Cordys Analytics Awarded Prestigious Eurostars Grant for AI-Powered Cardiovascular Diagnostics Project

Cordys Analytics is proud to announce that it has been awarded a prestigious Eurostars grant. This grant, aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration among small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe, will significantly enhance Cordys Analytics’ research and development capabilities.

The €800,000 funding will be directed towards developing an AI-powered platform for analyzing stress ECGs (e.g., bike or treadmill tests). This project aims to deliver state-of-the-art cardiovascular diagnostic tools to clients, furthering Cordys Analytics’ mission.

The initiative will be a collaborative effort with MedicalCSE, an SME based in Barcelona specializing in Holter devices, as well as UMC Utrecht and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. The collaboration will significantly enhance stress testing, benefiting both diagnostic and preventive healthcare.

This recognition underscores Cordys Analytics’ commitment to excellence and innovation in AI-powered heart diagnostics.

For more information: https://cordys.health/

 

CryoCloud secures a 500k pre-seed investment to accelerate structure- based drug design with their cloud-native cryo-EM data analysis platform

We are happy to welcome our new portfolio company Cryocloud! Together with Nina Capital and ROM Utrecht Region we have invested € 500K to help the company in their mission to accelerate protein structure determination.

We believe the company holds great promise to expand the use of CryoEM in drug development, with their cloud-based data analysis platform and are looking forward to working together! 🔬

For more information read the press release below:

• CryoCloud, a dutch biotech startup that developed a proprietary data analysis platform, closed a pre-seed round at 500k Euros
• Their cloud-based cryoEM data analysis platform enables the fast and scalable determination of 3D protein structures used for drug discovery
• CryoCloud will use the funding to expand the capabilities of its platform to better support scientists and streamline data analysis

CryoCloud, a biotech startup based in Utrecht, has recently secured a significant milestone in its journey to revolutionize the field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), closing a €500k pre-seed funding round. Co-founded in 2021 by Robert Englmeier, Ilja Gubins, and Boy Persoon, CryoCloud has rapidly progressed from its conceptual stages, through various accelerator programs, to the launch of a pioneering cloud- based data analysis platform designed to enhance the accessibility and efficiency of cryo-EM in drug development and research.

This round was led by Nina Capital, with significant contributions from Utrecht Health Seed Fund and ROM Utrecht Region, underscoring the confidence in CryoCloud’s potential to disrupt the traditional cryo-EM landscape. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo- EM) is a Nobel Prize winning technique for determining the 3D structure of proteins, and is increasingly used for structure-based drug design. Unlike predictive tools such as DeepMind’s AlphaFold, cryoEM allows scientists to determine protein structures experimentally and visualize relevant targets in their native or drug-bound state.

CryoCloud’s platform addresses the critical challenges faced by the scientific community, including the high costs, complexity, and inefficiencies associated with traditional cryo-EM compute infrastructure. By offering scalable cloud storage and powerful data analysis workflows through a user-friendly web app, CryoCloud is making advanced research tools more accessible to scientists worldwide, reducing the need for extensive infrastructure and specialized knowledge.

This recent investment underscores the confidence in CryoCloud’s potential to disrupt the status quo. Marta-Gaia Zanchi, Founder & Managing Partner at Nina Capital remarked, “CryoCloud’s innovative approach to leveraging cloud technology in cryo-EM is not just a major step for structural biology, but a testament to the transformative power of digital solutions in the life sciences sector.”

The funding will be instrumental in further developing CryoCloud’s platform, with a focus on adding advanced data analysis features and integrating AI to optimize cryoEM data processing. This aligns with the broader industry trend towards digitalization and automation in the life sciences, which promises to enhance research efficiency and reduce turnaround times for critical projects.

 

On the company’s progress, Irene van de Poll, Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht, notes “The team at CryoCloud have managed to build out their cloud-based platform in a short time and are already creating traction. Their technology can have an enormous impact on the speed of development in the life sciences sector.”

Reflecting on the importance of innovation in the field, Robert Englmeier, CEO of CryoCloud, stated, “The landscape and throughput of cryo-EM has evolved significantly in the last 6 years, yet the way data is analyzed remained the same – leading to bottlenecks and creating entrance barriers. Our mission is to make cryo-EM more accessible and to streamline the research process, which is now possible with our platform.”

