BII Innovation Institute is an organization that supports the development of life science and biotech start-ups, bringing research ideas to market.

BII Innovation Institute

Deep Tech Lab - Quantum

Do you have a great research-based idea in planetary health or human health? Are you ready to bring your research out of the lab and into the economy? 

BioInnovation Institute (BII) offers life science researcher and entrepreneurs access to a vibrant life science community with 3500 square meter of advanced lab and office facilities, business acceleration programs, commercial support, funding opportunities and access to high-level mentoring and networks. We embrace every stage of a life science start-up, so whether the idea of pursuing entrepreneurship has briefly crossed your mind, or you already have a full business plan for your project, there is a place for you at BII.

We are a Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative, and we work for the benefit of human welfare and society.

BioInnovation Institute

Since BII’s inauguration in 2018, we have supported 130 startups and translational projects that have raised EUR 626M, thereby leveraging the financial support provided by BII sixfold. Furthermore, the supported companies have created more than 600 new workplaces and are well in the process of bringing their products, technologies, and solutions to market to benefit human and planetary health.👩⚕️🌱    

To build on this success and fulfill future ambitions, we are announcing reorganizational changes in our management team today. 

Trine Bartholdy will step into the role of Chief Business Officer (CBO) with a clear focus on ensuring BII provides the best offerings and framework for our start-ups and translational research projects to go to market. She will also work diligently with her team to strengthen ties to the academic environment and explore valuable partnerships with the industrial sector to create an even better foundation for bringing ideas to life and research to market.  

Bobby Soni will step into a new role as Chief International Officer (CIO), and in close collaboration with the rest of BII's management team, he will work on a number of strategic initiatives to advance BII and ensure that we can create an even greater impact in the future. 

"BII is an organization in constant development. Since 2018, we have experienced growth in the number of startups and initiatives we support. I believe these reorganizational changes help to create the best framework and prerequisites for BII to develop further and to fulfill its mission of supporting talented researchers and entrepreneurs to commercialize their good ideas to benefit society,” says Jens Nielsen, CEO of BII.

#lifescience #biotech #entrepreneurship #news #organization

Last week, we hosted and completed the fourth edition of our BII Summer School in collaboration with CBS Executive Fonden.

During the week at BII, around 40 participants joined us in exploring commercialization assessments and planning for life science innovations. 

We were thrilled to experience their engagement while gaining valuable insights and practical advice that may help them better navigate their own entrepreneurial journeys in the future. 

As one participant summarized it: "The BII summer school provides a unique opportunity - not only for the next generation of entrepreneurs but also for people working in the support systems - to build a profound knowledge foundation encompassing the terminology, requirements, and opportunities that are part of an entrepreneurial biotech journey."

We are looking forward to continuing our efforts to educate and craft the next generation of life science entrepreneurs and be the stepping stone for bringing ideas to life and research to market.

Leonie Kellner Palle Hoy Jakobsen Jens Nielsen Trine Bartholdy Bobby Soni Pernille Winding Gojkovic Emmanuelle Coutanceau

#entrepreneurship #education #biotech #lifescience #summerschool

Symposium: Women's Health and Reproductive Health – Breakthroughs and Innovations Across the Lifespan
 
BII invites Danish-based researchers and clinicians to join us on November 7 for a day dedicated to the unique health challenges and milestones that shape the lives of primarily women. We delve into the latest scientific breakthroughs and innovative advancements that are revolutionizing women's healthcare and reproductive health.
 
🎤Meet keynote speakers professor Krina Zondervan, University of Oxford, leading expert on endometriosis, and Dr. Martin Blomberg Jensen, Herlev og Gentofte Hospital & Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen, specialist in reproductive endocrinology and male infertility.
 
⚡Sign-up for 'Lightning Talks'; a chance for young researchers to present their research in just 5 minutes for a chance to win a slot at the popular BII Summer School (2025).
 
🤝 Take time to network and engage with colleagues from other research institutions and see the newly renovated BioInnovation Institute.
 
