BioInnovation Institute injects €1.3 million each into six startups tackling cancer, disease, pest control and decarbonisation

Copenhagen-based BioInnovation Institute (BII) has awarded additional convertible loans of €1.3 million each to six of its portfolio companies, bringing the total capital each has received from the institute to €1.8 million.

The six recipients — PanTarg, 3Sonic, Inia Biosciences, Yngvi Bio, Proxi Biotech and Sagava — had each previously secured €500k from BII.

“The six companies have demonstrated strong potential and have already taken important steps from promising research to developing solutions that can make a real difference. With continued funding, they have the opportunity to accelerate their development and focus even more on their path towards the market,” said Trine Bartholdy, Chief Business Officer at BII.

Founded in 2018, BII is a Danish innovation institute that supports translational research projects and startups in life sciences and DeepTech through its innovation platform. It combines expertise, networks, infrastructure, business development support, and financing to help researchers and entrepreneurs turn early-stage research into companies and solutions that create value for people and society.

Since its inception, BII has backed more than 140 startups, and its alumni have gone on to raise over €1 billion in external capital. In February 2026, BII secured €25 million in Novo Nordisk Foundation funding to launch a new initiative, ‘Upscalator’, to support Danish and European early-stage startups with facilities, services, and expertise to bring novel biosolutions to market and drive the green transition.

Bartholdy said these six companies have reached an important stage in their development and are positioned to benefit from the right framework and expertise to develop into strong, international businesses.

“It is precisely at this stage that the combination of capital, strong expertise and the right network can make a decisive difference. We see significant potential in all six companies, and our role is to help them turn their technologies into sustainable businesses and products that can create value for patients, society and investors,” she added.

Among the six startups receiving additional funding, the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet spin-out PanTarg is developing an antibody-based cancer therapy that combines two targeted attacks in one treatment, aimed at aggressive cancers including pancreatic cancer.

3Sonic, spun out of Rigshospitalet and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), is building a 3D ultrasound and AI imaging tool to help surgeons assess cancer tissue in real time during operations.

Inia Biosciences, which grew out of innovation hubs in Boston and Oxford, is working on new treatments for inflammatory diseases, starting with psoriasis.

Yngvi Bio, a University of Copenhagen spin-out, is developing biological pest-control solutions aimed at protecting crops while limiting harm to biodiversity and human health.

Proxi Biotech, a spin-out from Statens Serum Institut (SSI), is developing a vaccine-based immunotherapy to treat recurrent bacterial infections. The company’s lead candidate targets recurrent infections caused by Clostridium difficile, which can recur and become chronic. The technology is intended to provide an alternative to treatments such as faecal microbiota transplantation

Sagava, a DTU spin-out, is converting waste into sustainable biofuels and energy to help decarbonise the maritime sector.

The fresh funding is intended to help the companies mature their technologies, strengthen their businesses and take further steps toward commercial application. Alongside the capital, the companies retain access to BII’s innovation platform in Copenhagen, including laboratory facilities, a network of investors, advisors and strategic partners, and support in business development and commercialisation.

With the new capital, BII said the six companies are better positioned to advance their technologies, attract further external investment and move closer to bringing their products to market.