Participated · Seed · Jan 2026

Avenue Biosciences has built what it says is the first platform capable of measuring and modulating the cellular secretory pathway at scale, coupling massively parallel wet-lab screening of 5,000–6,000 signal peptide variants with machine-learning models. By identifying optimal peptide “addresses” in a single experiment, the technology can rescue stalled projects and shave years off traditional, sequential trial-and-error workflows. Originating from years of research at the University of Helsinki, the platform already serves contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and pharmaceutical companies, and the firm generated revenue in its first year after emerging from stealth at the end of 2024. Investors see the approach as a route to lowering costs and unlocking complex biologics that have previously failed due to poor expression yields. The company combines experimental data with computational insights, continually refining prediction tools as scientific understanding deepens. With total capital raised now at $8.7 million, Avenue plans to channel fresh funds into expanding its team of wet-lab scientists and strengthening its scientific capabilities before broader commercial scale-up.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2025

MultivisionDx has built a computer-vision platform that analyses multiplexed tumour biopsy images to map protein expression, cellular morphology, spatial arrangements and micro-environment composition, generating unique "cancer fingerprints" for each patient. These fingerprints have been validated in a cohort of 650 patients and published in Cell, showing more accurate prediction of treatment response than current clinical criteria. Spun out of the University of Helsinki in April 2025, the company is led by CEO Michael Wittinger and CSO Karolina Punovuori alongside three other co-founders. The team previously secured a €680k Business Finland grant in 2022 to begin commercialising the technology. With its newly raised capital, MultivisionDx plans to develop diagnostic tests, complete clinical validation studies and form partnerships with international hospitals and research groups. Over the next 18 months the founders aim to advance spatial biology from research settings into routine diagnostics, enabling clinicians to tailor cancer therapies more precisely.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2025

Perfat Technologies develops a proprietary oleogel technology that transforms liquid vegetable oils into solid, fibre-reinforced gelled vegetable oils with the functionality of saturated fats. The company positions its product as the world’s first fibre-reinforced gelled vegetable oil, enabling manufacturers to replace butter, palm oil, and coconut oil across many food applications while maintaining taste, texture, and performance. Perfat claims its solutions can be healthier (around 80% less fat, up to 30% fewer calories, and added fibres) and are market-ready with no additional regulatory hurdles. It is a member of EIT Food Rising Food Stars and is targeting the fast-growing sustainable and functional food ingredients market. Current plans include scaling production, growing the team, and launching healthy lipid-based solutions to help manufacturers adopt sustainable alternatives. The company recently completed a financing round to support these near-term commercial and production objectives. Perfat Technologies is a Helsinki, Finland–based food deep technology company developing a material-physics–based solution to give healthy vegetable oils the techno-functionality of saturated fats. The company has created the first gelled healthy vegetable oil with an engineered dietary-fiber-reinforced microstructure to produce a solid, highly functional fat for food producers. Its technology enables broader use of rapeseed and sunflower oils in food products while retaining familiar taste and texture profiles, offering a healthier and more sustainable alternative to butter, palm oil and coconut oil. Perfat positions its solution as a way to reduce reliance on unhealthy saturated fats and to contribute to improved public health outcomes. The company will use the €1 million seed financing to accelerate R&D and support scaling from lab scale toward industrial production. Perfat has received strong interest from leading European and global food producers and is backed by Nordic Science Investments, Helsinki University Funds and other existing investors.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2025

Solid IO is a medtech startup spun out of the University of Helsinki that has developed a tumour-on-chip platform replicating a patient's tumour microenvironment to generate real-time, biologically relevant data on treatment response. Its platform is designed to help clinicians select the most effective immunotherapies and combination treatments from day one, reducing unnecessary side effects and eliminating trial-and-error approaches. The technology also targets pharmaceutical R&D and clinical trials by enabling early patient stratification, biomarker validation, and treatment-response modelling. Solid IO has demonstrated proof of concept, published its first scientific paper in October 2024, and is finalising preclinical studies. The company plans to secure a clinical validation partner and begin clinical trials next year, and is targeting the US market first because its product will be classified as an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device under a single regulatory framework. The recently closed €800,000 funding will be used to plan and execute clinical trials, build the regulatory strategy, and prepare for US market entry.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2024

Nadmed is a Helsinki-based biotech company that has developed a testing method to measure all four NADs and glutathione forms from fresh blood samples. Its assay uses an accurate colorimetric quantification that can be performed on minuscule amounts of blood and is said to deliver the same accuracy as mass spectrometry. The test can be run quickly and efficiently and measures NADs and glutathiones from the same sample. Nadmed currently serves customers in 27 countries, including clinical laboratories (e.g., Synlab), universities (e.g., Newcastle University), research institutions (e.g., NIH), and pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Clene Nanomedicine). The company is led by CEO Jari Närhi and intends to use the funds to expand operations and advance development efforts. Financially, it has secured a €3.5M Series A round alongside a public grant to support its growth.