National Growth Fund invests €1.4M in seven Twente-based biotech projects: Know more

Seven biotechnology projects from Twente have received €1.4M in funding and support from the National Growth Fund’s BioTech Booster initiative.

Among the projects are innovations such as rapid diagnostic tools for life-threatening diseases and an immunotherapy booster to enhance cancer treatment. 

The BioTech Booster programme, which supported 54 projects nationwide in November, provides funding, mentorship, and access to the national BioTech network to help researchers advance from ideas to investment-ready proposals. 

The Twente projects, spinouts from the University of Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences, underscore the region’s role in positioning the Netherlands as a global leader in biotechnology.

Detecting infectious diseases in minutes

Occam Dx, a University of Twente spin-off, is collaborating with Saxion’s Applied Nanotechnology research group to develop ORCHIDD, a technology for diagnosing infectious diseases in minutes. 

Unlike traditional methods, which can take 3 to 5 days, ORCHIDD provides rapid and accurate detection of bacteria and viruses. It addresses critical challenges such as sepsis, which accounts for 1 in 5 deaths globally. 

With support from the BioTech Booster programme, Occam Dx aims to secure investment and commercialise its life-saving diagnostic technology, potentially reducing healthcare costs.

Enhancing cancer treatment

The Twente-based BioTech Booster project aims to enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Led by Jai Prakash, a professor at the University of Twente, the initiative seeks to address the low response rate (10-15 per cent) of current immunotherapies for solid tumours. 

The approach involves reprogramming white blood cells and reactivating immune cells to strengthen the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. 

By boosting existing therapies, the project hopes to improve treatment outcomes and provide more effective options for cancer patients.

Brief about BioTech Booster 

The BioTech Booster programme, funded with nearly €250M from the National Growth Fund in April 2022, aims to accelerate the valorisation of biotechnology research.

The initiative seeks to transform biotechnological knowledge into valuable innovations more efficiently by fostering collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, and companies.

The programme identifies and develops promising biotechnology ideas through a phased approach. Selected proof-of-principle (PoP) projects, created through collaborations between researchers and entrepreneurs, receive up to €200K in funding and two years of intensive guidance. 

The most successful projects progress to a second phase, receiving €1.9M and support from experienced entrepreneurs to develop commercial or investment-ready propositions. 

At the programme’s conclusion, BioTech Booster facilitates partnerships to help projects scale as startups or integrate into existing companies, driving innovation and economic growth in the biotech sector.