General Inception announces the launch of Igniter Europe, focused on building innovative companies in the field of oncology, autoimmune and rare diseases, developing novel therapeutics and leveraging disruptive technology platforms.
PALO ALTO, Calif. and LYON, France, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- General Inception announces the launch of Igniter Europe, focused on building innovative companies in the field of oncology, autoimmune and rare diseases, with novel therapeutics and disruptive technology platforms that enable accelerated drug development with data analytics solutions leveraging patients' data and clinical insights early on in the phase of drug development.
Since its establishment in the United States in 2020, General Inception has co-founded over 35 companies across three divisions: (1) Therapeutics, (2) Engineered Biology, and (3) Life Science Tools & Diagnostics. The company works closely with renowned researchers and institutions to facilitate the inception and acceleration of startups. With the assistance of more than 50 staff and entrepreneurs in residence, General Inception brings in critical industry expertise and financial resources to address the fundamental challenges associated with the building of future market leaders. The team operates daily on both sides of the Atlantic to streamline the development of breakthrough solutions for the healthcare industry.
Igniter Europe will continue this mission in Europe, leveraging the unique ecosystem available regionally for startups with the financial support of France 2030's French Tech Accélération 2 fund, managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance, KU Leuven, and Paladin Capital Group as initial investors and strategic partners. Venkat Reddy and François Valencony will co-manage this industrial holding, bringing together more than 50 years of consolidated experience in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.
Igniter Europe is operational and already supports five innovative companies:
- Abbelight provides hardware and software solutions for Super-Resolution Microscopy to leading research centers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, based on more than 10 years of research conducted at ISMO (Paris Saclay University) and Langevin Institute (ESPCI). The company is currently expanding its product offering and also commercially in North America and Asia.
- Ennovate Pharma was recently launched with the aim of developing innovative treatments for patients who are non-responders or refractory to current standard of care for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.The company utilizes clinical data and advanced data analytics capabilities to bring more effective medicines to patients.
- GauDDi is an innovative small molecule drug discovery company targeting RNA modifications in immune cells for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases. GauDDi was launched in close collaboration with Pharmacelera, a Barcelona-based software company that specializes in computational chemistry with the use of quantum mechanics algorithms, machine learning, and high-performance computing.
- Nickl Therapeutics was founded in Grand-Est region, France in 2023 with a focus on developing next-generation NK cell and innate lymphoid cell therapeutics for oncology and auto-immune disease. By utilizing highly innovative macrocyclic multi-specific cell engagers, Nickl Therapeutics aims to redirect the cytotoxic capabilities of NK cells for the precision killing of disease mediating cells across a number of therapeutic settings. The initial focus is on the activation of the innate immune system within the microenvironment of solid tumors to enhance cancer cell killing.
- Tavira Therapeutics is developing a modular next-generation AAV capsid platform, with the goal of enhancing tissue-specific transgene delivery for gene therapy. The modularity afforded by the Tavira platform should not only accelerate the development of novel therapies, but also streamline AAV vector manufacturing. By enhancing specificity and reducing immunogenicity, the platform furthermore addresses toxicities associated with AAV-based gene therapy. Tavira is leveraging the cutting-edge AAV gene therapy research and development capabilities of the University of Leuven.
"We thank our existing and new investors, who help us accelerate our expansion in Europe. We believe we can add tremendous value to the European innovation ecosystem, offering access to our industry expertise, international network, and financing capabilities," said Paul Conley, CEO and Co-founder of General Inception.
"We are exceptionally proud of the executives who have joined us over the last 18 months to expand our footprint on both sides of the Atlantic. The diversity, quality and commitment of our team will allow us to build differentiated companies and products in a capital efficient manner," said François Valencony, Chief Business Officer and co-manager of Igniter Europe.
"We are thrilled to offer a platform to innovators who can utilize their scientific expertise to create economic value. We strongly believe that our approach to founding and managing companies, in different innovation corridors throughout Europe, will lead to high-impact projects and contribute to a more efficient and accessible healthcare system," stated Venkat Reddy, Chief Scientific Officer and co-manager of Igniter Europe.
"Igniter Europe's approach in the field of company creation and expansion, in close collaboration with General Inception, is quite original. Thanks to an experienced team and privileged access to major research institutions, this partnership should enable the emergence of leading industrial companies in France over the medium term, to which Bpifrance is delighted to contribute on behalf of the French government," says Pierre Gillet, Investment Director of Bpifrance's French Tech Acceleration fund.
"Our support is based on more than 15 years' experience with the team as deeptech venture capital investors and a shared conviction in the value of their mission. Paladin is strongly committed to advancing digital biology and biosecurity, and we are excited by the potential of Europe's research base in these areas of fundamental value to society," added Mourad Yesayan, Managing Director, Paladin Capital Group.
Media Contact
Elodie Dormes, General Inception, 1 1234567, [email protected], www.generalinception.com
SOURCE General Inception
Share this article