Acceleration of Bioprocess Development: IRUBIS secures Pre-Series A Funding led by BioProcess360 Partners

August 29, 2024

Munich, DE | August 29, 2024 – Biotech startup IRUBIS, developing a state-of-the-art real-time bioprocess monitoring solution, has successfully closed a pre-series A funding round. The financing round was led by BioProcess360 Partners, with participation from previous investors such as High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Verve Ventures, Ventura BioMed Investors, RoBet KG as well as new and existing business angels from the industry as Dr. Matthias Arnold and Dr. Christoph Bremus. The funds will further enhance IRUBIS’s cutting-edge solution, Monipa, tailored to empower bioprocesses with increased efficiency and precision.

Innovative Process Analytical Spectroscopy for Biomanufacturing
IRUBIS was founded in September 2017 by Lorenz Sykora-Mirle, Alexander Geißler, and Anja Müller with the goal of bringing life-saving biopharmaceutical drugs faster to patients. IRUBIS’s innovative process analytical technology (PAT), Monipa, is based on mid-infrared spectroscopy. It serves as a user-friendly and powerful tool for the prediction of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) and Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) in upstream and downstream bioprocessing. Utilizing inline and online measurement methods aims for higher yield and better quality while bringing automatization to the production of many lifesaving drugs. This innovative approach gives Monipa great value over conventional techniques and answers many challenges in bioprocessing.

The pre-series A round supports IRUBIS in taking the next crucial steps, including advancing the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) readiness of our Monipa technology and expanding its applications in ultra-/diafiltration (UF/DF), and other downstream process steps. Additionally, we are focused on gaining more market traction and are proud to be working with over half of the key opinion leaders in the industry, solidifying our position in the biopharmaceutical sector.

Anja Müller, CEO and Co-Founder of IRUBIS

I’ve really enjoyed building a relationship with the founders of this incredible technology. At BioProcess360 we are driven by enabling life-improving bioprocessing technologies to succeed both with capital but more importantly to provide expert guidance to our investments to ensure that these mission critical tools can be successful. We are excited by IRUBIS’s mission and look forward to providing active, hands-on support in helping them shape and implement a winning growth strategy to achieve their goals. The single use ATR crystals will be a game changer in many unit operations of both traditional mAb therapies but more so for newer modalities like gene therapy, bispecifics, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and nucleic acid.

Chris Major of BioProcess360

About IRUBIS
IRUBIS is a Munich-based startup company that specializes in mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy for bioprocessing. We have designed an instrument, Monipa, specifically for bioprocess monitoring and control. Monipa is based on MIR spectroscopy, making it possible to monitor multiple bioprocesses realtime and continuously. Our instrument’s applications are foreseen in both upstream and downstream bioprocessing. These include multiple nutrient and metabolite monitoring and control in upstream processing. But also in downstream processing Monipa aides to monitor and control product concentrations and other process parameter/quality attributes. Read more about our products and innovations at www.irubis.com.

About Verve Ventures
Verve Ventures is a network and technology-driven venture capital firm based in Switzerland. Founded in 2010 by Steffen Wagner and Lukas Weber, Verve Ventures has grown to 50 team members and has become one of the most active venture investors in Europe with around 150 science and technology driven startups in its portfolio. (https://www.verve.vc)

About the Ventura BioMed Investors
Ventura BioMed Investors invests in early-stage life science companies developing pioneering technologies and innovative therapies. As serial entrepreneurs with many years of experience, we help shape the long-term development of our portfolio companies and provide them access to our broad investor and business network. Ventura supports exceptional entrepreneurs with their vision to accelerate medical breakthroughs that solve unmet patient needs. (www.ventura-biomed.com)

About the BioProcess360 Partners
BioProcess360 is led by experienced entrepreneurs in the Bioprocessing sector and supported by subject matter experts. We are experienced scientists, engineers and commercial leaders with a shared passion for supporting lifeimproving bioprocessing technologies. What we do: We provide inflection, growth capital and expertise for the most innovative emerging technologies in Bioprocessing. We work with you to understand your growth challenges and provide funding to critical areas in order to scale your business. Then, we take an active, hands-on role in shaping and implementing your growth strategy, and support you in building successful business functions to achieve your goals. (https://www.bioprocess360.com)

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing start-ups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports start-ups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can participate significantly in later-stage financing rounds. Across its funds, HTGF has over 2 billion euros under management. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 750 start-ups and successfully sold shares in more than 180 companies.
Fund investors in the public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action, KfW Capital and 45 companies.
For more information, please visit HTGF.de or follow us on LinkedIn. 

Media contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH  
Tobias Jacob, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager   
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 121 
t.jacob@htgf.de