The 25 Best Biotech Incubators Hatching Startup Stars in Europe

Incubators can give biotech startups the boost they need to get off the ground. These are our top picks of the biotech incubators across Europe supporting the next generation of life science startups.

Creating a biotech company is a challenging, long-term endeavor. In particular, the first steps can be essential to set up a new business on the right path towards success. Incubators can offer a startup the resources needed to get there, be it laboratory space, mentorship, or access to an exclusive network of experts.

Given the importance of the biotechnology sector in Europe, many startup incubators across the continent specialize in supporting life science startups. These biotech incubators offer facilities, mentoring, and networking options that can prove crucial in determining the fate of a young biotech company.  

VIB Bio-incubator 

Where: Ghent and Leuven, Belgium

Focus: Healthcare and industrial biotech

Companies hosted: Aelin Therapeutics, Oncurious, miDiagnostics

These two incubators run by the VIB research institute are intended for biotech companies with intensive research and development activities. Ranging from startups to established companies, the tenants are offered office and laboratory space as well as general, technical, and logistics support. 

JLABS @ BE

Where: Beerse, Belgium

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: AlphaBiomics, Calypso Biotech, Syndesi Therapeutics

Located on the research campus of Janssen, this incubator is the first of a large network of life sciences incubators run by Johnson & Johnson Innovation to be located in Europe. Companies at the incubator have no strings attached in terms of intellectual property and get access to facilities, expertise, and funding opportunities.

BioVille

Where: Diepenbeek, Belgium

Focus: Healthcare

Companies: Apitope, Beta-Cell, Complix

Located at the Diepenbeek campus of the Hasselt University in Belgium, this incubator hosts healthcare companies both in early and late-stage development phases. Tennant companies are offered custom services that adapt to their needs.

Copenhagen Bio Science Park (COBIS)

Where: Copenhagen, Denmark

Focus: Healthcare and food technology

Companies: Antag, Therapeutics, Galecto Biotech, IO Biotech

At the heart of the Medicon Valley cluster, COBIS hosts a mix of national and international companies that range from early-stage startups to mid-size firms. The incubator runs an accelerator program and offers pre-seed funding opportunities to its tenants, as well as giving entrepreneurs access to a network of life science experts.

SPARK Finland

Where: Helsinki, Kuopio, Tampere and Turku, Finland

Focus: Healthcare

Companies: Koite Health, Olfactomics, Sartar Therapeutics

SPARK Finland offers a program to translate scientific discoveries into treatments, helping startups reach the proof of concept stage. Following the steps of its namesake in Stanford, US the incubator provides education and networking opportunities to startups in the healthcare space.

Genopole

Where: Evry, France

Focus: Healthcare, industrial biotech, and food technology

Companies: Enterome, WhiteLab Genomics, Ynsect

Just south of Paris, the Genopole biocluster supports startups working within all branches of biotechnology. This incubator offers coaching and business services in addition to office and lab space, as well as an accelerator program that the companies can take part in. 

Eurasanté Bio-Incubator

Where: Lille, France

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: Axorus, Elican Biotech, Hemerion

Located at the Eurasanté Bio-Business Park, this bioincubator is actively involved in helping entrepreneurs with ventures at any stage of development in addition to providing laboratory and office space. The incubator has strong ties with local academic institutions, encouraging and supporting technology transfer. 

Innovation and Startup Center for Biotechnology (IZB)

Where: Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

Focus: Healthcare and industrial biotech

Companies: AMSilk, BioNTech, Leukocare

Located close to Munich, this incubator has access to the nearby Ludwig Maximilian University and Max Planck Institutes. The IZB supports biotech startups through the process of funding, business development, finding partners, and building a network. 

Bio City Leipzig

Where: Leipzig, Germany

Focus: Healthcare and industrial biotech

Companies: BellaSeno, C-Lecta, VivoSensMedical

In addition to office and laboratory facilities, this biotech incubator also offers consultancy and mentorship services. The incubator also hosts academic researchers from Leipzig University, encouraging and supporting the creation of spin-off biotech companies. 

Bayer CoLaborator Berlin

Where: Berlin, Germany

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: Eternygen, Invicol, Mantra Bio

The Bayer CoLaborator offers office and laboratory space to companies at all stages of development. Located at the Bayer research campus in Berlin, this incubator is connected to prestigious research institutions such as the Charité hospital and the Humboldt University. Tenants also have access to facilities at other CoLaborator locations in San Francisco, Moscow, and Kobe. 

Toscana Life Sciences (TLS) Bioincubator

Where: Siena, Italy

Focus: Healthcare

Companies: AchilleS Vaccines, Epigen Therapeutics, Exosomics 

The TLS biotech incubator supports companies and nonprofit research groups at every phase of their development. Companies are given access to professionals with scientific and industrial backgrounds who specialize in technology transfer, as well as a network of experts and consultants.

Life Sciences Incubator at Utrecht Science Park 

Where: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: Gadeta, Lava Therapeutics, Merus

The Utrecht Science Park hosts life science startups as well as established biotech companies. A building solely dedicated to the Life Sciences Incubator was built in 2015, expanding the office and laboratory space available to biotech companies at the park. 

