London, September 2024 - The Innovators Club, a network accelerator programme run by the Science Entrepreneur Club (SEC), has today announced its fifth cohort welcoming eight life science start-ups.
The start-ups will join the fee-free and equity-free 10 week programme running from mid-September through to mid-November. The programme consists of a series of expert-led workshops covering topics such as intellectual property, raising investment, grant-writing and pitch training. There are also informal networking events, 1-to-1 no-detriment sessions with investors, access to specialist service providers, a bespoke published article by one of SEC’s Science Writers and the opportunity to pitch to the BioCapital Network, the UK’s largest life science investor community, now with over 350 members.
At the end of the programme, the Cohort V companies will all be in with the chance of winning a prize package which includes a £10,000 voucher towards lab space at London BioScience Innovation Centre (LBIC), right in the heart of King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter.
Each company will be joining a close-knit cohort of life science founders, all navigating similar journeys in the early-stage life science ecosystem. Post-programme, Cohort V companies will be integral members of the BioEntrepreneur Club and receive continued support from the SEC team. Cohort V will be in good company as the 20 Innovators Club alumni companies from the prior four cohorts have gone on to raise over £60 million.
We are committed to diversity in the life sciences and we’re proud to share that across all five cohorts, 50% of our companies have a woman founder or co-founder.
Cohort V is powered by Gold sponsors Marks & Clerk (M&C) and the London BioScience Innovation Centre (LBIC).
With a highly skilled team of life science experts, M&C offers deep expertise across all life science technical fields, including pharmaceuticals, agri-tech, animal health, diagnostics, and more. They have combined knowledge across the firm to apply expertise in emerging fields such as AI and sustainable technologies, enabling them to be positioned at the forefront of innovation in the life sciences sector.
Founded in 2000, LBIC, London’s first bio-incubator, has been a key enabler of biomedical innovation for over two decades and is committed to nurturing the growth of life science companies and supporting advances in bioscience research and development. LBIC provides state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, office spaces, and virtual support services, hosts engaging events and facilitates peer-to-peer networking opportunities. It is home to a community of more than 60 life science companies, ranging from innovative startups to multinational corporations.
Located in London’s vibrant Knowledge Quarter, just a ten-minute walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras International stations, LBIC sits at the heart of the London life science and tech ecosystem and offers excellent access to both domestic and international transport links.
Cambridge Medixine
Cambridge Medixine is a new start-up company that focuses on creating a new RNA technology platform for vaccines and therapeutics. Their next-generation mRNA technology is aimed at creating more efficient treatments for patients. Their unprecedented approach has the potential to bring safer treatments faster to those in need.
Cellertia
Cellertia is addressing accessibility and scalability of cell processing in precision medicine. Their proprietary microfluidics platform (instrument and cartridge) delivers low-cost high-throughput chemical-free cell separation to early-stage therapeutic developers. They have proof of principle and preliminary data showing high efficiency, at 10 times faster and 10 times cheaper, on both capital and consumable. They plan to develop the platform through partnerships, as a way of evaluating their platform technology, that then enables them to integrate a customised module as a scalable solution to therapies and biologics manufacturing.
ClotProtect
ClotProtect Therapeutics is developing a first-in-class injectable anti-fibrinolytic small molecule direct selective plasmin inhibitor, to address unmet clinical needs of acute bleeding in patients undergoing major surgery and trauma. Their approach is anticipated to yield greater efficacy than standard-of-care treatment, tranexamic acid. Their solution will significantly save lives from bleeding.
Deep Blue BioTech
Deep Blue BioTech sits at the intersection of Synthetic Biology and AI. Their focus is to produce green chemicals through a breakthrough technology platform using Cyanobacteria. Essentially, they turn CO2 into valuable ingredients. They are starting with hyaluronic acid, a $15bn market, which they can revolutionise by the characteristics and cost-competitiveness of their product. Still, their platform is able to tackle different chemicals from different industries.
EVE
EVE is developing a medical device in the women’s health space - a non-invasive, home-based testing kit capable of analysing biomarkers found in menstrual blood. Their technology offers women a convenient and proactive way to monitor their health.
Medusa Pharmaceuticals
Medusa Pharmaceuticals is an Imperial College London spin-out that brings a paradigm shift to the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Rather than attempting the expensive, slow and risky endeavour of developing a new drug, Medusa Pharmaceuticals presents a brand new approach to combat AMR. Medusa is preparing synergistic combinations of repurposed drugs that reinvigorate existing antibiotics to overcome AMR and treat otherwise untreatable infections. This offers the first economically viable and globally scalable solution to tackle the global challenge of AMR and save lives all around the world.
MOMO Biotech
MOMO Biotech is predicting where therapies will work best and learning from those that fail with their TMEmic tumour-on-a-chip technology. TMEmic embraces the complexity of cancer and they dissect that dynamic complexity with a suite of analytical tools. They're starting with cancer, but the core principle is the same: build the most accurate model then develop new drug modalities against auto-immune diseases, neurodegeneration, ageing, or other multifactorial diseases.
Panthura
Panthura is a biotech company on a mission to create accessible gene therapies that transform lives. Their first program aims to develop a gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. With their targeted DNA delivery nanoparticles they strive for a therapeutic that can treat all patients and all organs. A single dose of their therapeutic will be effective for many months and will be safe to redose, with subsequent doses as effective as the first.
To find out more about the Innovators Club, contact SEC’s Partnerships Lead Matt McCann.
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