The funding was led by AdBio partners, with co-syndication from M Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC and Bpifrance Large Venture
Astraveus secures €16.5m to develop gene therapy manufacturing platform. (Credit: Furiosa-L from Pixabay)
Astraveus, a pioneering company in the field of cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing, has emerged from stealth mode after successfully raising €16.5m in an oversubscribed Series Seed financing round.
The funding was led by AdBio partners, with co-syndication from M Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC and Bpifrance Large Venture.
With its groundbreaking Lakhesys platform, Astraveus is revolutionising CGT manufacturing.
The platform encompasses a modular, microfluidic cell foundry that leverages deep process optimisation and single-use bioprocessors to achieve superior outcomes while minimising resource consumption.
By eliminating the need for large-scale infrastructure, reducing costs and processing time, and overcoming logistical challenges, Astraveus aims to enhance patient access to life-changing therapies.
The recent financing will empower Astraveus to advance its technology development and expand its team. At the heart of the Lakhesys platform lies microfluidic bioprocessors, which replicate organ perfusion and significantly expedite the molecular exchanges required to transform cells into potent therapeutic agents.
The precise and compact nature of microfluidic bioprocessors enables more efficient manufacturing, reducing labour, space, and energy requirements, resulting in decreased waste generation and a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly process.
By minimising the gaps between process development and clinical implementation and offering immediate modular scalability, Lakhesys saves crucial time and costs, potentially revolutionising both clinical research and the manufacturing of approved CGT products.
Following the successful fundraising, Alain Huriez from AdBio partners, Christian Uhrich from M Ventures, Fiona MacLaughlin from JJDC, and Laurent Higueret from Bpifrance Large Venture will join Astraveus’ board of directors.
Astraveus founder and CEO Jérémie Laurent said: “Astraveus has an ambitious vision to revolutionise the development and commercialisation of cell and gene therapies. By reducing costs, increasing precision and driving scalability, we are enabling the realisation of the full potential of these therapies and making them accessible to a far wider audience of patients.”
AdBio Partners chairman and managing partner Alain Huriez said: “Astraveus’ disruptive technology, combined with the team’s vision and the ability to address significant unmet needs in CGT enabling technologies, immediately convinced us of the company’s potential.
“We were highly motivated to lead this financing, which was syndicated with first-class co-investors. All ingredients are in place for Astraveus to become a leader in this highly-important field.”