Led · Equity · Nov 2021

Scope Biosciences builds the scopeDx molecular diagnostic platform that leverages proprietary Type III CRISPR-Cas nucleases to detect genetic material for agricultural pathogen testing. The company aims to enable on-site, rapid, and precise diagnosis and monitoring of plant and seed diseases to support sustainable and efficient farming. The recent €500K funding led by SHIFT Invest’s Thematic Technology Transfer fund and OostNL will support development, launch, and commercialisation of its agricultural tests. Last September Scope and Wageningen University & Research received a €150,000 ERC grant to further develop the diagnostic technology, and the company planned to apply independently for a larger ERC grant in 2023. CEO Niek Savelkoul and CTO Jurre Steens have showcased scopeDx at events such as the Euroseeds Congress 2023 as the company moves closer to market. Scope has not yet disclosed detailed commercialisation plans beyond the announced funding and outreach activities. Scope Biosciences develops a CRISPR-Cas–based molecular diagnostic platform called ScopeDx that aims to enable simple, highly specific assays deployable outside research laboratories. The company was founded in 2020 as a spin-off of Wageningen University & Research and is led by CEO Niek Savelkoul. Scope Biosciences intends to bring its first ScopeDx products to market and targets applications in healthcare, veterinary, and agri-food infectious-disease diagnostics. It plans to grow its research and development team and expand existing partnerships to accelerate product development. The business received a €1M investment from Utrecht-based GenDx to speed development and marketing and to pursue co-development opportunities in transplant diagnostics. Scientific co-founders prof. John van der Oost and assistant prof. Raymond Staals will continue to support the company as scientific advisors.