Harris KhanIn recent years, the convergence of big data, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology has spurred a golden age of drug discovery. Today, the business of sequencing DNA and building scaffolds for synthetic DNA is as competitive as the business of programming. Yet despite the exciting innovations, the road to making successful therapy is littered with failures. Launching products is still as hard as it’s ever been, and the rising cost of drug discovery isn’t making it any easier.
The Biopharma Startup Ecosystem
Biopharma startups continue to grow in the innovation space, and it’s an exciting journey. Given that the study of biology (where medicine arises from) dates back to the ancient times (completed first in China), there’s ample history to make a case for a change.
A cohort of dedicated entrepreneurs have no doubt benefited from past innovators. The very large pharmaceutical companies of today might be sampling the fruits of their labor.
But more on the point, the impact of these innovations inspires startups to build on top of the work.
There are currently several hundred startups in the life sciences sector. They are of all shapes and sizes, and address all sorts of challenges — from basic biology to drug discovery and development.
Most interesting is the fact that an increasing number of projects are disrupting the incumbents. This is great news for the industry at large. There’s room for new players, and there are many of them.
Some of the startups are pushing the boundaries of medical science and taking medicine beyond the curative stage. Many of them are working with biotech solutions and software to deliver end-to-end solutions for startups, pharma companies, medical professionals, and patients.
Amidst a steady stream of failure the industry is producing a handful of winners, and the future of drug discovery looks very promising. Here are some of the drivers.
1. Attralus
The idea behind this startup: Attralus is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on creating transformative medicines to improve the lives of patients.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Medical
Founders: Unknown
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2. Somai Pharmaceuticals Ltd
The idea behind this startup: Somai Pharmaceuticals, an Ireland-based company focused on cultivation and production of cannabis containing pharmaceutical product for EU.
Headquarters: Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Cannabis, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Michael Sassano
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3. Transcenta
The idea behind this startup: Transcenta is a global biotherapeutic company that fully integrates antibody-based biotherapeutics discovery, R&D and manufacture.
Headquarters: Huangpu, Shanghai, China
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: Jonathan Zhao, Xueming Qian
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4. Elevation Oncology
The idea behind this startup: Elevation Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision medicines for patients.
Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Life Science, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Unknown
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5. Matterhorn Biosciences
The idea behind this startup: Matterhorn Biosciences is a biotechnology company focusing on the discovery of cellular therapies targeting the MR1 molecule.
Headquarters: Unknown
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: Unknown
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6. Opvia
The idea behind this startup: Opvia is a developer of a biotechnology platform intended to reduce the time taken to develop bio-processes.
Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
Industries: B2B, Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: William Hart, William Moss
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7. Felix Biotechnology
The idea behind this startup: Felix Biotechnology is working to accelerate the deployment of novel biotherapeutics to manage infectious diseases.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care, Therapeutics
Founders: Paul Turner, Robert McBride
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8. Bloom Biorenewables Ltd
The idea behind this startup: Bloom Biorenewables is making biomass a true alternative to petroleum.
Headquarters: Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
Industries: Biomass Energy, Biopharma, Chemical, CleanTech, Energy, Sustainability
Founders: Florent Heroguel, Jeremy Luterbacher, Remy Buser
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9. Cytovant
The idea behind this startup: Cytovant is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel and innovative cellular therapeutics in Asia.
Headquarters: Shanghai, Shanghai, China
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Therapeutics
Founders: Unknown
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10. Ochre Bio
The idea behind this startup: Ochre Bio develops genomic medicines to rejuvenate donors’ livers before transplant, so that everyone who needs a new liver gets one.
Headquarters: Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Therapeutics
Founders: Jack O’meara
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11. Aspargo Laboratories
The idea behind this startup: Aspargo Laboratories commercialize rights of an oral suspension spray formulation of erectile dysfunction medication Sildenafil citrate.
Headquarters: Englewood, New Jersey, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Medical, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Unknown
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12. Epigene Labs
The idea behind this startup: Epigene Labs designs genomics-driven drug for precision oncology.
Headquarters: Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: Unknown
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13. MabGenesis
The idea behind this startup: MabGenesis is a biopharmaceutical company that provides therapeutic monoclonal antibody drugs in human and animal fields.
Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Unknown
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14. Invex Therapeutics
The idea behind this startup: Invex is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the repurposing of an already approved drug, Exenatide, for efficacious treatment.
Headquarters: Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Therapeutics
Founders: Unknown
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15. Wings Therapeutics
The idea behind this startup: Wings Therapeutics is a developer of genetic skin disease drug designed to improve the healing and integrity of the skin.
Headquarters: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Health Care, Medical
Founders: Mark de Souza
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16. WeCare
The idea behind this startup: WeCare is a U.S. & European based medical technology startup operating in Africa.
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Clinical Trials, Health Care, Hospital, Information Technology, Medical
Founders: Ifeanyi Ossai
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17. Augustine Therapeutics
The idea behind this startup: Augustine Therapeutics is drug discovery programs to identify for the treatment of neurological diseases.
Headquarters: Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Unknown
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18. AVATAMED
The idea behind this startup: Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical
Headquarters: Singapore
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care, Life Science
Founders: Unknown
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19. Invasight
The idea behind this startup: Invasight is a clinical biotech company that focused on revolutionizing cell invasion research.