“We are happy to invest in CryoCloud’s solutions, to make the complex and costly process of CryoEM analysis more accessible to the researcher” said Timo Koopmans, Investment Manager at the Utrecht Health Seed Fund. “Their platform has the potential to greatly expand the use of CryoEM in the life sciences.”

As CryoCloud prepares for its next phase of growth, it is poised to attract further investment and forge partnerships with leading companies and key opinion leaders in the field. The startup’s vision to simplify and accelerate cryo-EM data analysis resonates with the broader industry’s move towards more integrated, efficient, and automated research methodologies, promising a brighter future for scientific discoveries and innovation.

About CryoCloud:
CryoCloud was founded in 2021 by Robert Englmeier, Ilja Gubins and Boy Persoon with the goal to make cryo-EM more accessible and eliminate current inefficiencies of data analysis, storage and management. CryoCloud’s cloud-based data analysis platform is accessible via a web-app through a subscription, and is used globally by scientists from universities, biotechs & cryo-EM facilities. CryoCloud is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, where Robert Englmeier and Ilja Gubins conducted their PhD studies in applied and computational cryoEM, respectively.

More info on CryoCloud at
www.cryocloud.io

About Nina Capital:
Nina Capital is a specialized venture capital firm investing exclusively at the intersection of healthcare and technology. With an international outlook from our home in Europe, we seed and support need-driven founders committed to improving healthcare with the help of technology.

More on us at www.nina.capital.

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund

Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF) is an early-stage life sciences & health investment fund based out of Utrecht, The Netherlands, focused on scalable technologies in the field of Life Sciences (therapeutics and diagnostics), Medical Devices, Digital Health, and Animal Health in the earliest stages of development. UHSF is established by Utrecht Holdings with the assistance and support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), UMC Utrecht, and the University of Utrecht.

For more information, please visit www.uhsf.nl.

About ROM Utrecht Region:
ROM Utrecht Region is a social impact investor that increases access to capital for innovative companies in the region. The ROM invests in the major transition sectors that are important for tomorrow’s economy: digital, health and sustainability. To realize the financing for these companies, the ROM works together with many partners within and outside the region. The ROM has two funds: the Healthy Urban Living Proof Of Concept (HUL POC) Fund and the Participation Fund. The HUL POC fund is made possible by co-financing from the Province of Utrecht and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The investment in CryoCloud comes from the HUL POC fund.

 

Ascencia raises seed capital investment for further development of their lab digitization technology

UTRECHT, Netherlands – Utrecht Health Seed Fund and imec.istart invest 300K+ euros in Ascenscia.

 

Ascenscia is an emerging tech startup in laboratory automation. Their product comprises a highly specialized voice assistant for scientific laboratories. It understands scientific terminologies and workflows efficiently and enables scientists to communicate with other lab systems by voice.

Ascenscia’s goal is to change the traditional ways of documenting scientific research on paper, which is affecting the quality and reproducibility of scientific data. Such inefficiencies cost scientists valuable time, cause distractions and contribute to loss of important data. Using Ascenscia is proven to save scientists time spent on manual documentation, enhance the quality of data captured in the lab and increase their productivity by lowering distractions.

Prior to this funding round, Ascenscia had raised 150K in government grants and convertible debt. Most recently, they were awarded a Rabo Innovation loan of 150K.

“We believe Ascencia’s application will be very appreciated by laboratory researchers around the world”, said Timo Koopmans, Investment manager at Utrecht Health Seed Fund. “Given its convenience of use and native integration with existing laboratory software, it has the potential to save precious time in the lab that can be spent on research instead of administration and documentation.”

“Ascenscia successfully participated in the imec.istart.nl acceleration program.” said Tim de Kraker, Venture Acceleration Manager at imec.istart.nl. “Seeing them validating their business case with potential customers and working towards product market fit, we have learned that their solution supports both medical and chemical R&D companies to develop faster and be better in re-producing experiments.”

The team is located at UtrechtInc, the university startup incubator in the heart of the Utrecht Science Park.

