Nijmegen, the Netherlands-based QurieGen, cellular technology company, has raised €2.2M in a pre-seed funding round.
The project has been backed by a syndicate of investors from the CEE region: Tensor Ventures, Lighthouse Ventures, BSV Ventures, Moondust Ventures, and 22 Hor Invest.
Additionally, venture US capital investor Tim Draper of Draper Associates (who invested in companies like SpaceX, Tesla, Bitcoin, Carta), also participated in the round.
The company will use the funds to develop advanced AI-based technology aimed at accelerating drug development progress in oncology.
“At the time I was diagnosed as an oncological patient, we were developing groundbreaking single-cell technology alongside a multidisciplinary team of scientists and pharma experts in the
Netherlands. At the same time, there was a request from a pharmaceutical company to study a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration as it did not work as expected. This was our first paid project in which we designed a special technology to study single cells. Eventually, this project and two others with pharmaceutical companies led to the creation of the startup QurieGen, which I currently lead”, Kinga Matuła describes.
QurieGen: De-risking drug development
Started as a spin-off of Radbound University, QurieGen was founded to accelerate and de-risk drug development through a faster, more affordable, and more data-driven approach.
The company’s platform-based approach combines proprietary technology for cellular mapping, single-cell genomics, and advanced data science to build predictive disease biology and drug response models, reducing risks and accelerating drug discovery.
Led by Dr. Eng. Kinga Matula, QurieGen develops QuRIE-seq, a platform providing patented single-cell technology that enhances the drug discovery and development process.
It enables the decoding of cellular responses by simultaneously quantifying mRNA molecules, as well as hundreds of membrane proteins, intracellular proteins, and phosphoproteins
This helps pharmaceutical companies accelerate and reduce the cost of developing new and more effective treatments.
“Google Maps for cells”
Dr. Eng. Kinga Matula, CEO and co-founder, describes QurieGen as a pioneer in building a solution — “Google Maps for cells” — with the potential to save millions of lives affected by serious medical conditions.
QurieGen currently operates at the interface between the Netherlands and Poland, leveraging the advanced scientific base in the Netherlands and the Polish technology ecosystem.
The startup is thriving on many levels. In addition to winning the Draper Hero (July 2022), it also won the top spot in the Extreme Tech Challenge 2024.
Selected for NATO DIANA program
QurieGen has just been recognized as one of the top seventy-four startups selected from a pool of 2.600 applicants to participate in the prestigious NATO DIANA program.
This accelerator program supports the development of dual-use technologies, i.e., innovations applicable in the civilian and defense sectors.
As part of the program, QurieGen will receive €100.000 in funding, have access to more than 180 test centers, and participate in one of 13 dedicated accelerators.
“This is an incredible honor for us and a significant milestone in our journey,” says Maciej Jarząb, COO and co-founder.
“Being part of the NATO DIANA program not only validates our technology but also provides us with a unique opportunity to develop dual-use solutions that can have a meaningful impact in both the commercial and defense sectors. This selection serves as a powerful catalyst for our growth, opening doors to new partnerships, cutting-edge research, and global expansion,” concludes Jarzab.
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