaceuticals for patients with advanced cancer. Using a unique radiochemical technology – the Tetrakit platform – they can attach the most suitable radioactive atoms to molecules that effectively target cancer cells. These radioactive atoms can both show doctors exactly where tumors are through medical scans, as well as destroy them by emission of localized potent radiation. This combination is known as theranostics. To demonstrate their technology, they develop proprietary radiopharmaceuticals, based on the Tetrakit platform, to treat metastatic cancer. Tetrakit Technologies is based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ousia Pharma is a biotech spin-out from the University of Copenhagen developing novel peptide-drug conjugates for treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. A main objective of Ousia Pharma is to advance the development of the lead weight loss drug candidate (OP-56) within general obesity. The company uses a proprietary targeting approach in which peptides are used to deliver modulators of synaptic plasticity to drive a potent and sustained weight loss without compromising safety.
Read more about Ousia Pharma on their webpage
ALGIECEL was founded to take part in solving the challenge of converting the CO2 emissions of today’s production methods into feasible business opportunities. The company uses natural micro-algae organisms, a highly compact and high-yield photobioreactor technology fitted into standard shipping containers and a new revenue sharing business model to offer carbon capture as-a-service to industrial clients.
Read more on ALGIECEL’s website
Mello is developing a unique probiotic delivery technology to enhance the effective delivery of probiotics, via food and drink. We aim to overcome a number of industry-wide challenges which currently prevent optimizing probiotic benefit. Our technology will also be suitable for other ‘actives’ and have cross-sector potential.
SOLID Therapeutics is an early-stage oncology company spun out of CBMR at the University of Copenhagen. They are developing novel cancer therapeutics with dual mode of action targeting both cancer cells and immune cells to treat solid tumors.
Learn more about SOLID Therapeutics on their website.
Follow SOLID Therapeutics on LinkedIn.
Probmet is a precision oncology therapeutics company developing targeted treatments for breast cancer brain metastatic patients. Scientists and clinicians will lead the development of breakthrough targeted therapies for metastatic breast cancer in the brain, a devastating disease that currently has limited treatment options.
The Bio Studio Sommer project works on microbial cell therapies for modulating the gut-brain axis.
Professor Morten Otto Alexander Sommer leads the project, and he focuses on translating research progress from his laboratory into start-ups. He has co-founded six life science companies; amongst them are SNIPR Biome and UNION therapeutics. The six start-ups have taken different corporate development strategies, and through these experiences, Morten Otto Alexander Sommer has gained entrepreneurial competencies such as investor dialogue, pharma partnering, FDA/EMA interactions, and drug development.
The Bio Studio Boisen project, headed by Head of the IDUN Center of Excellence, Anja Boisen, develops a miniaturized tabletop device that can perform therapeutic drug monitoring on a single drop of blood in a matter of minutes. Boisen’s research group will work on a solution available at the point of care without needing specialized personnel and at a fraction of the currently available cost.
Anja Boisen has more than 20 years of experience in sensor development and has managed several larger national and international projects. She has co-founded four spinout companies from DTU and is, among others, the vice-chair of Innovation Fund Denmark, which supports entrepreneurs, researchers, and businesses to develop innovative and viable solutions to society’s challenges.
The Bio Studio Andresen project aims to develop a technology platform for localized gene therapy where the first technological objective is to generate a transfection system for pro-inflammatory cytokines that uses the cellular machinery within tumors to generate the cytokine in situ over a defined time period. Local cytokine secretion will induce a pro-inflammatory condition in the tumor that will aid the immune system in recognizing and eradicating cancer cells.
The project is headed by Thomas Lars Andresen, who has a background in biomaterial and biological engineering. He has started several companies, such as Nanovi in 2012, Monta Biosciences in 2014, and the Boston-based Torque Therapeutics in 2015. Academically, Thomas has received multiple research prizes, including the Elite Research Prize from the Danish Ministry of Science, published more than 160 research articles, and filed approximately 40 patent applications. He spent more than two years in Boston as full-time CSO of Torque Therapeutics, and he was instrumental in merging the company with Cogen to form Repertoire Immune Medicines. He was the lead on three IND filings in the US and one in Europe and led four distinct technologies into clinical trials, one of which is now commercialized in Europe.