About Ascenscia

Ascenscia develops a highly specialized voice assistant phone app for scientific labs. It is built in a modular way to integrate seamlessly with various lab systems like ELNs, LIMS and machines. It enables scientists to access and document data through simple, hands-free voice commands.

Ascenscia media contact

Ahmed Khalil, a.khalil@ascenscia.ai, https://www.ascenscia.ai/

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund B.V.

Utrecht Health Seed Fund supports science-driven innovation in the field of Life Sciences and Health, with a strong economic tie to the province of Utrecht. In a stage of technological development where funding is often scarce, Utrecht Health Seed Fund aims to provide the capital needed to bridge the gap towards follow-on funding.

Utrecht Health Seed Fund media contact

Timo Koopmans, Investment Manager

timo.koopmans@utrechtholdings.nl

www.uhsf.nl

About imec.istart

imecistart.nl – the accelerator program founded by imec.istart and Novel-T – is the first investor and supporting partner to scale your tech startup. The imec.istart program offers a broad range of services such as initial financial injection (in the Netherlands 100,000 up to 250,000 EUR pre-seed funding), personal coaching and mentoring, access to technology and working facilities, access to a broad (inter)national network of partners and investors and more. Since its launch in 2011, imec.istart helped more than 300 tech startups in diverse fields to develop into sustainable ventures. imec.istart is ranked world’s best university linked Business Accelerator by UBI Global.

imec.istart.nl media contact

Cindy Marsman

c.marsman@novelt.com

www.imecistart.nl

Ascenscia is an emerging tech startup in laboratory automation. Their product comprises a highly specialized voice assistant for scientific laboratories. It understands scientific terminologies and workflows efficiently and enables scientists to communicate with other lab systems by voice.

Ascenscia’s goal is to change the traditional ways of documenting scientific research on paper, which is affecting the quality and reproducibility of scientific data. Such inefficiencies cost scientists valuable time, cause distractions and contribute to loss of important data. Using Ascenscia is proven to save scientists time spent on manual documentation, enhance the quality of data captured in the lab and increase their productivity by lowering distractions.

Prior to this funding round, Ascenscia had raised 150K in government grants and convertible debt. Most recently, they were awarded a Rabo Innovation loan of 150K.

“We believe Ascencia’s application will be very appreciated by laboratory researchers around the world”, said Timo Koopmans, Investment manager at Utrecht Health Seed Fund. “Given its convenience of use and native integration with existing laboratory software, it has the potential to save precious time in the lab that can be spent on research instead of administration and documentation.”

“Ascenscia successfully participated in the imec.istart.nl acceleration program.” said Tim de Kraker, Venture Acceleration Manager at imec.istart.nl. “Seeing them validating their business case with potential customers and working towards product market fit, we have learned that their solution supports both medical and chemical R&D companies to develop faster and be better in re-producing experiments.”

The team is located at UtrechtInc, the university startup incubator in the heart of the Utrecht Science Park.

About Ascenscia

Ascenscia develops a highly specialized voice assistant phone app for scientific labs. It is built in a modular way to integrate seamlessly with various lab systems like ELNs, LIMS and machines. It enables scientists to access and document data through simple, hands-free voice commands.

Ascenscia media contact

Ahmed Khalil, a.khalil@ascenscia.ai, https://www.ascenscia.ai/

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund B.V.

Utrecht Health Seed Fund supports science-driven innovation in the field of Life Sciences and Health, with a strong economic tie to the province of Utrecht. In a stage of technological development where funding is often scarce, Utrecht Health Seed Fund aims to provide the capital needed to bridge the gap towards follow-on funding.

Utrecht Health Seed Fund media contact

Timo Koopmans, Investment Manager

timo.koopmans@utrechtholdings.nl

www.uhsf.nl

About imec.istart

imecistart.nl – the accelerator program founded by imec.istart and Novel-T – is the first investor and supporting partner to scale your tech startup. The imec.istart program offers a broad range of services such as initial financial injection (in the Netherlands 100,000 up to 250,000 EUR pre-seed funding), personal coaching and mentoring, access to technology and working facilities, access to a broad (inter)national network of partners and investors and more. Since its launch in 2011, imec.istart helped more than 300 tech startups in diverse fields to develop into sustainable ventures. imec.istart is ranked world’s best university linked Business Accelerator by UBI Global.

imec.istart.nl media contact

Cindy Marsman

c.marsman@novelt.com

www.imecistart.nl

Synerkine Pharma secures EUR 12.1 million to accelerate novel pain therapeutics towards clinical proof-of-concept

Our new portfolio company Synerkine Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company creating innovative pain solutions.