💡Get inspired on how to bring your research from idea to patients from an amazing panel consisting of Johanna Roostalu, BII, Diana Torgersen, Organon and Trine Winterø, KU, and Kelle Moley, Ferring Pharmaceuticals.   
 
➡ View the full program, and sign up for free here: https://bit.ly/3AsyQNk

Janne Lebeck Winnie E. Svendsen Eva Hoffmann Cathrine Nygaard Christensen Trine Bartholdy Angela Ibler Sanne Brun Jensen Matthias Wulf Sidsel Damsgaard Thomsen HØIBERG - European Patent Attorneys Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark The Kitchen - AU Erhverv og Innovation Aalborg Universitet Aarhus Universitet Rigshospitalet Rigshospitalet Innovation Diana Riknagel

#womenshealth #reproductivehealth #healthcare #innovation

BII appoints Venture House advisory board 🙌 

We are pleased to announce all the brilliant minds and capacities that will form our Venture House advisory board: Antonio Limatola, Yara Alenazi, Laura Achach, Max Mundt, Mathias Brink Lorenz, Liane Dupont, Pascale Eede, PhD, Alexander Demoulin, and Miao He, PhD MBA.🤝 
 
All advisors were chosen based on their experience assessing scientific innovation and commercial potential, building on their experiences from our latest application round to BII’s Venture House program.💡 
 
“We are happy with the insights and the level of detail our Venture House Advisory group provides our applicants. It's clear that they bring value to our startups and BII. Thus, we are thrilled to formalize and continue this fruitful collaboration,” says Matthias Wulf, Principal at BII.

➡ Read more about BII's Venture programs here, and remember we currently have an open call to our Venture Lab program: https://bit.ly/3pkD2Eg

Jens Nielsen Trine Bartholdy Bobby Soni Markus Herrgård Christian Brix Tillegreen Tony Cheng-Fu Chang Johanna Roostalu Hannah Ochala Asabys Partners MassMutual Ventures Kurma Partners Amino Collective European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) Lundbeckfonden / Lundbeck Foundation Apollo Health Ventures Bioqube Ventures Hadean Ventures 

#funding #acceleration #entrepreneurship #innovation #venturecapital

We are excited to announce a new collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to support Pivot, a new company creation project, through our Bio Studio program. 🚀 

Based on research from Professor Katharina Ribbeck and Associate Professor Matthew Wolfgang the project will focus on how mucus can combat antibiotic resistance by leveraging the mucus barrier, an essential component of the innate immune system, to address the unmet medical needs of chronic lung diseases.🙌 

“The Pivot project is a fantastic addition to our Bio Studio portfolio, as antibiotic resistance remains a key concern for society. The combination of expertise from Prof. Ribbeck and Associate Prof. Wolfgang is a truly unique asset for this project. We look forward to supporting the team in developing innovative solutions to address the challenge of antibiotic resistance," says Trine Bartholdy. 

Nikolaj H. T. P. is hired as an Entrepreneur in Residence to guide the project towards successfully spinning out a company. Furthermore, two highly skilled microbiologists, Henrik Almblad and Melisa Gür, have already joined the team and will be crucial in building the project's scientific foundation.

You can read more about the project here: https://bit.ly/3LRf4xg

Jens Nielsen Markus Herrgård Anne Steinø Shivani Joshi, Ph.D. Louise Strandberg Clemmensen Jakob Pallesen Taylor Cooney Iben Egebæk Nikolajsen Heike Ross Joana Mulma Khorto Johanna Roostalu Terhi Minkkinen Peter Hauge Mikkelsen

#companycreation #funding #research #science #antibioticresistance #pharma #biotech #lifescience #innovation #entrepreneurship

⏰Last chance to pitch your start-up idea to BII's Business Developers⏰ 
 
We currently have an open call for our acceleration program, Venture Lab, and as always, we’re offering potential applicants a chance to get feedback and application advice from our Business Development team before they apply. 