Biomia focuses on Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), plant-derived natural products with remarkable structural diversity, and a myriad of applications as therapeutics, nutraceuticals, pest control agents, and materials precursors.
Leading the project is Jay Keasling, Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a visiting professor at the Technical University of Denmark. Jay Keasling is an expert in engineering microorganisms to produce chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, specialty and commodity chemicals, and biofuels. He has authored over 450 peer‐reviewed publications, has invented over 50 issued US patents, and is the co‐founder of eight biotechnology companies. As principal investigator, Jay Keasling leads the overall scientific and business development efforts.
The Bio Studio Kristiansen project is working on designing consortia of bacteria – termed collaboromes – able to prevent or diminish attacks by pathogens causing significant annual losses of crops. The project will establish a comprehensive catalog of genes, species, and collaboromes characterizing the microbiota in fields with a high or low incidence of diseases due to fungal or bacterial pathogens.
The project is headed by Karsten Kristiansen who has worked in molecular biology since the late 70s. He is a Professor at the Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine in the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen. Karsten has served as a member of Scientific Advisory Boards in several life science companies such as Evolva and research institutions worldwide such as The National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research in Norway. In 2001, he co-founded the start-up BioLigands.
The Bio Studio Svarre Nielsen project aims to develop a diagnostic test that can inform couples after a pregnancy loss to guide relevant actions.
Henriette Svarre Nielsen leads the project, and she is a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology and an expert in reproduction and recurrent pregnancy loss. Parallel to her clinical and academic career focusing on pathophysiology in reproduction and women’s health, Henriette Svarre Nielsen has successfully founded and chaired Maternity Foundation and co-founded OvaCure. Maternity Foundation aims to save lives in childbirth, develops evidence‐based solutions, and is a strong actor within the emerging health tech field. The Safe Delivery App developed by the Foundation has successfully instructed over 160,000 healthcare workers in Sub‐Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Harnessing sensor and AI technologies, Orbit Health provides doctors with continuous and objective insights to enable effective personalized treatment and continuous management of chronic patients at home.
The company’s first solution, Neptune, is an AI solution that uses only a smartwatch to enable treatment optimization to help people with Parkinson’s attain optimal symptom control and restore quality of life. In addition, Orbit Digital Health Lab enables the orchestration of an array of relevant digital health solutions to be applied to a single patient. Orbit brings these solutions from their siloed environment and integrates them into the routine clinical workflow to achieve holistic patient care and real impact.
The company’s vision is to truly enable early intervention and cost-effective management of chronic conditions by offering breakthrough digital health solutions to enable physicians to tailor and optimize care and empower patients to live their best possible lives.
Read more on Orbit Health’s webpage or in this article: What are the future prospects of health tech?
Notify Therapeutics focuses on the initial ovarian follicle development to help infertile women who do not benefit from today’s standard hormone treatment. The company uses first-in-class drug-inducing factors that regulate the intracellular AKT pathway; a major driver of follicle activation and a signal transductive pathway that promotes survival and growth in response to extracellular signals. The company has identified and validated a compound that activates the AKT pathway in a controlled manner and thus supports the activation of dormant follicles, a pre-request for fertility.
Read more on Notify Therapeutics’ webpage or in this article Meet the start-ups: Notify Therapeutics
Embark Biotech is a spin-out from the University of Copenhagen with the aim to pioneer novel drugs for metabolic diseases. Embark’s first program focuses on proprietary agonists to a novel receptor (EMB1), identified by our in-house discovery platform. EMB1 agonists act on adipose cells to absorb and burn sugar and fat and centrally reduce food intake. EMB1 has potential in several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and genetic forms of obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome. The main objective of Embark is to advance the development of an EMB1 agonist within Prader-Willi Syndrome.
