BioInnovation Institute (BII), a Copenhagen-based non-profit innovation hub established by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, is supporting 11 new startups through its 12-month Venture Lab programme.

Funding Details

Each company receives €500,000 in convertible loan funding, along with access to laboratory infrastructure, mentorship, business expertise, and BII’s investor network of more than 200 national and international investors.

Objectives and Focus Areas

BII supports early-stage life science startups and research projects by providing funding, laboratory facilities, mentoring, and business development support. The goal is to translate scientific research into commercial ventures, focusing on areas including human health, biotechnology, and planetary health. The institute aims to develop technologies and solutions based on scientific discoveries that address societal and environmental challenges.

Statement

Trine Bartholdy, Chief Business Officer at BII, stated that these eleven startups are aligned with BII’s mission to enable entrepreneurs to commercialise innovative solutions and technologies that address current and future societal challenges.

Overall Impact

With the addition of this new cohort, BII has supported a total of 142 companies with €145 million in funding. These companies have collectively attracted around €1.1 billion in external investments and financing.

Supported Startups

The eleven companies receiving support are:

  • 2D: developing scalable graphene-based technologies aimed at supporting sustainable industrial applications.
  • Vasuqi: developing light-based solutions to remove complex industrial pollutants and support water reuse.
  • Cerentry: developing approaches for systemic drug delivery to the brain.
  • Étiquette: developing fermentation-based processes to produce alcohol-free wine while maintaining flavour and structure.
  • Combotope Therapeutics: developing tumour-selective antibodies that target cancer-specific glyco-epitopes to improve precision in cancer therapies.
  • Anorit Medical: developing an automated ventilation device designed to assist bystanders in responding to cardiac arrest situations.
  • Equilibrium Diagnostics: developing non-invasive diagnostic tools to assess kidney tubular function in chronic kidney disease.
  • Ibnova Therapeutics: developing vascularised engineered heart tissue patches aimed at supporting new approaches to heart repair.
  • Heureka Therapeutics: developing a dual-acting molecule intended to restore liver function in patients with fatty liver disease.
  • 1st Biome: developing next-generation probiotics designed to support improved health outcomes.
  • QFactory: developing customised quantum systems for advanced sensing technologies.