Leiden, the Netherlands, October 12, 2023

·     Flerie leads Series A extension with other existing investor Thuja Capital participating and NEW investors InnovationQuarter Capital and Utrecht Health Seed Fund joining the round

·     Complementing the Series a extension, Synerkine has received A matching RVO Innovation Credit from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency

·     The Total Proceeds of EUR 12.1 million will be used to advance synerkine’s LeaD product into clinical trials

Synerkine Pharma, a Dutch biopharmaceutical company creating innovative pain solutions, today announced an extension of its Series A financing led by Flerie with support from new investors, InnovationQuarter Capital and Utrecht Health Seed Fund, and existing investor Thuja Capital. The equity financing is accompanied by a matching innovation credit from Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend (RVO) Nederland – the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. The total new proceeds of EUR 12.1 million will be used to accelerate the development of Synerkine Pharma’s lead asset SK-01, a therapeutically active cytokine fusion protein, into clinical studies in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a severe chronic pain indication.

Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability globally and associated with enormous health-care costs. An increasing body of evidence demonstrates that the interaction between the nervous and immune systems plays an important role in the pathophysiology of pain. Synerkine Pharma operates in this area with a novel class of patented cytokine fusion proteins, called Synerkines, which combine two biologically relevant and synergistic anti-inflammatory cytokines. The mode-of-action aims to reverse the state of central sensitization, a heightened sensitivity to pain, holding the potential to fully reverse chronic pain. Synerkine Pharma’s lead molecule, SK-01, a fusion of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, targets multiple cell types and pathways involved in chronic pain and has demonstrated durable effects in a relevant animal model.

“A lack of innovation has held back the treatment of severe and chronic pain for years, and an overreliance on opioid medications has led to wide-reaching negative effects. We aim to reimagine chronic pain treatment with a novel first-in-class approach that could result in a long-term pain-resolving effect,” commented Hans Preusting, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Synerkine Pharma. “With the financial resources to advance our lead program into clinical trials secured, our focus will move towards establishing safety and proof-of-concept for our novel cytokine fusion approach. Our lead asset, SK-01, is progressing steadily towards the clinic, supported by a robust preclinical data package and with process development for larger scale manufacturing well underway.”

“Synerkine has achieved significant progress over the last 24 months and is well prepared to reach the next value inflection point of clinical readout. We look forward to working with current and new partners helping the team to unlock the potential of their novel disease-modifying biology with a unique mode-of-action,” commented Ted Fjällman, Chief Executive Officer of Flerie.

For a more detailed description of the current investors in Synerkine Pharma, we refer to our company website.

 

About Synerkine Pharma

Synerkine Pharma B.V. focuses on development of novel fusion proteins, called Synerkines, that combine the immunoregulatory activity of different cytokines. These fusion proteins have unique benefits over the individual cytokines and modulate a broad number of targets, including key elements in the pain pathway. This provides treatment options for chronic pain conditions with a clearly differentiated mechanism of action over current analgesic drugs and holds tremendous therapeutic and commercial potential. Synerkine Pharma B.V. was founded in 2018 as a spin-off of the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), the Netherlands.

 

 

For more information, please contact:

 

SYNERKINE PHARMA BV

Hans Preusting

Chief Executive Officer

E-mail: bd@synerkinepharma.com

Academic Startup Competition – 4th Edition – APPLICATIONS OPEN

Dear Founder,

We are excited to announce that the applications for the 4th edition of the Academic Startup Competition are open!

The Academic Startup Competition (ASC) is a joint initiative of Techleap, UNL, NFU, NAE, UTwente, VU and EZK. The competition offers a curated batch of 20 selected academic startups the chance to showcase themselves to an audience of (international) investors and businesses. The startups that are in the race to become one of the best Academic Startups will participate in a unique program of workshops, promotion track and peer to peer learning to help the founders to accelerate the growth and scalability of their business. They will be introduced to the innovation ecosystem, and will be offered the opportunity to develop a network of peers, experts, and mentors.