The most significant unmet need for nearly all genetic forms of obesity is the uncontrolled desire to eat (i.e., hyperphagia). Embark seeks to make a breakthrough in this area by introducing a first-in-class drug countering hyperphagia in the most common form of genetic obesity, Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
PWS is an orphan disease characterized by intense hyperphagia, decreased metabolic rate, progressive weight gain, and an increased risk of severe obesity, diabetes, and related complications. Currently, no treatment for PWS hyperphagia exists. Embark has developed agonists for a novel receptor, EMB1, which profoundly decreases food intake and improves metabolic health in hyperphagic mouse models and obese, diabetic non-human primates. We expect that further preclinical development in PWS models will specifically reveal its potential for PWS.
Read more on Embark Biotech’s webpage or in this article: Six biotech start-ups to watch out for at BioEquity 2022
Pephexia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company working with the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based pharmacotherapies for the effective and convenient treatment of cachexia and related diseases.
Read more on Pephexia Therapeutics ‘s webpage or in this article: Meet the start-ups: Pephexia Therapeutics
Follow Pephexia Therapeutics on LinkedIn
Liver disease kills approximately two million people annually. Although organ transplant is a viable option to treat disease, many patients are not candidates for this type of treatment or die on the transplant waiting list. Stimuliver is developing a disruptive liver implant to treat critically failing liver function in humans. The implant will be placed underneath the skin to ‘top up’ the patient’s reduced liver function. Lab engineered liver tissue will be produced from human stem cells, providing a scalable and renewable source of human liver tissue. The development of the liver implant to clinical grade will give the patients a renewable treatment option for their disease.
EvodiaBio is a bio-industrial company producing sustainable, natural aromas for the food and beverage industry. Their disruptive yeast-based technology enables consumers to enjoy the benefits of non-alcoholic beer without having to compromise on taste.
Read more on EvodiaBio’s webpage or in this article: Meet the start-ups: EvodiaBio
HEI is a digital therapeutics company developing the world’s first medical-grade home monitoring solution for patients with hypothyroidism based on state-of-the-art microfluidics, microtechnology, and artificial intelligence. The HEI solution is developed in close collaboration with patients and clinicians and empowers patients to better manage their condition by providing new digital opportunities for continuous care. More than 200 million people suffer from hypothyroidism globally. Many patients are undiagnosed or not adequately medicated, leading to decreased quality of life, impaired job readiness, and elevated risks of comorbidities and mortality.
Meet the start-ups: HEI Therapeutics
Ampa Medical is introducing a new solution for collecting output from ostomies that is radically different than the current solution – the stoma bag. They wish to remove time-consuming, mental and physical obstacles related to using current stoma bags. By doing so, they hope to make a new and better life for people who live with a stoma.
Meet the start-ups: Ampa Medical ApS
Read more on Ampa Medical’s webpage
Start-up Residents
BII houses resident companies that rent access to the lab and office space on market terms. Feel free to contact BII’s Lab Manager Bo Heinemann for inquiries about renting lab and office space at BioInnovation Institute.
Meet the BII resident companies below.
Muna Therapeutics discovers and develops therapies that slow or stop devastating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Parkinson’s.
Learn more about Muna Therapeutics on their webpage
Follow Muna Therapeutics on LinkedIn
Embark Biotech is a spin-out from the University of Copenhagen with the aim to pioneer novel drugs for metabolic diseases. Embark’s first program focuses on proprietary agonists to a novel receptor (EMB1), identified by our in-house discovery platform. EMB1 agonists act on adipose cells to absorb and burn sugar and fat and centrally reduce food intake. EMB1 has potential in several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and genetic forms of obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome. The main objective of Embark is to advance the development of an EMB1 agonist within Prader-Willi Syndrome.
The most significant unmet need for nearly all genetic forms of obesity is the uncontrolled desire to eat (i.e., hyperphagia). Embark seeks to make a breakthrough in this area by introducing a first-in-class drug countering hyperphagia in the most common form of genetic obesity, Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
PWS is an orphan disease characterized by intense hyperphagia, decreased metabolic rate, progressive weight gain, and an increased risk of severe obesity, diabetes, and related complications. Currently, no treatment for PWS hyperphagia exists. Embark has developed agonists for a novel receptor, EMB1, which profoundly decreases food intake and improves metabolic health in hyperphagic mouse models and obese, diabetic non-human primates. We expect that further preclinical development in PWS models will specifically reveal its potential for PWS.
