Following the U.K.’s Brexit, the European Medicines Agency made Amsterdam it’s new home. This move provides a significant boost to the pharmaceutical industry in Holland. Many biotech companies have opened new offices and manufacturing facilities in the city. Besides this, several biotech startups have mushroomed in the region.
When it comes to Holland, Leiden is one of the cities where there is a high concentration of biotech startups. Many students graduating from this university come up with spin-offs that are quite successful. This also includes biotech as these companies. Well, biotech is a constantly evolving industry and finds a slew of applications including cost-effective genome sequencing, 3D biopriting, organs-on-chips, etc.
Without further ado, here we list some fastest growing biotech startups in Leiden as sourced from Dealroom.
Mimetas
Founders: Jos Joore, Paul Vulto, Thomas Hankemeier
Funding: €36.6 million
Valuation: $116 million – $174 million
Founded Year: 2013
Why its hot: Mimetas is touted to be the pioneers in the organ-on-a-chip biology. Mimetas works with the vision to create the simplest device to handle the most complex 3D biology. Called OrganoPlate, this device redefines the future of 3D tissue models. This device is produced at the company’s production facility in Enschede.
Ncardia
Founders: Stefan Braam
Funding: €17 million
Valuation: €42 million – €63 million
Founded Year: 2017
Why its hot: Ncardia was formed in 2017 following an acquisition by Pluriomics. It is a privately held stem cell drug discovery and development company with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Ncardia believes that stem cell technology helps give patients faster access to safer and better medicines with improved drug discovery and development. Besides this, Ncardia offers custom manufacturing of IPSC-derived cells to scale.
2-BBB.com
Founders: Pieter Gaillard
Founded Year: 2003
Why its hot: 2-BBB is a spin-off company from Blood-Brain Barrier Research Group of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) from Leiden University. The company aims to transform the lives of patients suffering from brain diseases. It operates from the Bio Science Park in Leiden, which is dedicated to brain research.
DCPrime
CEO: Erik Manting
Funding: €17 million
Valuation: €60 million – €90 million
Founded Year: 2006
Why its hot: DCPrime is a front-runner in the field of relapse vaccines, which is a new class of oncology vaccines. It is usually administered after the care therapy to delay or prevent disease recurrence. Relapse vaccines improve the patients’ survival and ensure to maintain their immune system in good shape. The core product of DCPrime is DCP-001, which is a cell-based vaccine addressing blood cancer, which has a high relapse risk.
Batavia Biosciences
Founders: Christopher Yallop, Menzo Havenga
Funding: €7.3 million
Founded Year: 2010
Why its hot: Batavia Biosciences focuses on accelerating the transition of biopharmaceutical products. It ensures improved success at a low cost. Batavia Biosciences operates with the mission to be recognised as a centre of excellence in clinical manufacturing and biopharmaceutical R&D. It reduces human suffering from infectious diseases.
ZoBio
Founders: Rob Heetebrij
Funding: €740k
Founded Year: 2004
Why its hot: ZoBio is a spin-off of Leiden University. It is self-funded and offers research services on a fee-for-service basis across biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The key activities of the biotech company is centered around the development and commercialisation of biophysical technologies that result in new approaches in the field of drug development.
Prothix
CEO: Rene Verdonk
Funding: €660k
Founded Year: 2011
Why its hot: Prothix is biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of protein therapeutics for inflammatory and coagulation disorders. Prothix seeks the cooperation of strategic alliances with academic groups and companies to optimise their commercial value.
OcellO
CEO: Leo Price
Funding: €330k
Founded Year: 2011
Why its hot: OcellO is a contract research organisation based on technology developed at the Leiden University. It is an innovative biotech company offering CRO services for drug discovery to improve the efficiency of the process. It develops clinically relevant in vitro human micro-tissue models that are used for screening and profiling of small biologics and molecules.
Fibriant
Founders: Jaap Koopman, Jos Grimbergen
Funding: €300k
Valuation: €1 million – €2 million
Founded Year: 2015
Why its hot: Fibriant operates with the goal to create and develop innovative healthcare solutions based on the unique properties of human fibrinogen. Its R&D facility is located in the Bioscience Park next adjacent to the Leiden University. The company uses the fibrinogen technology platform for internal product development. It also has an extensive network of academic and industrial collaborations to support R&D activities.
In Ovo
Founders: Wouter Bruins, Wil Stutterheim
Funding: €250k
Valuation: €800k – €1 million
Founded Year: 2013
Why its hot: In Ovo combines animal welfare and efficiency by providing biotechnological solutions to the poultry industry. Currently, the company focuses on a long-existing problem in the hatcheries, which is the culling of one-day-old male chicks. There are several advantages of having a gender screening in the first stage of breeding. It reduces the stress experienced by chickens, reduces CO2 emission and energy consumption of the hatchery. Eventually, hatcheries become more sustainable and animal-friendly.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.
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