AQEMIA

AQEMIA

TechBio

Series A – $100M raised

Created in 2019

51-200 employees

Rooted in academic excellence, driven by science and generative AI

AQEMIA is a drug invention company developing novel molecules to address unmet medical needs. Its proprietary QEMI platform combines over a decade of physics-based research with state-of-the-art generative AI, enabling the rapid design of drug candidates without relying on experimental training data.

By leveraging its unique fast physics engine, the company reconciles speed and precision in molecular design, unlocking large-scale exploration of previously inaccessible chemical space. Aqemia’s portfolio spans oncology, immunology and neurology, and includes both wholly owned programs and partnered programs with leading pharmaceutical companies, such as a multi-year, $150M strategic collaboration with Sanofi.

The company’s most advanced preclinical programs are currently undergoing in vivo optimization, demonstrating superior efficacy in animal models.

Headquartered in Paris with an office in London, AQEMIA employs around 70 people and has raised over $100 million since its inception.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Maximilien Levesque

CEO

Paris, France

maximilien.levesque@aqemia.com

LinkedIn

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Aurora Sterilisation

Aurora Sterilisation

Medtech

Series B – $40M raised

Created in 2019

21-50 employees

Expert in Sterilisation of Sensitive Medical Devices

Aurora makes breakthrough low-temperature sterilizers for sensitive medical devices.

The sterilant is made of pure air gases, turned into plasmas (= northern lights). This technology paves the way to:
– the sterile reprocessing of complex medical devices in hospitals: GI endoscopes and echo-endoscopic probes
– environmentally friendly sterilization of medical devices manufactured by large medtech manufacturers

The company has been largely recognized for its unique technology and potential, as a France 2030 AMI-MIE, EIC Accelerator, and IPCEI Tech4Cure laureate.

Aurora’s first sales highlight strong market traction, and the company expects even stronger momentum with CE marking expected in Q4 2026 and FDA approval by the end of 2026. This is why Aurora is aiming to raise capital by the end of this year to support its growth.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Thomas Parias

CEO & Founder

Rouen, France

thomas.parias@aurora-sterilisation.com

LinkedIn

AUROBAC THERAPEUTICS

AUROBAC THERAPEUTICS

Biotech, Pharma

Created in 2022

21-50 employees & 1-5 employees in the USA

Precision medicines to tackle the impact of severe bacterial infections

AUROBAC THERAPEUTICS is a biopharmaceutical company established in 2022 through a strategic partnership between three global leaders in life sciences innovation: Boehringer Ingelheim, Evotec and bioMérieux. AUROBAC is dedicated to tackling urgent and unmet medical needs in the treatment of bacterial infections and their consequences in acute hospital settings, with a strong focus on the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

AUROBAC is advancing a robust and diversified pipeline, headlined by ATX101, a potential first-in-class host-targeted therapy in development for the treatment of sepsis and septic shock (Phase 2 in preparation).

In parallel, AUROBAC has established multiple strategic partnerships to build a robust drug discovery engine designed to identify novel antimicrobial agents. This innovative platform aims to accelerate the development of novel treatments for acute respiratory infections, such as Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) caused by Gram-negative pathogens.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Julie Cervesi

Chief Business Officer

Lyon, France

julie.cervesi@aurobac-tx.com

LinkedIn

Covalab

Covalab

Biotech, Services

Created in 1995

11-20 employees

From Research to Discovery

Founded in 1995, Covalab is a French biotechnology company renowned for its expertise in antibody engineering. With over three decades of experience, Covalab specializes in the design and development of a wide range of antibodies, including polyclonal, monoclonal, scFv, Fab, VHH, and recombinant antibodies, utilizing advanced techniques such as DNA immunization.

Covalab’s DNA immunization technology provides a distinctive advantage in creating enhanced biological antibodies due to its capability to identify conformational epitopes, including challenging molecules such as transmembrane receptors with post-translational modifications. Covalab has successfully developed more than 20 superior biological antibodies, including those targeting TROP-2, PD-L1, and Nectin-4, which are available for out-licensing for Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) applications.

Covalab’s comprehensive approach includes careful immunogen and animal host selection, rigorous screening processes, and state-of-the-art characterization. Committed to quality, the company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, reflecting its dedication to excellence in services, products, and R&D.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Saïd El Alaoui

CEO

Bron, France

elalaoui@covalab.com

Affilogic

Affilogic

Biotech, Pharma

Created in 2010

21-50 employees

From Natural Proteins to Efficient Therapeutics

Affilogic is a private biotech company specialized in discovering and developing affinity proteins, Nanofitins®, through early-stage collaborations with worldwide industry leaders in the pharmaceutical sector.