Read more on Embark Biotech’s webpage or in this article: Six biotech start-ups to watch out for at BioEquity 2022
Pephexia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company working with the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based pharmacotherapies for the effective and convenient treatment of cachexia and related diseases.
Read more on Pephexia Therapeutics ‘s webpage or in this article: Meet the start-ups: Pephexia Therapeutics
Follow Pephexia Therapeutics on LinkedIn
ComMIT Biologics is a biotech spin-out from Aarhus University developing a new type of immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. The company was founded on the discovery that the complement system – an important part of the innate immune system – can be potently directed to kill tumor cells using bi-specific single-domain antibodies. This discovery has been refined into a new platform technology that can be modified to target a variety of cancers efficiently.
Meet the start-ups: ComMit Biologics
Hemab Therapeutics is an emerging biotech company supported by Novo Holdings A/S with the aim to develop novel treatments for rare and underserved bleeding disorders. Based in Copenhagen, the company is led by a team of drug developers and scientists with deep expertise in haemophilia. Hemab Therapeutics has exclusive licenses to state-of-the-art antibody technologies from Novo Nordisk A/S and Genmab.
Enduro Genetics makes biobased production possible at any scale by self-selecting fermentations.
Read more on Enduro Genetics’ webpage or in this article: What are the future prospects for industrial biotechnology?
Follow Enduro Genetics on LinkedIn.
Sundew, formed in 2018, is a Danish-Dutch start-up biological technology venture focused on developing a range of biology-based technology platforms that enable the development of effective, affordable, environmentally benign products targeted at aquatic pests and diseases. Sundew is headquartered in Copenhagen.
Read more on Sundew’s webpage and in this article: Sundew receives financial boost and expands its technology platform
PokeAcell is developing personalized T cell therapies for late-stage solid tumors. T cells are the elite soldiers of our immune system and have the capacity to create a lasting response in solid tumor patients. PokeAcell’s ImmPACT technology mimics the natural stimulation of cancer-specific T cells outside the patient’s body. It creates a strong, safe and simple T cell product for Melanoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma. With PokeAcell’s insights into cancer antigens, the approach can be expanded to other cancers creating a new platform for T cell therapy.
UNIKUM Therapeutics is working on pDC’s – uniquely transforming Immunotherapy.
Twelve Bio uses state-of-the-art techniques in structural biology to manipulate and improve the abilities of CRISPR-Cas12a to recognize and cleave specific DNA sequences. They aim to obtain new CRISPR-Cas12a variants that can be used safely in gene-editing for therapeutical purposes. Twelve Bio is the first spin-out company from the NNF Center of protein Research where they obtained the first “movie” on how Cas12a moves from the recognition to the cleavage of the specific DNA target.
Read more on Twelve Bio’s webpage
Or read about them in this article: Meet the start-ups: Twelve Bio
Inprother is an immunotherapy company dedicated to developing the world’s first adaptive immune therapy capable of targeting immunosuppressive genes of ancient retroviruses that usually are dormant in the human genome. The retroviral genes are reactivated in cancer and are essential for tumor development. InProTher’s proprietary combination of novel technologies is designed to break tolerance to this unique antigen family, thus providing broad anti-cancer efficacy.
Learn more about InProTher on their webpage
Follow InProTher on LinkedIn
Or read about them in these articles:
BII start-up attracts corporate profile as CEO
Catching up with three BAA alumni start-ups
Two start-ups accepted in the Creation House program
Cirqle Biomedical has developed an innovative contraceptive for women without the many side effects of hormonal birth control. This product makes cervical mucus temporarily impenetrable to sperm. The barrier is established by a molecule that strongly interacts with cervical mucus and thereby reinforces the mucus to make it impenetrable for sperm cells. Sperm cells are trapped in the cervical mucus and maintained in the vaginal cavity, where the low pH environment of the vagina deactivates them.