For whom?

Within the Academic Startup Competition we are mainly interested in startups with solutions falling in one of the following eight broad impact domains:

  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Agriculture, Food & Water
  • Energy transition
  • Sustainability transition (Clean/Carbon/Green/Circular/Climate)
  • Secure Society (Cyber & Physical)
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusive Society
  • Smart Industry (4.0) : more efficient, flexible, and sustainable industrial systems and value chains
  • Smart Urbanisation / Cities

Eligibility criteria

Your company should:

  • Be addressing an industrial, societal or environmental unmet need or creating a new market within the 8 defined technology domains.
  • Be based on a new technology, a scientific discovery, a complex engineering process or a new disruptive systemic process.
  • Not have won the Academic Startup Competition Award in previous editions.
  • Have a registration at the C.o.C. (K.v.K.) that is between 0-3 years.
  • Be composed of a team of at least 2.
  • Be a registered commercial or impact startup originated from scientific knowledge connected to Dutch Universities, University Medical Centers or Research Institutes.
  • Not be a subsidiary or spin-off of an existing company.

What does Academic Startup Competition imply?

For the 20 winners of the competition a support package is available in the first six months of 2024 focusing on the following challenges:  

 

  1. Mindset Transition (Shifting from thinking like a scientist to thinking like an entrepreneur)
  2. Dare to think BIG
  3. Build your team (Who do you need to reach your goals)

 

To support the journey of overcoming these three challenges, winners will be offered additional services connected to each challenge:

 

  • 1-to-1 deep dives with entrepreneurs and experts to identify and sharpen their goals.
  • Peer knowledge-sharing by investors, experienced founders and experts.
  • Sessions with relevant stakeholders who are in power to change systems to help them grow faster.
  • Media coverage and exposure through various channels and events.
  • Joining various (inter) national networking trips and events.
  • Team assessment for the founders by a specialized agency.
  • Executive recruitment support .
  • Access to Global Campus to find the best scientific experts for their scientific board.

Join the competition!

Ready to take the plunge and catalyze the expansion and scalability of your venture? Then we invite you to join our competition. Make sure you apply here before 10 November 2023.

We are looking forward to receiving your application! If you have any questions about the programme or candidate requirements? Feel free to contact ruben@techleap.nl for more information or book an info session.

Warm regards,

Arjan Goudsblom, Ruben Habraken & Natasja Marchese

www.academicstartupcompetition.nl

UMC Utrecht spin-out Cordys Analytics secures investment for improved early detection of heart disease.

UTRECHT, Netherlands – 3 oktober 2023

LUMO Labs, ROM Utrecht Region and Utrecht Health Seed Fund are investing 900,000 euros in Cordys Analytics. The startup is a Dutch healthtech spin-out from the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) and incubated at UtrechtInc.

 

Cordys Analytics’ AI-powered software platform for electrocardiogram analysis (AI-ECG software) offers a new and innovative solution to detect heart disease earlier and more accurately. By harnessing the power of advanced deep-learning techniques, this software identifies subtle patterns and abnormalities in ECG data that traditional diagnostic methods often miss.

The software supports healthcare professionals in making informed decisions and minimising hospitalizations and complications associated with untreated heart conditions. The vendor-agnostic software seamlessly connects various healthcare organisations and ECG devices, making it a versatile tool for healthcare professionals working in different clinical settings and regions across the globe.

Its cloud-based architecture provides operational benefits, such as real-time data analysis, remote accessibility and scalability. The proprietary interface makes it user-friendly.

“We are thrilled to have these investors on board. By joining their networks, we are well positioned to further expand our software platform and make it essential for clinical use,” said Cordys Analytics CEO John van den Berg. “Through our research collaboration with the UMCU, we will develop and refine AI-ECG algorithms and software and integrate our diagnostic services into the workflow of doctors and other healthcare professionals.”

“Integrating the unequalled potential of AI in healthcare for early detection and prevention not only has a tremendous impact on the quality of life of individual patients, but it also contributes to a more sustainable, affordable healthcare system,” said Andy Lürling, Founding Partner at LUMO Labs. “Cordys’ software has these qualities and – because it is vendor-agnostic – these benefits can scale wide and far. This fits LUMO Labs’ investment focus perfectly.”