Each Nanofitin® is 20 times smaller than an antibody and hyperstable. Nanofitins® are easily combined by simple, rapid, and proven methods to design an ideal targeted molecule.

Affilogic is investing internally in 4 programs that leverage the core advantages of Nanofitins®:

1 – Bus2Brain: Enhanced brain uptake of biologics to reignite CNS therapies
2 – Respitude: Inhaled antiviral Nanofitin® therapeutics against respiratory infections
3 – GI Job: Targeting GI tract diseases by oral administration
4 – ODC: Small-size Nanofitin®-drug conjugates against solid tumors with a new therapeutic window

Moreover, with NanoVector, Affilogic is partnering with third parties to deliver their therapeutic compounds to specific cells/organs (ASO, siRNA, nanoparticles, antibodies, enzymes, peptides, CAR-T, AAV…).

Such programs illustrate the versatility of Nanofitins®, designed as APIs or as vectors for the specific transport of therapeutic molecules, administered systemically, via the oral route for a local effect in the GI tract, or via direct pulmonary delivery.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Olivier Kitten

CEO

Nantes, France

partnering@affilogic.com

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NETRI

NETRI

TechBio

$22M raised

Created in 2018

21-50 employees

Enhancing Human Health Through the Discriminating Power of the Nervous System

NETRI is an innovative industrial TechBio whose mission is to improve human health through the discriminating power of the nervous system. The company offers a Neuron-as-a-Sensor suite (NaaS) to gain insights into the safety and efficacy of clinical or chemical compounds. NETRI focuses on pain quantification and pursues an exploratory pipeline in oncology, immunology, neurological disorders, neurotoxicity and dermatology.

Leveraging the natural capacity of neurons to encode biological interactions into electrical impulses, the NaaS suite features the world-first compartmentalized electrophysiology platform in standard 96-well plate format – NeuroFluidics™ MEA – which acts as a data generation hub for its Digital Signature libraries of tested and reference compounds. To enable the prediction of clinical outcomes, the proprietary suite includes calibrated neuronal cells, organ-on-chip hardware, AI-trained software, digital libraries and methods.

NETRI provides two types of offers:
Standard Microphysiological Systems (MPS)
NETRI’s MPS can be acquired with cells & cell reagents, scaffolds and software for R&D groups interested in:
• 3D ECM Matrix for primary or hiPSC-derived organoids and tumoroids (liver, pancreatic carcinoma, adipose tissues, brain).
• Compartmentalized barrier for innervation and vascularization of 3D hiPSC cell cultures, including multi-organoid systems.
• Compartmentalized electrophysiology for co-culture of 2D and 3D CNS or PNS cells, co-culture of neurons and skin cells and neuromuscular junction.

The Neuron-as-a-Sensor (NaaS) platform includes devices, cells & reagents, software (analytics, Digital Signature generation and access to the Digital Library), and the full NaaS methodology. Among others, this platform can be applied to the following applications:
• Drug-induced peripheral neuropathies, including CIPN, for which NETRI is currently establishing a ring trial with 6 major pharmaceutical companies and a world-leading CRO to assess inter-site reproducibility before regulatory submission of the methodology for this context of use
• General CNS neurotoxicity (pharma)
• Skin model (pruritus)
• Inflammatory pain
• Drug-induced seizure
• ALS (motor only)
• General CNS neurotoxicity (chemicals, pesticides)
• DPN (diabetic peripheral neuropathy)
• Emetic and nausea response

NETRI ultimately aims to license its technology for on-premises deployment for internal decision-making and inclusion in regulatory submissions.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Thibault Honegger

CEO & Co-founder

Lyon, France

thibault.honegger@netri.com

LinkedIn

Antelope Therapeutics

Antelope Therapeutics

Biotech

Created in 2024

1-5 employees

Developing First-in-Class ADCs for Gastrointestinal Cancers

Antelope Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage oncology company developing ATL-024, a novel Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) against a first-in-class target for the treatment of colorectal and pancreatic cancers. These two diseases cause nearly 400,000 deaths annually across the 7MM and represent a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity.

Founded by ADC experts, including the former co-founder and CSO, and the former CBO of Mablink Bioscience (acquired by Eli Lilly), Antelope has identified CA242, a target with high expression prevalence across CRC and PDAC, representing 240,000+ patients annually, while being absent from healthy tissues.

ATL-024 combines a clinically de-risked antibody with an innovative proprietary linker platform and a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload to address this target. Preclinical studies have demonstrated compelling efficacy across multiple tumor models and an outstanding tolerability profile in NHP, supporting its best-in-disease potential.