Learn more about Cirqle Biomedical on their webpage
Follow Cirqle Biomedical on LinkedIn
Or read about them in these articles:
Ankrin Therapeutics is a biotech start-up developing first-in-class drugs for cancer treatment. Their novel and unique therapeutic strategies, founded on forefront high-quality research in cancer biology, target essential protein-protein interactions required for error-free DNA damage repair.
Visit Ankrin Therapeutics’ webpage to learn more
Follow Ankrin Therapeutics on LinkedIn
Or read about them in this article: Biotech company accepted into the Creation House program
Start-up Alumni
Meet the diverse BII start-up alumni below. The companies listed below have previously participated in our programs.
ComMIT Biologics is a biotech spin-out from Aarhus University developing a new type of immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. The company was founded on the discovery that the complement system – an important part of the innate immune system – can be potently directed to kill tumor cells using bi-specific single-domain antibodies. This discovery has been refined into a new platform technology that can be modified to target a variety of cancers efficiently.
Meet the start-ups: ComMit Biologics
FLASH diagnostics brings cutting-edge microscopy developments to the clinical diagnosis of cancer patients. Optical tissue clearing in combination with high-speed imaging identifies metastasizing tumor cells in large intact tissue volumes. We employ three-dimensional screening of entire cancer resections to enable the absolute quantification of cancer spread and precise patient staging.
Bioomix develops new microbial solutions that can replace fungicides, synthetic fertilizers, and antibiotics. Their approach is based on a 3D printed discovery platform that uses natural selection and synthetic ecology to capture microbes with beneficial properties. Our vision is to reduce microbial resistance and pollution and to make food production more sustainable.
Enduro Genetics makes biobased production possible at any scale by self-selecting fermentations.
Read more on Enduro Genetics’ webpage or in this article: What are the future prospects for industrial biotechnology?
Follow Enduro Genetics on LinkedIn.
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KT
Kesmalea Therapeutics is a British start-up, founded by Harry Finch. They are working on accelerating the discovery of novel protein degraders and providing an alternative approach for therapeutics with ‘PROTAC-like’ actions.
Read more about their research here.
Sundew, formed in 2018, is a Danish-Dutch start-up biological technology venture focused on developing a range of biology-based technology platforms that enable the development of effective, affordable, environmentally benign products targeted at aquatic pests and diseases. Sundew is headquartered in Copenhagen.
Read more on Sundew’s webpage and in this article: Sundew receives financial boost and expands its technology platform
Ciana Therapeutics is a clinical development-stage company led by an experienced team developing new therapies for diabetic retinopathy (DR). DR is a serious condition that afflicts 30% of patients with diabetes and leads to vision loss and blindness. Ciana is a spin-out from Zealand Pharma A/S that originally developed their lead drug therapy, Danegaptide. Danegaptide has a proven safety profile in humans, strong efficacy in pre-clinical DR models, and can uniquely address the need for more effective and earlier treatments in DR.
Read more on Ciana Therapeutics’ webpage and in this article: Six biotech start-ups to watch out for at BioEquity 2022
Follow Ciana Therapeutics on LinkedIn
2N Pharma is developing a disease-modifying new drug for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is building its case on 10 years of research led by Co-founder John Nieland. Participation in the Creation House program allows 2N to optimize its lead molecules and take significant steps towards clinical testing.
Read more on 2N Pharma’s webpage
Follow 2N Pharma on LinkedIn here
Three researchers from the Department of Biomedicine have founded their own company, Draupnir Bio, and set out to develop a new type of cholesterol-lowering medicine. With their knowledge of biochemistry, they could see that there was something the pharmaceutical industry had overlooked, which opened exciting opportunities.
“Our first results pointed in the right direction. We had the feeling that this could really end up being something big. When we applied for funding, we hardly dared write about it in funding applications because there were also representatives from the pharmaceutical companies among the assessors,” says Simon Glerup, an Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University.
The goal is to develop a pill that can prevent blood clots in the heart and which is also priced, so it is available to many people. By comparison, the current PCSK9-inhibitors are given as injections and cost almost DKK 30,000 a year per patient in Denmark.