“At ROM Utrecht Region we strongly believe in the potential impact of the algorithms developed by Cordys Analytics,” said Adinda Woelderink, Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht Region. “The amount of data generated within cardiology offers a unique opportunity for AI-powered ECG analysis to be supportive in workflows and optimised detection of ECG abnormalities.

“The Cordys team has all that is needed to bring this innovative solution further into the healthcare practice.”

“We are excited to invest in Cordys Analytics and team towards redefining the way ECG analysis and processing is done,” said Timo Koopmans, Investment Manager of Utrecht Health Seed Fund. “The team is well positioned to bring its technology to market so patients and healthcare providers alike can benefit.”

About Cordys Analytics
Cordys Analytics is a Dutch healthtech startup, founded in 2023, specialising in AI-powered software to analyse electrocardiograms (ECGs). The company is a member of UtrechtInc
and is a spin-out from the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU).

Cordys Analytics media contact
John van den Berg, CEO and Co-founder
john@cordys.health
http://cordys.health/

About TTT.AI
TTT.ai is a knowledge and investment consortium consisting of Dutch universities and LUMO Labs. Formed in 2020, the consortium’s aim is to advance the availability and relevance of artificial intelligence innovations within society. The consortium was awarded a subsidy of eight million euros for pre-seed funding and knowledge transfer to startups. This is a subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency’s (RVO) Technology Transfer (TTT) scheme. The investment in Cordys Analytics is the sixth investment under the TTT.ai scheme.

About LUMO Labs
LUMO Labs creates opportunities for impact-driven software and smart hardware startups. The current LUMO Fund II is an impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to and
including series A). It includes a two-year venture builder program to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.
LUMO Labs funds startups that align with at least one of the three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities & Communities, Good Health & Well- Being and Quality Education. Its investment focus includes Artificial Intelligence/Data, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Robotics and Drones and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.
LUMO Labs media contact
Andy Lürling, Founding Partner
andy@lumolabs.io
https://lumolabs.io/

 

About ROM Utrecht Region
The Healthy Urban Living Proof of Concept (HUL- PoC) Fund invests in the major transition sectors that are important for tomorrow's economy: Digital, Health, and Sustainability. The fund is commissioned by the ERDF and local governments from the Utrecht area.
Together with private investors, we invest in companies developing highly innovative products that we wish to see in our ideal future society and have the ambition to become scalable businesses
ROM Utrecht Region media contact
Adinda Woelderink, Investment Manager Life Sciences & Health
adinda@romutrechtregion.nl
www.romutrechtregion.nl

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund B.V.
Utrecht Health Seed Fund supports science-driven innovation in the field of Life Sciences and Health, with a strong economic tie to the province of Utrecht. In a stage of technological development where funding is often scarce, Utrecht Health Seed Fund aims to provide the capital needed to bridge the gap towards follow-on funding.
Utrecht Health Seed Fund media contact
Timo Koopmans, Investment Manager
timo.koopmans@utrechtholdings.nl
www.uhsf.nl

Phlox Therapeutics Raises Additional Seed Funding to Further Develop RNA Therapies for Genetic Laminopathies

A very warm welcome to new portfolio company Phlox Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company specializing in developing innovative RNA-therapeutics for rare genetic cardiomyopathies.

Below the press relaese;

• Phlox Therapeutics raises additional seed funding to develop RNA therapies for genetic laminopathies
• Funds will advance the company’s lead program into preclinical development

08 May 2023, Naarden, The Netherlands –

Phlox Therapeutics (“Phlox”), a private biotechnology company specializing in developing innovative RNA-therapeutics for rare genetic cardiomyopathies, has secured additional seed funding to advance Phlox’s lead program aimed at rare genetic laminopathies. In this funding round Innovation Fund Noord Holland (INH), AMC Ventures Holding, and Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF) have joined forces with existing investor FIRST, managed by BioGeneration Ventures (BGV), to support Phlox’s efforts. Phlox will use the funds raised in the seed financing round to advance the company’s lead program into preclinical development. This round will also enable Phlox to continue to build its team and expand its platform technology.

