Ellie Horvath
Startups in the Biotechnology sector are fuelling the innovation race in London. Whether it’s cultivating real animal fat without animals or developing novel, first-in-class immunotherapies designed to modulate macrophages, the startups covered here are breaking barriers and making a significant impact in their respective fields. This article will highlight London-based startups established in 2020 or later, operating in the Biotechnology industry, making jaws drop with their ingenuity.
Defined by a blend of biology and technology, the biotechnology industry has a vast potential for growth and extends across various sub-domains, including medicine, agriculture and industrial processes. Businesses in biotechnology use living organisms to create or modify products for specific industry uses. The sector is ripe with possibilities as new startups pave the way for discovery and development, implementing innovative solutions to pressing global issues.
The UK, and specifically London, has become the breeding ground for top biotechnology startups. Access to world-class research facilities, availability of seed funding, and support from the UK government in prioritising life sciences are making the city conducive for these startups’ growth. Please continue reading to learn about some of the brilliant startups making strides in their respective areas.
Hoxton Farms
Founded by Ed Steele and Max Jamilly, Hoxton Farms is one of the latest entrants to the biotech space. The startup focuses on producing cultivated animal fat as an ingredient for the meat alternatives industry, in a bid to provide a more sustainable food source.
Dunad Therapeutics
With a vision to revolutionise the field of protein degradation therapies, Dunad Therapeutics founded by Diana Kraskouskaya and Patrick T. Gunning, develops next-generation targeted protein degradation therapies for the biopharmaceutical industry.
Bactobio
Bactobio, a company that applies breakthrough technologies in synthetic biology, sequencing and machine learning to discover novel antibiotic classes. Its goal is to tackle the antibiotic resistance crisis by targeting urgent bacterial pathogens. The startup was founded by Daniel Blicher Holst Hansen.
Cyted
Cyted, a health tech company founded by Marcel Gehrung and Rebecca Fitzgerald, focuses on the development of diagnostic infrastructure to drive earlier disease detection. The company uses artificial intelligence and novel biomarkers to unlock clinical insights and enhance patient outcomes.
Purespring Therapeutics
Working on advanced AAV gene therapies with a global focus on kidney diseases, Moin Saleem founded Purespring Therapeutics.
Mestag Therapeutics
Mestag Therapeutics is a startup developing novel therapies for various diseases using fibroblast technology. The startup is led by founder Prof Michael B. Brenner.
Duke Street Bio
London-based biopharma company, Duke Street Bio develops medical drugs to provide improved treatment options to cancer patients worldwide.
Kynos Therapeutics
Kynos Therapeutics is a health tech startup that develops KMO inhibitors that cater to key indications in inflammation, immunity, and metabolism.
Animal Alternative Technologies
Animal Alternative Technologies is a biotechnology B2B spinout of Cambridge University, founded by Clarisse Beurrier and Yash Mishra, developing a scalable ecosystem for cultured meat production.
Macomics
Macomics is an immuno-oncology startup led by a team of four founders – Coral Ries, Jeffrey Pollard, Luca Cassetta, and S. Myatt. The company is developing first-in-class immunotherapies designed to bolster the body’s immune defence against tumours – an essential contribution to oncology.
Kuano
Last but not least, Kuano, a company that combines target quantum mapping and AI-led chemistry to enable faster development of better drug candidates. The platform is founded by David Wright, Jarryl D’Oyley, Parminder Ruprah, and Vid Stojevic.
To summarise, these are just a few of the startups making exciting strides in the field of biotechnology, and their contributions are undoubtedly driving transformation in the industry, pushing the boundaries of what is currently possible.