Teitur Trophics is working on small peptides acting on the Sortilin family that is involved in neurogenerative diseases like Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Follow them on LinkedIn
Or read about them in this article:
PokeAcell is developing personalized T cell therapies for late-stage solid tumors. T cells are the elite soldiers of our immune system and have the capacity to create a lasting response in solid tumor patients. PokeAcell’s ImmPACT technology mimics the natural stimulation of cancer-specific T cells outside the patient’s body. It creates a strong, safe and simple T cell product for Melanoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma. With PokeAcell’s insights into cancer antigens, the approach can be expanded to other cancers creating a new platform for T cell therapy.
UNIKUM Therapeutics is working on pDC’s – uniquely transforming Immunotherapy.
Fermexa is a world class innovator in the field of pharmaceuticals based on polyphenols with a strong emphasis on flavonoids. Fermexa is creating a range of cutting-edge technologies for synthetic optimization of polyphenols, e.g. by fermentation as the company name implies. Fermexa is currently developing commercially scalable productions in close cooperation with global partners.
Blue Cell Therapeutics (RT) is an innovative Danish company that seeks to create value for patients, partners, employees, and investors by developing new stem/progenitor cell products and medical device technologies for chronic diseases to make Blue Cell therapy a global reference within regenerative medicine. RT’s vision is to introduce freshly isolated and cultured Blue Cell treatments as the gold standard in hospitals and clinics worldwide for treating conditions such as erectile dysfunction, lymphedema, and fistulas in Crohn’s disease.
BOOST cells (in vitro expanded mesenchymal stem cells) are developed to treat severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or Brittle Bone Disease in children and unborn babies. OI is an inherited severely handicapping disease that leads to, e.g., multiple fractures, short body stature, and pain.
BOOST Pharma believes that treating early before too much damage has occurred is beneficial. In an academic setting, they have previously treated four children and have demonstrated that the BOOST cells are safe and potentially effective. In an academic Horizon 2020-funded ongoing clinical phase I/II study, safety and efficacy in a larger patient group are investigated.
Follow BOOST Pharma on LinkedIn
Or read more about them in these articles: Meet the therapeutics start-up: BOOST Pharma and Six biotech start-ups to watch out for at BioEquity 2022
Secondcircle is transforming CO2 into business opportunities. The company is developing disruptive carbon capture and utilization technology (CCU) that converts CO2 into valuable products, including biochemicals and proteins. The solution is based on a novel approach to fixating CO2 using bacteria, significantly reducing operating and establishment costs. SecondCircle provides value to companies that are ready for a greener future.
Follow SecondCircle on LinkedIn
Read more about them in this article: Meet the bio-industrial start-up: SecondCircle
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XY
XY Therapeutics is developing a first-in-class therapy for male infertility. The company was founded in 2020 based on more than ten years of research in the endocrine crosstalk between the skeleton and the reproductive system.
Infertility affects 15% of all couples globally, and even though a malefactor is responsible in 40% of cases, we exclusively treat the woman for a male disease with hormonal and invasive therapy. Our discovery of the RANKL-signaling system in the human testis has opened a pathway for a new paradigm where male infertility can be treated by treating males with a RANKL inhibitor.
XY Therapeutics is currently repurposing the use of RANKL-inhibitors as a treatment for male infertility based on the company’s second medical patent and a patent on companion diagnostics to select the men that will benefit from the treatment. XY Therapeutics provides solutions for building families.
Ward 24/7 is an early-stage health tech company aiming to predict and prevent critical clinical events in hospital wards by transforming patient monitoring practice and technology. Based on 24/7 wireless vital sign monitoring, Ward 24/7 develops artificially intelligent algorithms that use machine learning to generate new medical knowledge.
The technology can help recognize clinical deterioration early enough to prevent unexpected and often fatal or critical events such as stroke and sepsis.
Read more about them in this article: Meet the digital health start-up: WARD 24/7
Chromologics is a Danish biotech company developing fungal fermentation solutions to produce novel, natural pigments. Using our proprietary fungal fermentation process, we can make pigments cost-competitively in a sustainable manner compared to existing natural colors, which are extracted at low yields from food sources. Our fungal strains are non-GMO, and our pigments are compatible with most dietary needs, including kosher, halal, and vegan diets.