The company’s platform technology enables simultaneous targeting of multiple lamin mutations. The versatile nature of these RNA-designs eliminates the need for generating mutation-specific compounds to treat each distinct mutation, rendering these compounds suitable for most lamin mutations. Phlox is committed to utilizing this proprietary platform technology to develop RNA-therapies that can effectively treat genetic diseases resulting from mutations in a single gene. This includes addressing laminopathies, a specific and frequently severe form of heart failure caused by structural protein defects in the cardiac cell nucleus due to mutations in the lamin gene.

Commenting on the seed financing round, Phlox’ CMO and cardiologist Yigal Pinto said, “We are thrilled to have the support of this group of investors as we work towards developing life-changing RNA-therapies for many of my patients who struggle with a cardiomyopathy for which there are no disease modifying therapies. This funding will enable us to accelerate our efforts to bring these therapies to the clinic and help improve the lives of our patients that are suffering from this destructive disease.”

Wouter Keij, Fund Manager of Innovation Fund Noord-Holland commented on behalf of all four investors “We are excited to work with the Phlox team and to support such an impactful innovation to pave a way for more RNA-based therapies to come. We are proud to be backing Phlox in their effort to bring these potentially life-changing therapies to those in need for treatments for cardiac diseases.”

Contact
Margien Boels
Director of Operations
M: +316 4842 5428
E: margien.boels@phloxtherapeutics.com

About Phlox Therapeutics
Phlox Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops first-in-class RNA therapies for cardiomyopathies. Phlox’s lead program focuses on laminopathies, a rare inherited cardiomyopathy that can cause a plethora of symptoms affecting the heart as well as skeletal muscles. Next to its program in laminopathies, Phlox Therapeutics is aiming to leverage similar RNA-based strategies to target other cardiomyopathies. As such, Phlox Therapeutics strives to develop multiple gene therapies that are able to reduce the negative effects caused by genetic mutations. Learn more at www.phloxtherapeutics.com.

About Innovation Fund Noord Holland
Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland (“INH”) is an initiative of the Province of North Holland, the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC and Sanquin, with support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency & the European Union through the European Regional Development FundINH supports entrepreneurs within various sectors in the Province of North Holland by financing innovations in the Proof-of-Concept phase through providing convertible loans.
For more information, please visit: www.innovatiefondsnoordholland.nl.

About AMC Ventures Holding
AMC Ventures Holding is an early-stage investor in academic spin-off companies from the Academic Medical Center (AMC). AMC Ventures Holding works closely with academics and entrepreneurs at the earliest stage of company formation to support the commercialization of knowledge. For more information please visit: www.amcventuresholding.nl.

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund
Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF) is an early-stage life sciences & health investment fund based out of Utrecht, The Netherlands, focused on scalable technologies in the field of Life Sciences (therapeutics and diagnostics), Medical Devices, Digital Health, and Animal Health, in the earliest stages of development. UHSF is established by Utrecht Holdings with the assistance and support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), UMC Utrecht, and the University of Utrecht. For more information, please visit www.uhsf.nl.

About Fonds InvesteringsRijpe Starters FIRST
Fonds InvesteringsRijpe STarters (FIRST) is a pre-seed fund that finances pioneering scientists in The Netherlands active in the emerging fields of regenerative medicine and cardiovascular diseases. FIRST is founded by the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA) and Regenerative Medicine Crossing Borders (RegMed XB) with support of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Naarden based BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) supports the FIRST fund as a registered fund manager, making available its network, expertise, and facilities. For more information, please visit: www.biogenerationventures.com/en/about_us/first.

Valentina Vignali appointed as Investment Associate

Utrecht Holdings welcomes Valentina Vignali to the team. Valentina is about to obtain a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Groningen and brings experience from working in academia and venture capital. At her previous roles she conducted fund and direct investments due diligence. Valentina will support the business development and investment team of UHSF evaluating and executing investment opportunities.

Valentina will mainly work for the UHSF Fund, sponsored by Utrecht Holdings. We wish Valentina every success in her new position!

