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Munich is the biotech hotspot
After a few brief announcements, the actual topic of the 23rd Munich Startup Podcast begins at minute 2:10: Biotech. According to the German Biotechnology Report by EY 21 percent of all biotech startups founded last year are based in or around Munich – a rate that no other region in Germany achieves. For this reason, auditors also describe Munich as a biotech stronghold in Germany. According to our Munich Startup Insights 36 startups and scaleups from the sector.
And things are looking good in terms of financing too: The industry raised a total of €882 million in venture capital across Germany in 2020. €560 million of this went to the Tübingen-based startup Curevac, which is working on a coronavirus vaccine. Of the remainder, however, just under a fifth found its way to Munich: Catalym, among others, secured €50 million and Tubules received 10.7 million euros. A few other startups also received funding, including from EIT Health.
New medicines thanks to biotech research
The solutions offered by startups vary greatly. According to the industry association Organic Germany Around a quarter of all German biotech companies are developing new drugs, such as CatalymThe Munich-based startup, which we'll introduce you to starting at minute 3:50, is developing new active ingredients for cancer therapy. The idea, which originated from research at the University of Würzburg, has now been further developed to the point of initial clinical trials.
Also suitable for medicines – but not only – is the solution of 4Genes (from minute 7:45). The company, founded in 2015, has applied basic research at the Technical University of Munich to an application that allows for the targeted release of substances. 4Gene uses this not only to apply fragrances in cosmetics and food on demand, but also to release medicinal substances more specifically in the body.
The next startup, which we will introduce to you in the podcast, also has to do with medicine, but not directly with medication. Irubis (from minute 10:50) has not only developed a novel sample carrier for medical analysis – especially for blood counts. The Munich-based company is also working on a new solution for monitoring bioreactors. With the latter, the startup was able to impress the EU, securing €1.3 million in funding under the Horizon 2020 funding program.
The startup shows that biotech does not always have to be about medical devices AmsilkThe Munich-based company has succeeded in artificially producing spider silk using genetically modified bacteria. The startup plans to use the product, among other things, to develop new lightweight materials with Airbus, but has also collaborated with Adidas in the past. From minute 13:20, you can learn more about Amsilk, the aforementioned interview with the “Laboratory Journal” can be found here.
An investor for deep tech and life science
At the end of the podcast we take a look at the venture capital investor MIGThe Munich-based investor not only recently invested in Amsilk, but is also known as a founding investor in BioNTech. With its 16 funds, the VC has invested a total of over €580 million in deep tech and life science startups. A glance at its portfolio reveals numerous well-known Munich-based companies such as Konux, Kewazo, and Navvis.