Read more about Chromologics on their webpage or in this article with co-founder Gerit Tolborg: Meet the bio-industrial start-up: Chromologics
Paragit Solutions is a medical tech start-up specializing in developing the world’s first fully assisting tool for quantifying neurodegenerative diseases.
Read more about Paragit Solutions on their webpage or in this article with the CEO, Mohammad Filfil: Meet the health tech start-up: Paragit Solutions
Bifrost Biolabs makes biology easier by creating laboratory automation for the biotech industry, creating a novel high throughput sensor system that can give the user a high-quality biomass measurement to aid in the optimization of any fermentation process.
Learn more about Bifrost Biolabs on their webpage
Follow them on LinkedIn
Or read about them in this article: Meet the start-ups: Bifrost Biolabs
Octarine harnesses synthetic biology to develop functionally superior cannabinoid and psilocybin derivatives. Using their unique biosynthetic platform they engineer microorganisms to produce a range of natural and novel cannabinoid and psilocybin derived molecules with improved pharmacokinetic and therapeutic properties.
Learn more about Octarine on their webpage or in this article: Meet the start-ups: Octarine Bio
Proxi Biotech develops a BACTOVAC platform, overcoming the main barriers of traditional vaccine developing technologies allowing for new, highly needed vaccines to enter the market and fight multi-resistant bacteria.
Learn more about Proxi biotech on their webpage
Follow Proxi biotech on LinkedIn
Or read about them in these articles:
atSpiro makes biotechnology research faster and more efficient by digitizing the early stages of the strain screening pipeline – adding automatic control and collecting data at an unprecedented scale.
The current industry-standard strain screening process consists of several stages. One of which relies on shaker flasks and cotton balls – this is a weak link in an otherwise highly-developed and technical operation. Hundreds of experiments run in parallel at this stage, and potentially valuable strains are lost due to error-based changes in their environments. atSpiro industry-disrupting product will enhance the analysis of these strains to optimize the environments for future strains being screened.
Read more on atSpiro’s webpage
Or read about them in this article: Meet the start-ups
Mycropt offers tailored solutions for biotech, biopharma, and research companies that want to improve their protein production or diversify their product portfolio. They apply a unique platform technology to help customers enable the production of novel, difficult-to-express targets and enhance the yield of existing products.
Read more about Mycropt on their webpage
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Heart View Medical works with high-speed three-dimensional echocardiology for improved accuracy of irregularities in the heart. Currently, there are limitations to existing imaging methods in their ability to rapidly record cardiac events (at physiologic speeds). In the case of 3D echo, CT, and MRI, the problem is further confounded by the necessity to create images over multiple heartbeats where only portions of the image are obtained in a single heartbeat. Because of current slow imaging rates, it is likely that certain cardiac abnormalities remain undetectable.
Echocardiography would improve the understanding of arrhythmia development for electrophysiology procedures, shorten procedure time, and minimize patient risk.
Fermbiotics is a company developing natural fermented seaweed and plant products that support gut health.
They produce fermented plant and seaweed products as food ingredients, dietary supplements, and medical foods by combining prebiotics, probiotics, and bioactive compounds. This has resulted in a new category of fermented food ingredients and dietary supplements for humans and animals that can stimulate a positive gut microbiome (gut microflora).
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Bainan Biotech is developing a first-in-class bone-strengthening drug. The drug’s effect arises from boosting the body’s naturally occurring bone-strengthening response to a healthy meal. Not only nutrition and minerals in the food but also the body’s hormonal response to eating is very important for maintaining strong and healthy bones. Bainan Biotech’s drug stimulates the body’s bone-strengthening hormonal response to eating as a new way of treating osteoporosis.
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MedicQuant’s vision is to enable rapid and local tests for anticoagulants at the point of care to benefit patients. Currently, there are no readily available solutions to address blood levels of the anticoagulants called Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) at the point of care. MedicQuant has developed a novel technology, chip, and instrument that can detect DOACs, directly from whole blood within only 10 minutes. The elegant simplicity of their solution will provide a readily available test to use in individual departments at all hospitals.