Antelope is targeting clinical entry in 2027 and is seeking investors and partners to accelerate the development of ATL-024, including financing, licensing, and broader strategic discussions.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Edouard Leroy

CEO & Co-founder

Lyon, France

e.leroy@antelope-tx.com

LinkedIn

bYoRNA

bYoRNA

TechBio

Series A – $10M to be raised

Created in 2022

11-20 employees, including 1-5 in the USA

An RNA platform to help keeping the world healthy

bYoRNA is developing a disruptive, patented technology for producing messenger RNA (mRNA) via yeast fermentation, an alternative to the current in vitro transcription (IVT) process. This approach will significantly reduce the immunogenicity of the mRNAs produced, improve their efficiency while allowing for better tissue targeting and diminishing the production cost by two orders of magnitude.

They can produce 10,000-nucleotide mRNA as easily as 4,000-nucleotide mRNA, with neither dsRNA nor fragments, due to the yeast built-in quality control machinery.

Over the past six months, bYoRNA has achieved the necessary productivity and purity levels for testing in cell and animal models. Current work focuses on validating the biological quality of the produced mRNAs, with results expected by mid-2026 in cell models (protein expression and functionality) and then in animal models (tolerance and biological activity).

They have raised $10M+ in dilutive and non-dilutive funding and secured partnerships for proof-of-concepts on 3 critical indications with TRON, the mRNA research institute created by the founders of BIONTECH, as well as a leading animal pharma company and a major European rare disease institute.

This milestone, crucial for demonstrating the quality of their mRNAs compared to those produced by IVT, will enable them to launch their Series A funding round with a target amount of $12 million. This funding will accelerate the scaling up of the fermentation process, industrialize the purification steps, produce pilot batches compliant with pre-GMP requirements, and initiate initial industrial collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Ultimately, the technology developed aims to become an industrial platform supporting the development of innovative vaccines and therapies, while reducing the costs and production times associated with current technologies.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pascal Viguié

Co-founder and CEO

Pessac, France

pascal@byorna.bio

LinkedIn

ICOSA

ICOSA

Services

Created in 2009

51-200 employees

Intellectual Property firm with a unique business-oritented approach

ICOSA is a European intellectual property firm, founded in 2009, specializing in supporting stakeholders in the Health, Cosmetics, Food, Environment, and Tech industries.
ICOSA help companies and investors address intellectual property challenges by protecting, securing, and maximizing the value of their innovations worldwide (patents, trademarks, designs, contracts, etc.).


With a team of 90 multidisciplinary professionals, they combine technical expertise, business vision, and strategic insight to guide clients through every stage of their growth, from start-ups to multinational corporations.
Based in France and Belgium, ICOSA positions itself as a specialist in intellectual property strategy, a trusted partner at the heart of innovation ecosystems, and a key player in creating value across European and global markets.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Caroline De Mareuil Villette

Founding Partner

Paris, France

cdm@icosa.fr

LinkedIn

CONTACT INFORMATION

Claire Verschelde

Founding Partner

Paris, France

cv@icosa.fr

LinkedIn

EXELIOM BIOSCIENCES

EXELIOM BIOSCIENCES

Biotech, Pharma

Series A – $35M raised

Created in 2016

6-10 employees

Unlocking the Full Potential of Cancer Immunotherapy

Exeliom Biosciences is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a first-in-class oral innate immune modulator designed to enhance the efficacy and durability of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Its lead asset, EXL01, selectively activates the non-canonical NOD2–CARD9 signaling axis, reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages from an immunosuppressive to an antigen-presenting, T-cell–supportive state.

By restoring upstream myeloid competence, EXL01 addresses a central bottleneck in immuno-oncology: resistance driven by dysfunctional innate immunity. Preclinical and translational data demonstrate enhanced interferon signaling, improved antigen presentation, and deeper, more durable ICI responses without triggering systemic inflammation.

EXL01 is currently being evaluated in a randomized Phase II trial in first-line advanced gastric cancer in combination with nivolumab and chemotherapy. Additional expansion studies are ongoing in renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and NSCLC, across Europe and the United States.

Beyond oncology, EXL01 is being developed in other indications, including Crohn’s disease, and infectious disease, where preliminary clinical efficacy signals have been observed.

With patent protection through 2044, a scalable GMP manufacturing platform, and a clear registrational pathway in oncology, Exeliom Biosciences offers partners a differentiated, first-in-class strategy to extend and defend ICI franchises in a post–patent cliff landscape.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Benjamin Hadida

CEO & Co-founder

Paris, France

bhadida@exeliombio.com

LinkedIn