In the 30-minute sessions, you get 10-15 minutes to present your start-up proposition and afterwards BII's knowledgeable Business Developers ask questions and offer feedback that you can use to develop your start-up further. 

Our experience shows us that start-ups that participate in these sessions fare better in the application process as they take factors such as market access, competitor landscape and scientific maturation into account when describing their business case.  
 
What you should cover in your pitch: 
(1) The problem and your solution to it
(2) The technology enabling the solution
(3) Your solution's position in the market
(4) How you plan to protect your technology.

➡ Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3UPRSST
📅 August 5th, 6th and 7th, 2024
📍 Fully virtual event
⏰ Sign-up deadline is two days before the event
 
See you there!👋
 
Tony Cheng-Fu Chang Umar Adegoke Christian Brix Tillegreen Julie Riisgaard Cordes Petar Todorov Christian Hebel, MD Johanna Roostalu Benjamin Hamelmann Sanne Brun Jensen Matthias Wulf Antonia Zoric Bobby Soni Arnoud Klokke #pitch #pitching #businessdevelopment #startupdevelopment #startup #entrepreneurship #lifescience #womenshealth #planetaryhealth #humanhealth

Agrobiomics raises EUR 4M to bring its product 'Fortify' to the market!💸 

Since BII started supporting Agrobiomics in 2022, the company has delivered on its promise to provide transformative solutions to farmers coping with the constant and growing challenges of drought and salinity caused by climate change.👨🌾🌍  

Now, the company is taking another important step, as it has secured a EUR 4M investment from NOON Ventures to bring its product, Fortify, to the market. Fortify is a biostimulant made from a soil microorganism compound and a bacterial fermentation process that can boost plant resilience to abiotic stressors like drought and salinity.🌾🌱 

According to Christian Brix Tillegreen, Director of Planetary Health at BII, BII's support through our Venture Lab and Venture House programs has allowed Agrobiomics to prove the commercial potential of its product in successful field trials. 🚜  

"The company's biostimulant efficiently protects a wide variety of crops against high levels of salinity and has shown to significantly promote yields in field trials (20% increase) at a very low dosage (1-10 mg/hectare). A recent investment of EUR 4M from NOON Ventures will further accelerate development and help bring this sustainable technology to billion-dollar markets such as soybean and corn."

Thus, Agrobiomics could become a key enabler in building a climate-resilient agricultural system, and we can't wait to see the company advance its technology further.🚀    

Thanks to AgFunder and Jennifer Marston for covering the story🙏
➡ Read the article here with comments from Christian Brix Tillegreen, Ejner Bech Jensen and Mathilde Nordgaard: https://bit.ly/46j9b5t

Maria Henriques de Jesus Ling Ding Jonas Arnold Jürgensen-Breum Andreas Laustsen-Kiel Theis Malmborg Caspar Hoegh DI Bio DTU - Technical University of Denmark Jacob Mathias Bech Maria Abboud Andreas Agerbo Christopher Whitford Laura Hartz Felix Freiesleben Anna Rasmussen Elaine Watson Jens Nielsen Bobby Soni Julie Riisgaard Cordes Arnoud Klokke Petar Todorov Benjamin Hamelmann Anders Østerby Mønsted Katrine Villarreal Villumsen Andrew Julius Bende Tamar Szeps-Znaider

#agtech #agriculture #foodsecurity #resilience #funding #investment #planetaryhealth

Join BII’s vibrant entrepreneurial environment💥
 
Are you looking for a place in the center of ‘Innovation District Copenhagen’ where you can work alongside many great start-ups and life science companies? Then, BioInnovation Institute might be just the right fit for you.
 