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Lophora develops rapid-acting drugs for treatment-resistant depression. Lophora is developing an antidepressant with a novel mode of action that has the potential to work within days. The company has identified and patented a new class of proprietary ligands with a pharmacological profile similar to psilocybin, which has shown promising clinical results in the treatment of depression. Lophora is currently focusing on Treatment-Resistant Depression, but clinical data suggests that the novel treatment paradigm will apply to treating anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse.
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BAA alumni funded with DKK 10M in Creation House
Aptol Pharma aims to develop and promote novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for people with autoimmune diseases while creating a successful business.
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Twelve Bio uses state-of-the-art techniques in structural biology to manipulate and improve the abilities of CRISPR-Cas12a to recognize and cleave specific DNA sequences. They aim to obtain new CRISPR-Cas12a variants that can be used safely in gene-editing for therapeutical purposes. Twelve Bio is the first spin-out company from the NNF Center of protein Research where they obtained the first “movie” on how Cas12a moves from the recognition to the cleavage of the specific DNA target.
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Embios is creating novel drug-enhanced biomaterials for improved fracture healing and bone repair, thus filling an unmet need for optimal bone healing and improved patient quality of life.
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Metabolyzer represents the next step in human gut microbiome analysis. They are developing a range of services that will provide precise metabolic insights on the basis of amplicon or shotgun metagenome sequencing data. Based on more than twenty years of research, their digital metabolism approach translates the microbial crosstalk on a molecular level enabling a mechanistic understanding of the processes underlying an individual’s response to pre-biotics and changes in diet. They are primarily targeting human gut microbiome businesses who want to make sure that they get the most of their data.
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Finding a better way to help organ or stem cell transplant recipients recover from transplantation, by developing a cure for frequent CMV infections. Their drug candidate SYNx is a highly effective, potent, and fast-acting CMV-specific immunotoxin with the unique ability to kill lytic and latently infected cells. Its unique mechanism allows for stand-alone and combination therapy. Their technology will pave the way to better patient health and a better transplant economy.
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STipe Therapeutics focuses on harnessing the innate immune system to battle cancer. The company has developed first-in-class drugs targeting intracellular protein-protein interactions of the STING Pathway, a major driver of innate immunity and regulator of tumorigenesis and autoimmune disorders. The company has identified and validated compounds that sensitize the STING pathway and modulate the tumor microenvironment to support a potent anti-tumoral response.
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Dedicated to improving life quality for millions of people who suffer from diabetes, Pancryos is developing a next-generation stem cell-derived cell therapy PanINSULA. PanINSULA is a stem cell-based cell therapy to replace the damaged insulin-producing beta cells mistakenly destroyed during the autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes.
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Kariya Pharmaceuticals is developing first-in-class disease-modifying agents to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Inprother is an immunotherapy company dedicated to developing the world’s first adaptive immune therapy capable of targeting immunosuppressive genes of ancient retroviruses that usually are dormant in the human genome. The retroviral genes are reactivated in cancer and are essential for tumor development. InProTher’s proprietary combination of novel technologies is designed to break tolerance to this unique antigen family, thus providing broad anti-cancer efficacy.
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BII start-up attracts corporate profile as CEO
Catching up with three BAA alumni start-ups
Two start-ups accepted in the Creation House program
Cirqle Biomedical has developed an innovative contraceptive for women without the many side effects of hormonal birth control. This product makes cervical mucus temporarily impenetrable to sperm. The barrier is established by a molecule that strongly interacts with cervical mucus and thereby reinforces the mucus to make it impenetrable for sperm cells. Sperm cells are trapped in the cervical mucus and maintained in the vaginal cavity, where the low pH environment of the vagina deactivates them.
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Ankrin Therapeutics is a biotech start-up developing first-in-class drugs for cancer treatment. Their novel and unique therapeutic strategies, founded on forefront high-quality research in cancer biology, target essential protein-protein interactions required for error-free DNA damage repair.
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Or read about them in this article: Biotech company accepted into the Creation House program
Adcendo ApS is a biotech company dedicated to developing new types of anti-cancer drugs. They focus on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) directed at novel targets overexpressed by several cancer forms, all characterized by a significant unmet need for novel treatment.
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