The BioInnovation Institute (BII), has entered a collaboration with Imperial College London in the U.K. to launch a new translational project under its Bio Studio program.
The program aims to foster the creation of new life science start-ups based on research to benefit people and society.
Based in Denmark, the BII is an international commercial, non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating life science research.
As part of the collaboration, Molly Stevens, Professor of Biomedical Materials and Regenerative Medicine at Imperial College London, will head a translational research project in healthtech.
The goal of the project is to deliver a transformative approach for early diagnostics and monitoring of highly debilitating diseases through the development of an ultrasensitive target-agnostic biosensing platform. The research will focus on disorders that could potentially address major global healthcare challenges. The technology is to be deployed as a cost-effective diagnostic platform that will provide artificial intelligence-based evaluation of molecular fingerprints to inform clinical decisions with the aim of slowing disease progression and improving treatment plans.
BII will support the project with an in-kind grant of up to DKK6.5 million ($870,000) per year for a project period of up to three years as well as with business development expertise, intellectual property support, investor network and infrastructure.
Other projects
BII recently established the Bio Studio program with the ambition to build and run a leading life science company creation facility in Europe. The present project follows a collaboration announced in June this year with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg.
Markus Herrgård, chief technology officer at BII, said: “We are very pleased to work alongside Prof. Stevens and her team as part of the Bio Studio program. The program is focused on accelerating the development and commercialization of state-of-the-art technology by partnering with leading research institutions and entrepreneurial academics. As a globally recognized leader in diagnostic biosensing with a strong entrepreneurial background, Prof. Stevens is an excellent fit for the program.”
Stevens said: “Translating research outcomes that will reach those most in need has been a core focus of my research career. I am a passionate advocate for the democratization of medicine and the accessibility to healthcare for all. Collaborating with the BII in the Bio Studio program will empower my team to deliver on those goals to benefit patients. I am truly excited about working with a team of professionals, including a dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence, to translate our science into innovative products and solutions.”
Since its inception in 2018, BII has supported 62 start-ups and projects with €50 million ($49.6 million) alongside the venture capital, industry and business expertise it provides to help them accelerate to the next level. In total, BII’s start-ups have raised more than €207 million ($205 million) in external funding from both local and international investors. Recent company successes include Adcendo, Stipe Therapeutics, Twelve Bio, Octarine Bio, and Cirqle Biomedical.
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