Biotech is a sector that continues to evolve constantly. Numerous biotech startups are launched in Europe every year and these attract a record amount of investments.
By taking advantage of modern technologies, biotech startups have helped in a lot of ways. They have reduced the expenses involved in reading the genome of a person. Also, researchers are now able to screen DNA to patients in order to find the most suitable treatment with cost-effective genome sequencing. Further now, there are technologies such as 3D bioprinting, organs-on-chips and organoids that are helping mimic the behaviour of human tissues to improve the entire testing process.
Recently, StartupCity Magazine had shortlisted the most promising biotech startups in Europe. Of these, the Dutch biotech startup LipoCoat has been named the European Biotech Startup of the Year. Today, we take a look at these innovative startups and you should give it a read too.
Biohope (Spain)
Founders: Isabel Portero
Funding: €380k
Valuation: €1 million – €2 million
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: Biohope is a Spanish research and development company dedicated to developing unique precision medicine IVD tools. These are meant to personalise existing and future treatments for chronic inflammatory conditions. Biohope has developed an IVD kit called Immunobiogram, which is meant to personalise drug treatment for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and renal transplant.
BioMed X (Germany)
Founders: Christian Tidona, Ann De Beuckelaer
Founded Year: 2013
Why its hot: BioMed X is an exciting collaboration model at the interface between industry and academia. This program involves distinguished early-career scientists from across the world to work on novel pre-clinical research projects in molecular biology, diagnostics, cell biology, biomedicine and consume care. BioMed X carries out groundbreaking biomedical research in an open innovation lab at the University of Heidelberg campus in Germany.
4HF Biotec (Germany)
Founders: Heinz-Herbert Feibig
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: 4HF Biotec specialises in bioinformatics and data analytics to help in discovering innovative therapies to treat cancers. The company has built unique proprietary databases and a dedicated platform to diagnose cancer across diversities. The team at 4HF Biotec includes experts in genomics, bioinformatics, anticancer drug evaluation and medical oncology working together in the identification and evaluation of anticancer drugs.
AURUM Biosciences (UK)
Founders: Jim McGuire, Graeme Deuchar
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: AURUM Biosciences helps in developing novel oxygen carriers and proprietary software to be used with MRI for AIS (Acute Ischaemic Stroke). The biotech company is currently working on a stroke management product called GOLD. AURUM develops novel pharmaceuticals to be used in numerous different clinical indications of on-demand medical need.
Carbiotix (Sweden)
Founders: Kristofer Cook, Peter Falck
Funding: €750k
Valuation: €2 million – €3 million
Founded Year: 2014
Why its hot: Carbiotix is a Swedish biotech startup, which brings two-pronged value proposition involving low-cost gut health testing services. It also develops novel microbiome therapeutics based on isolated strains, proprietary fibres and novel delivery mechanisms. Carbiotix has revolutionised gut health test by providing it for as low as $29, which is half the cost of the other gut testing options.
Cellevate (Sweden)
Founders: Maximilian Ottosson, Albin Jakobsson
Funding: €250k
Founded Year: 2014
Why its hot: Cellevate is an innovative biotech company involved in developing next-generation cell culture systems. This startup creates highly porous and consistent networks of nanofibres using a patented manufacturing process. The objective of Cellevate is to provide life science researchers with realistic in-vitro models for relevant and successful research.
Eligo Bioscience (France)
Founders: David Bikard, Luciano Marraffini, Timothy Lu, Xavier Duportet
Founded Year: 2014
Why its hot: Eligo Bioscience is a French startup developing drugs to treat bacteria-associated diseases. It is developing the world’s first programmable biotherapeutics platform designed to treat bacteria-related diseases and improve overall microbiome health. The new generation of drugs and eligobiotics customise therapeutic payload to specific types of bacteria. On finding the target, the nanobots either kill the bacteria or convert the same into drug producers.
Enpicom (Netherlands)
Founders: Dr. Nicola Bonzanni, Dr. Alvise Trevisan, Jos Lunenberg
Founded Year: 2017
Why its hot: Enpicom,  a biomedical software development company uses computational biology to build solutions to improve people’s lives and health. Incorporated in 2017, Enpicom aims at bringing innovative products supporting the development, guidance, and monitoring of immunotherapies to the market. Their first product under development is a T-cell receptor and B-cell receptor repertoire analysis platform.
Hudson River Biotechnology (Netherlands)
Founders: Rudi Ariaans, Ferdinand Los
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: Hudson River Biotechnology is a biotech startup involved in the development of CRISPR-enabling platform technologies. The company is specialised in genetically optimising crops and introducing new traits. It is one of the European pioneers involved in the global plant biotech race. Hudson River Biotechnology has established a name for itself in the market for its cutting-edge technological developments and disruptive innovations.
ImmunOS Therapeutics (Switzerland)
Founders: Osiris Marroquin Belaunzaran, Med Christoph Renner
Founded Year: 2014
Why its hot: ImmunOS Therapeutics is a spin-off of the University of Basel and University of Zurich. It is involved in the discovery and development of the next-generation of novel human immunomodulatory proteins to treat cancer and have direct anti-tumour effects. The company’s objective is to develop novel therapeutics that will improve the lives of those suffering from serious ailments.
Lactobio (Denmark)
Founders: Søren Kjærulff
Why its hot: Lactobio has developed a proprietary discovery and screening platform to identify the best probiotic strains that target microbiome dysfunctions that are associated with specific diseases. Lactobio is dedicated to developing innovative microbial products that fight bacterial infections such as multi-resistant bacteria.
LipoCoat (Netherlands)
Founders: Jasper van Weerd, Pascal Jonkheijm
Funding: €3.3 million
Valuation: $18 million – $27 million
Founded Year: 2016
Why its hot: LipoCoat is involved in engineering and manufacturing bio-inspired coatings that improve the comfort, safety and performance of medical devices including implants, contact lenses and catheters. The Dutch biotech startup aims to fight life-threatening bacterial infections in hospital environments with its natural bacteria repelling coating based on nanotechnology.
Oblique Therapeutics (Sweden)
Founders: Owe Orwar, Carolina Trkulja
Funding: €2.3 million
Valuation: $10 million – $15 million
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: Oblique Therapeutics is a biotech company focusing on the development of drugs for severe ailments with large unmet medical requirements including pain, diabetes and advanced cancer. The startup has developed a game-changing antibody platform called Abiprot using its patented biologics. This platform identifies new therapeutic antibodies.
TC BioPharm Limited (UK)
Founders: Angela Scott, Artin Moussavi, David Gallagher, Michael Leek
Funding: €30.6 million
Valuation: £48 million – £72 million
Founded Year: 2013
Why its hot: TC BioPharm operates with the mission to develop and commercialise innovative cell-based products to cure specific diseases and improve both the health and quality of life of the patients. Currently, TC BioPharm is developing the next-generation CAR-T products based on proprietary and patented processes using clinically proven GDT backbone.
TILT Biotherapeutics (Finland)
Founders: Akseli Hemminki
Funding: €11.8 million
Valuation: €40 million – €60 million
Founded Year: 2013
Why its hot: TILT Biotherapeutics is a leading biotech company aimed at developing a new cancer treatment using oncolytic immunotherapy. As advanced solid tumourstumors are tough to treat with existing treatment options that are limited, TILT Technology combines preclinical data with immunotherapy agents such as T-cells and checkpoint inhibitors and has demonstrated 100% cure rates.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.
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