InSphero develops industrial-grade, scalable 3D-cell-based assay solutions and scaffold-free 3D organ-on-a-chip technology for preclinical drug safety and efficacy testing. Its platform provides automation-compatible, ISO quality-controlled 3D human tissue models, 3D-optimized media, and tailored assay services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers. The company offers a cryopreserved ARCTis 3D Microtissue portfolio intended as a storable, ready-to-use biobank to accelerate compound testing and plans to commercialize its cryo-preservation technology using proceeds from the latest round. InSphero positions itself to benefit from the FDA Modernization Act, which elevates alternative methods to animal testing, and aims to become the largest 3D microtissue biobank in the world. ZEISS Ventures made a strategic investment tied to imaging and 3D image analysis capabilities, reflecting a close link between InSphero’s products and ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions. The company has previously received grants and awards including a EUR 1.5 million Eurostar grant for a cancer project and CHF 130,000 from Venture Kick, and has been recognized as a TOP 100 Swiss Startup and Venture Leader. InSphero develops 3D microtissue-based platforms for preclinical drug safety and efficacy testing. Its solutions combine scalable 3D technology, ISO quality-controlled human tissue models, 3D-optimized media, and tailored assay services. The company’s platforms are used in research collaborations with partners such as Roche and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). InSphero intends to use the new funding to further enhance its discovery platforms for metabolic diseases and cancer. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Dr. Jan Lichtenberg and is based in Schlieren, Switzerland. The round reported here brings the company’s total funding to date to $35M. Launched in 2010 by Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, InSphero is a Schlieren, Switzerland-based company that provides organotypic 3D cell culture models and body-on-a-chip systems. Its pipeline includes 3D liver, skin, heart, brain and tumor models developed for toxicity testing and disease modeling, as well as next-generation 3D cell culture platforms. The company supplies pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetics companies with 3D microtissues and contract research services for drug safety and efficacy testing. In August 2015 InSphero raised CHF20M in a Series C financing. The company intends to use the funds to expand global operations, notably North American scientific staff and operations, and to broaden its product portfolio of novel 3D microtissues and contract research services. It also plans to develop new products and applications based on its core 3D microtissue technology. InSphero is a Zurich-based provider of organotypic, biological in vitro three-dimensional microtissues used for drug testing. Founded in 2009 by Dr Jan Lichtenberg as a spin-off from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, the company supplies tumor and liver microtissue models. Customers currently include seven of the top ten global pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies. In June 2013 the company received CHF2m in a Series B made up of equity capital and long-term loans. The company intends to use the funds to grow in the US and East Asian markets (Japan, Korea and Singapore). It also plans to expand its automatic production line for tumor and liver microtissue models.

Total raised

$33M

Funding rounds

5

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jun 2018