Headquarters: Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care
Founders: Karthiga Kumar, Sam Quinn
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20. Dianthus Therapeutics
The idea behind this startup: Dianthus Therapeutics is a biotech company operating in stealth mode.
Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care
Founders: Unknown
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21. Chamishi Therapeutics
The idea behind this startup: Chamishi Therapeutics is a drug discovery and development company focused on neurodegenerative diseases and other related disorders.
Headquarters: Deerfield, Illinois, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: Unknown
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22. Platinum Biosciences
The idea behind this startup: Platinum Biosciences offers pharmacist-compounded nutraceutical products infused with THC-free cannabidiol (CBD).
Headquarters: Prosper, Texas, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Genetics
Founders: Unknown
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23. Tiger Johnson Holdings
The idea behind this startup: Advanced algorithms analyzing trillions of data points to stay one step ahead of the market.
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Industries: Biometrics, Biopharma, Information Technology
Founders: Unknown
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24. Cambrian Biopharma
The idea behind this startup: A multi-asset biotech R&D firm uniquely focused on a specific field of biomedical research: the biology of aging, also known as geroscience.
Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Life Science
Founders: James Peyer, Sebastian Brunemeier
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25. Altis Labs
The idea behind this startup: Altis Labs is a clinical information company transforming cancer care.
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Clinical Trials, Cloud Computing, Health Care, Health Diagnostics, Machine Learning, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Felix Baldauf-Lenschen
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26. Seismic Bio
The idea behind this startup: Therapeutic antibody discovery and development
Headquarters: Hayward, California, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Life Science
Founders: Unknown
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27. MultiplAI Health
The idea behind this startup: Biotechnology
Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care
Founders: Charlie Luzzani, Mark Ramondt, Santiago Miriuka
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28. Convexa
The idea behind this startup: Convexa delivers digital voice assistants with recommendations for life science companies who need to increase engagement with prescribers.
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Biopharma, Life Science, Predictive Analytics, Virtual Assistant
Founders: Martin Prunell, Noel Gomez, Pablo Ricco, Sebastián Sassi
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29. Krosslinker
The idea behind this startup: KrossLinker applies material chemistry to innovate and develop advanced materials for insulation applications.
Headquarters: Singapore, Central Region, Singapore
Industries: Advanced Materials, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Elmira Soghrati, Gayathri Natarajan, Mahesh Nathan
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30. Ronawk
The idea behind this startup: Ronawk develops a T-Block technology to produce patient-specific biologics to treat diseases, cancer, organ injuries, and burns.
Headquarters: Olathe, Kansas, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care
Founders: AJ Mellott, Heather Decker
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31. Acclinate
The idea behind this startup: SaaS
Headquarters: Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Health Care, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Delmonize Smith
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32. OrganoTherapeutics
The idea behind this startup: OrganoTherapeutics use mini-brains for the discovery and development of effective drug candidates targeting Parkinson’s disease.
Headquarters: Unknown
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Life Science, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Jens Schwamborn
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33. 39ytú Probióticos de precisión desde tu microbiota
The idea behind this startup: Precision probiotics from your microbiota
Headquarters: Siero, Asturias, Spain
Industries: Alternative Medicine, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care, Health Diagnostics
Founders: Javier Cuervo, Jose Luis Vallejo, José Armando Tellado Nogueira
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34. BiotaX
The idea behind this startup: Safe, Personalized Diagnosis & Treatments Based on Manipulations of The Natural Human Microbiome
Headquarters: Unknown
Industries: Bioinformatics, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care
Founders: Shay Hilel
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35. Tallas Biotech Inc.
The idea behind this startup: Computing and Genomics
Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care, Machine Learning, Pharmaceutical, Software
Founders: Unknown
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36. MyTrial
The idea behind this startup: Better Clinical Trials
Headquarters: Unknown
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Clinical Trials, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Andrew Michael
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37. VITALIS REMEDIUM UK
The idea behind this startup: VITALIS REMEDIUM
Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
Industries: Biopharma, Health Care
Founders: ERIKA ROBLES JONES, Jeffrey Peterson
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38. Spero Biopharma
The idea behind this startup: Spero Biopharma is developing Ladostigil an innovative treatment for Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Health Care, Wellness
Founders: Marta Weinstock-Rosin
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39. Nexuspiral
The idea behind this startup: Nexuspiral is a biotechnology research company.
Headquarters: Tarumi, Hyogo, Japan
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology
Founders: Unknown
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40. Intersect Diagnostics
The idea behind this startup: Intersect Diagnostics is a life science research and development laboratory that focuses on developing proprietary assays.
Headquarters: Ridgewood, New Jersey, United States
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Medical, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Boaz Kurtis
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41. Essentia Pura
The idea behind this startup: Manufacturer of superior cannabinoids, including CBD oil, offered in bulk quantities or as White & Private Label CBD.
Headquarters: Unknown
Industries: Biopharma, Biotechnology, Cosmetics, Dietary Supplements, Food and Beverage, Health Care, Manufacturing, Organic, Pharmaceutical
Founders: Unknown
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