i&i Biotech Fund invests more than €1 Million in Enzyre to help to advance diagnostic platform for hemophilia patients

Funds will be used to accelerate development of the platform, establish manufacturing capabilities and implement plans to expand platform beyond hemophilia A.

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, November 2, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Enzyre, a company developing a breakthrough ambulant diagnostic technology for blood coagulation testing, today announced that it has successfully raised EUR 12 million Series A funding led by new investor Oost NL, with participation from i&i Biotech Fund, Demcon Investment as technology partner and existing investors, Takeda Ventures and Novalis Biotech. The financing also includes an Innovation Credit from the Dutch Government.

Enzyre’s first product, Hemophilia EnzyCard, uses the Company’s proprietary EnzyPad platform technology to determine the coagulation status of patients with hemophilia, a rare genetic disorder that is estimated to affect over 800,000 people worldwide. Those with hemophilia A lack sufficient blood-clotting factor VIII (FVIII) activity, causing them to bleed for longer after an injury compared to healthy subjects. Enzyre’s technology will enable patients to self-test in a home setting, and eventually transfer their coagulation status to their treating physician through a mobile phone app. This will allow for timely personalized therapy adjustments that may improve clinical outcomes while avoiding unnecessary travel and hospital exposure, ultimately decreasing overall treatment burden and cost for patients and healthcare systems. In addition to the continuing development of EnzyPad, the company will use a part of the funding to support the registration of clinical trials, establish a sustainable manufacturing line and the expansion of critical care applications.

Guido Maertens, Chief Executive Officer of Enzyre, said: “We are delighted to have closed this successful financing round which validates our technology and will underpin our ongoing development as we take Enzyre forward into the next phase of growth. We value Takeda’s continued support and welcome the commitment from a strong cohort of new and existing investors. Together we look forward to improving the quality of life for patients living with bleeding disorders by driving forward our goal to transform their standard of care.”

Pieter Rhemrev, senior investment manager at Oost NL, acting as lead investor of the syndicate, commented: “We are excited to be working with Enzyre in developing a truly innovative technology that is a potential game changer in the management of Hemophilia A and other bleeding disorders. Patient outcomes and quality of life will be dramatically improved by the ability of physicians to monitor coagulation status in real-time and we see great potential for the product to enhance personalized care. We look forward to joining this talented team and our syndicate partners in supporting Enzyre’s pathway to future success.”

Karel Kubias, Partner at i&i Biotech Fund, commented: “We are thrilled to accompany Enzyre in developing such a promising innovative technology with the potential to help monitor coagulation in hundreds of thousands of hemophilia patients worldwide. We firmly believe, Enzyre’s technology can effectively bring a significant improvement of their treatment. We are convinced, the support of Takeda and the other partners maintains the committed team of Enzyre on the right trajectory to future success.”

For further information:

Martin Kovalčík, + 420 777 472 863, [email protected] (i&i Biotech Fund)

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About Enzyre

Enzyre is a spin-out from Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands founded by Waander van Heerde and Guido Maertens. The Company aims to develop a diagnostic device to provide patients with the flexibility to assess their coagulation status regardless of where they are. Enzyre’s platform requires a small volume of blood to measure up to sixteen reactions simultaneously with high sensitivity and specificity without any laboratory infrastructure, at home, on the road or in a critical care setting. This offers enormous benefits to patients: avoid crisis situations driven by changes in coagulation status, provide ease of mind for patients, empower patients to optimize treatment themselves, be a quick turnaround tool in the clinical setting, reduce GP consultation visits and, as a personalized diagnostic tool, offer great support in a telemedicine setting.

About i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio)

i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European Life Sciences companies focused on drug discoveries, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. The Fund was created thanks to the cooperation of the biotech incubator i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund. With over €45M under management, i&i Bio plans to invest in about 20 early-stage companies. i&i Bio is led by an experienced team of professionals with backgrounds in private equity, healthcare and venture capital supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to global success. Thanks to the close cooperation with the fund’s sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies.

i&i Bio is supported by an investment from the EIF, with the support of:

• lnnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing; and

• the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF), implemented by the EIF with the financial support of the Participating Member States. The objective of EGF is to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring that companies in the Participating Member States have sufficient short-term liquidity available to weather the crisis and are able to continue their growth and development in the medium to long-term.

Martin Kovalčík
i&i Biotech Fund
+420 777 472 863
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