To get in contect with Valentina, go to: https://utrechtholdings.nl/about/team/valentina-vignali/

Timo Koopmans appointed as new Investment Manager of Utrecht Health Seed Fund

The Utrecht Health Seed Fund is happy to announce the start of its new Investment Manager: Timo Koopmans. Timo holds a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Utrecht University and as a startup founder himself, understands the challenges young companies face.
Furthermore he has experience at a management & innovation consultancy firm, focussed on Life Sciences. His most recent project involved improving the management of the portfolio of public-private partnerships at a large pharmaceutical company. Among other things, Timo is responsible for managing UHSF’s portfolio, attracting and developing new investment opportunities and expansion of our financing instruments.

Moveshelf raises €1.7M to accelerate growth and international sales of its Information System for Movement Disorders

Utrecht, The Netherlands

Moveshelf is a private digital health company which supplies a novel information system for movement and musculoskeletal disorders. With Moveshelf’s certified Software-as-a-Service, healthcare organizations unlock use of mobility measurements in clinical settings, store data from cameras and wearables in one secure place and allow their medical teams to easily visualize results and take better decisions together. Moveshelf has now raised €1.7M to accelerate growth, strengthen the team, expedite product development, and realize international expansion. The round was led by Nextgen Ventures and joined by existing investors Utrecht Health Seed Fund and Locapes Investment Fund.

Moveshelf, founded by Ignazio Aleo and Per Slycke, supports digitization of care for movement and musculoskeletal disorders (MD/MSK). More than 1% of US GDP is spent on care for MD/MSK, and especially severe disorders such as Osteoarthritis, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, and Parkinson’s disease have a high societal, human, and economic impact. Due to recent technological advances, human movement is now measured everywhere with wearables and smart cameras. With this abundance of data available, now is the time to unlock advanced movement analysis for care providers, specialists, and patients, to improve MD/MSK care across the care cycle.

Launching customers of Moveshelf include leading EU and US care providers specialized in MD/MSK, such as the Sint Maartenskliniek, University Medical Center Groningen, Roessingh Rehabilitation Center, and Maastricht University Medical Center. Teams at launching customers use Moveshelf every day to centralize measurements from patients wherever they are, create concise reports as a basis for diagnosis, therapy selection & monitoring, and access these reports wherever they work. All this in one secure and compliant information system, certified according to ISO27001 and NEN7510. With these achievements in place, Moveshelf is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the market for MD/MSK care.

Ignazio Aleo, PhD, CEO of Moveshelf, said: “We are thrilled to have the support of this outstanding consortium of experienced digital healthcare investors. This funding will enable us to support many more organizations and patients with our unique information system for movement disorders. We are excited to enter a new chapter and we feel privileged and proud to be working on a service which can make a significant positive contribution on patients’ lives.”

Peter Haasjes, Investment Director at NextGen Ventures, commented: “We believe that acquiring digital biomarkers from patients and analyzing them will improve the quality of diagnoses and ultimately treatments and patient outcomes. Movement and musculoskeletal disorders play such a big part in patients’ lives and Moveshelf is uniquely positioned to assist physicians and laboratory technicians with their day-to-day activities and catalyze innovation.”

Background statements

 About Nextgen Ventures

Nextgen Ventures is an investment fund investing in knowledge-intensive companies that enable transformation in health care. We actively work with our portfolio companies to develop and market potential breakthrough innovations in health care IT and medical technology that provide meaningful results for people, patients, and professionals. For more information, please visit www.nextgenventures.nl.

 About Utrecht Health Seed Fund

Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF) is an early-stage life sciences & health investment fund based out of Utrecht, The Netherlands, focused on scalable technologies in the field of Life Sciences (therapeutics and diagnostics), Medical Devices, Digital Health, and Animal Health in the earliest stages of development. UHSF is established by Utrecht Holdings supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), UMC Utrecht, and the University of Utrecht. For more information, please visit www.uhsf.nl.

About Locapes Investment Fund

Locapes Investment Fund (Locapes) invests in early-stage B2B technology companies that aspire to improve how people live, work, and stay healthy by leveraging differentiated and unique technology. Locapes mainly focuses on 3D tracking-enabled technology companies, active in fields such as XR, robotics, and digital health tech.

 

Contact

Johannes Gijsbers, VP of Product

E: johannes.gijsbers@moveshelf.com

W: www.moveshelf.com