Planet B.io 

Where: Delft, The Netherlands

Focus: Industrial biotech

Companies hosted: Avansya, Meatable, Veramaris

Planet B.io launched in 2019 with the goal of supporting industrial biotech startups with scaling up. Located at the Biotech Campus Delft, the incubator provides companies with access to a shared pilot production facility where companies can test and scale their technology. 

Aleap 

Where: Oslo, Norway

Focus: Healthcare

Companies: Age Labs, CardiNor, ODI Medical

Aleap is a non-profit incubator that aims to develop a startup ecosystem to help health entrepreneurs succeed. Located at the Oslo Science Park, the incubator offers personalized help to each startup with regards to technology development, financing and product commercialization.

Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator 

Where: Oslo, Norway

Focus: Oncology

Companies: PCI Biotech, Vaccibody, Zelluna Immunotherapy

This publicly funded incubator supports oncology biotech companies to reach the commercialization stage. In addition to office and lab space, companies are given advice on business development, intellectual property, and regulatory processes, as well as access to a network of investors and pharma companies.  

BIC Granada

Where: Granada, Spain

Focus: Healthcare, industrial biotech, and food technology

Companies hosted: Biotmicrogen, Neuron Bio, Xtrem Biotech

This incubator at the Granada Health Technology Park offers office and laboratory space to companies specializing in healthcare innovation. Entrepreneurs receive assistance with preparing business plans and funding rounds and their companies can also access a local accelerator program, startup contests, and trade shows.

Genetrix

Where: Tres Cantos, Spain

Focus: Healthcare 

Companies: Biobide, Coretherapix, X-Pol Biotech  

Located near Madrid, Genetrix is the largest private incubator of biotech companies in Spain, focusing on companies stemming from academic research. From this incubator came Tigenix (formerly Cellerix), a European pioneer in stem cell therapy that was acquired by Takeda.

AstraZeneca BioVentureHub

Where: Mölndal, Sweden

Focus: Healthcare 

Companies hosted: Athera Biotechnologies, Cellink, Immunicum

This incubator run by AstraZeneca gives academics and entrepreneurs working on biotech and medtech projects access to the pharma company’s resources, including offices and laboratory space. The companies hosted can work independently, with no strings attached to AstraZeneca in terms of intellectual property.

SmiLe Incubator

Where: Lund, Sweden

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: Asgard Therapeutics, Gedea Biotech, Sinntaxis

With an 86% success rate among its startups, the SmiLe Incubator offers a business development program that lasts for two to four years, aimed for startups at the stage of validating and developing their business model. This biotech incubator provides coaching to early-stage companies and introduces them to a community of peers, experts, and funders.

Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI)

Where: Umeå, Sweden

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: Hiloprobe, Metacurum Biotech, QureTech Bio

With the aim to promote the growth of the Scandinavian life sciences sector, this biotech incubator supports companies developing medical innovations. UBI gives companies access to research facilities, professional services, expert networks, and financing options. 

StartLab

Where: Lausanne, Switzerland

Focus: Healthcare

Companies hosted: GNUBiotics, HAYA Therapeutics, SEED Biosciences

This incubator is located at the Biopôle in Lausanne, a hotspot for biotech that hosts academic researchers and companies specializing in life sciences. The StartLab incubator has a flexible payment model that requires less funding for a biotech company to get started.

Norwich Bio-Incubator

Where: Norwich, UK

Focus: Healthcare, industrial biotech, and food technology

Companies hosted: Colorifix, Leaf Expression Systems, Solynta

Located at the Norwich Research Park, this incubator offers shared laboratory space and equipment to small life science startups, as well as mentoring and funding opportunities. Companies can benefit from close access to research institutions including the Quadram Institute and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

BioCity

Where: Nottingham, Glasgow and Alderley Park, UK

Focus: Healthcare and industrial biotech

Companies hosted: Azotic Technologies, CHAIN Biotechnology, Scottish Bioenergy

The first BioCity incubator opened in Nottingham in 2004 and boasts a survival rate of 91% of the companies it has hosted since then. Now with three locations across the UK, this biotech incubator organizes pitching competitions, trade visits, and roundups of investment opportunities for its members. In the Nottingham and Glasgow locations, the BioCity group also runs MediCity incubators specializing in medical technology startups. 

Accelerate@Babraham 

Where: Cambridge, UK

Focus: Healthcare 

Companies hosted: CC Bio, Kalium Health, Reflection Therapeutics

This bioincubator at the Babraham Research Campus provides young life science companies with laboratory and office space, as well as support on business, science, and finance from its network. Strategic partners include AstraZeneca and Eisai; other supporters include the contract research organization RxCelerate, Eli Lilly, and the Silicon Valley Bank.

Start Codon 

Where: Cambridge, UK

Focus: Healthcare 

Companies hosted: Enhanc3D Genomics, Drishti Discoveries, Spirea

This incubator was founded in 2019 with support from Roche‘s Genentech to provide startups with seed funding, coaching, business support and access to office and laboratory facilities. Start Codon works together with Novartis to select technologies and entrepreneurs to join its accelerator program to translate early-stage research into companies ready to receive funding and establish partnerships.