BioInnovation Institute is providing €9.5M to 17 research-based startups, which will also gain access to its innovation platform to support fundraising and bring promising technologies to market.
BioInnovation Institute (BII) is providing €9.52 million in convertible loans to 17 research-based startups selected for its Venture Programme, as the Danish innovation institute scales its support for early-stage companies across Denmark and Europe.
Each company will receive a €560,000 convertible loan alongside access to BII’s innovation platform and support network.
The latest cohort follows the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s announcement of €736 million in additional funding for BII, which will support the institute’s plans to expand its activities across Europe and increase the number of startups it backs annually from around 20 to 30, with the potential to support additional companies through partnerships.
The 17 companies are developing technologies across healthcare, biotechnology, climate and other research-driven fields. Through the Venture Programme, they will receive support aimed at helping them turn research and early-stage technologies into commercially viable businesses.
Alongside financing, participating companies gain access to BII’s facilities in Copenhagen, including laboratory infrastructure, as well as its network of entrepreneurs, experts, partners and investors. The programme also provides support across business, scientific and team development, including preparations for future fundraising.
We are facing a historic opportunity to bring even more of the strong research being conducted at Danish and European universities and hospitals out into the world. The 17 companies represent exactly the potential we want to help unlock – research with the potential to become new technologies, products and companies that can make a real difference,
said Trine Bartholdy, Chief Business Officer at BII.
BII is also looking to extend its activities beyond Denmark as it seeks to strengthen links between European research institutions, entrepreneurs and investors. Its longer-term goal is to help more technologies emerging from universities and hospitals progress from research towards commercial applications and internationally scalable companies.
Bartholdy noted that turning advanced research into a scalable business is a complex process that requires not only funding, but also access to the right expertise, partners and infrastructure.
Our role is to bring these different elements together around the founders, so they can focus their time and energy on developing their technologies and building companies with international potential,
she said.
Since its establishment, BII has supported more than 140 companies. With the additional backing from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the institute plans to scale its model across a broader range of research areas while expanding its role in the European research-based startup ecosystem.
The 17 companies joining BII’s Venture Programme are:
- Fibernex develops 3D porous nanofibre electrodes designed to improve the efficiency of green hydrogen production while reducing the use of critical materials such as nickel.
- Sylvia Health is developing less invasive medtech solutions for women’s pelvic floor and reproductive health, with an initial focus on rectocele and other forms of pelvic organ prolapse.
- KhaosGuard develops laser systems that use mid-infrared technology to measure and quantify greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, nitrous oxide and CO₂, across industrial facilities in real time.
- Corcellys Therapeutics develops regenerative cell therapies for diseases affecting the surface of the eye, with the aim of advancing cell-based treatments in ophthalmology towards clinical use.
- Launch Bioindustries uses advanced fermentation to convert organic waste into sustainable biomaterials, including high-performance bioplastics as alternatives to fossil-based materials.
- Alvara Therapeutics develops small-molecule medicines for chronic kidney disease, targeting an area with significant unmet medical need.
- Epimass develops real-time mass spectrometry technology to analyse surgical smoke and airborne particles, with potential applications including faster cancer diagnosis during surgical procedures.
- IQopta develops AI-based technology to improve medical imaging workflows, particularly for analysing and managing imaging data in drug development and clinical trials.
- Affinity AI uses AI to design specific and stable protein binders for applications in drug development, diagnostics and biomedical research.
- React Foods develops food-grade yeast proteins using CO₂ and renewable energy as an alternative to conventional protein sources.
- Human Thinking develops educational AI agents and learning systems designed to support students’ critical thinking while interacting with artificial intelligence.
- PureSurf develops high-performance bio-based surfactants using renewable raw materials as alternatives to conventional fossil-based products for the chemical industry.
- Reformable develops catalysts, modular reactors and process technology to convert methane and CO₂ into syngas for the production of fuels and chemicals.
- Aperio Therapeutics develops long-acting biological treatments targeting energy deficiency and cellular signalling for diseases related to metabolic physiology.
- Lucore Technology develops photonic hardware that uses light and multiple optical frequency channels to make AI computing faster and more energy-efficient.
- Copenhagen Microsystems develops 3D Ice Lithography equipment for manufacturing complex three-dimensional micro- and nanostructures at resolutions below 50 nanometres.
- Lizard Photonics develops integrated nanoelectromechanical photonics for compact, energy-efficient control of light at chip level, targeting applications including data centres, AI, quantum technology and advanced sensors.