Besides our acceleration and company creation programs, Venture Lab and Bio Studio, we offer plenty of opportunities to rent office space, lab space, shared offices, or private offices, depending on the needs of your start-up, company, or organization. Additionally, larger industry players or corporations looking to co-locate with start-ups can also leverage our community to showcase their products and services.🏢
 
“By becoming a resident in BII’s building, you get access to not only infrastructure but also become part of a vibrant community with a high concentration of life science companies and entrepreneurs, perfectly located in a constantly growing life science hub in the center of Copenhagen,” says Jeppe Seidenfaden, Relationship Manager at BII.
 
How do I get acquainted with your offerings? We have provided an overview of the different opportunities to become part of our community on our website: https://bit.ly/3zVAQNx

Hanna van den Driest Dr. Bo Heinemann Shivani Joshi, Ph.D.  Peter Hauge Mikkelsen Tine Roland Presterud Jens Nielsen Katrine Villarreal Villumsen Anders Østerby Mønsted

Today, Kariya Pharmaceuticals, one of the very first companies BII supported, announced the successful dosing of the first cohort in a Phase 1 first-in-human trial for its lead compound, KP405, that can slow the progression of Parkinson's Disease.💊 

According to Ian Laquian, CEO of Kariya Pharmaceuticals, receiving financial support at an early stage has been instrumental in bringing its lead compound one step closer to patients in need.📈 
 
"First-in-human trials are momentous occasions for any organization, but today is extra special when you've been working on a concept for over a decade. There are so many people to thank and recognize on the way to this milestone, but none more important than the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the BioInnovation Institute."

Matthias Wulf, Principal at BII, is pleased to see how far Kariya has come since receiving EUR 1.3M in financial support through BII's former Creation House program in 2019.
 
“It is fantastic to see how Kariya has moved their first-in-class treatment to the clinic to make a difference for people with Parkinson’s disease. It shows what good science and determined founders can achieve when they receive the proper support, he says."

A huge congratulations to the Kariya team. We look forward to following your future progress to help people with Parkinson's disease.🚀 

Christian Hölscher Bobby Soni Jens Nielsen Trine Bartholdy Sanne Brun Jensen Umar Adegoke Anders Østerby Mønsted Katrine Villarreal Villumsen

#biotech #parkinsonsdisease #drugdevelopment #clinicaltrial #pharma #lifescience

From start-up to scale-up 🚀 

Matr Foods is an outstanding example of how an early-stage start-up can leverage BII's financial support, business development expertise, and general infrastructure to accelerate its entrepreneurial journey.👏

Matr's current customer base comprises several B2B contracts with Danish restaurant chains, including Gasoline Grill and Sticks'n'Sushi, and with the online supermarket nemlig.com. With the recent news of an initial investment from Novo Holdings, the company can take one major leap further in its development, says Christian Brix Tillegreen, Director of Planetary Health at BII.

"By attracting this new funding, Matr can execute on its promise of scaling production and expanding to new markets."

Reaching this stage so fast wouldn't have been possible without the support of BII, according to Randi Wahlsten, CEO of Matr Foods.

"Getting BIIs support through Venture Lab and Venture House enabled us to be where we are today. With BII's support we have gone from a product idea to a successful initial launch and we have build the production and our team up to a place where were are now ready to take on the world – or at least to take on investment to really scale our production."

Congratulations on the great news to the whole team at Matr Foods. We can't wait to follow your development in the future.🌱 

You can read more about the initial investment here: https://bit.ly/464lpyH

Arnoud Klokke Benjamin Hamelmann Julie Riisgaard Cordes Maria Henriques de Jesus Petar Todorov Anders Østerby Mønsted Katrine Villarreal Villumsen Jens Nielsen Bobby Soni Thomas Grotkjær Anders Spohr Jens Termansen, Nikolaj Madsen, Sune Legaard Olsen, Eric Heilig, Katharina Henn, Ivan Horacio Rosano Gazca, Efraín Hernández Morales, Emil Kleis Boll, Tine Møller Vestergaard, Miikka Inkinen, Lucas Oliveira, Andreas Hansen

#entrepreneurship #funding #investment #foodtech #scaleup #startup

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BII Innovation Institute