Pharmaceutical research and life sciences profit from unique biosensor technology

Biametrics GmbH today announced the completion of their most recent financing round with €3.1 Million. Partners of the A Series Investment were LBBW Venture GmbH, MBG Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft BW, and KfW Bankengruppe. Together with seed investors HTGF and Seedfonds BW, they are aiming to accelerate the expansion of Biametrics’ bioanalytical business activities to an international level. The fresh capital will facilitate the development of the operating production and sales activities as well as the further advancements of Biametrics’ label-free analytical devices for the life science market.

Currently, microarray technology is one of the most important bioanalytical tools in the search for new compounds/active agents by the pharmaceutical industry and in medical diagnostics. Within only a single measurement and a short period of time, it is possible to identify possible candidates for further development. A wide range of relevant biomolecules from peptides, proteins and antibodies up to whole cells can be investigated and their binding characteristics evaluated quantitatively. Based on their patented “1-lambda RIDe technology”, Biametrics offers the first label-free measurement technique for the detailed characterisation of native biomolecular interactions of such compounds without the need of fluorescent dyes or other markers. Furthermore, the technology is robust, fast and cost-effective so that it can be used directly at the point of need. Measurement results are obtained within only a few minutes, so the technology perfectly suits applications in process control or safety, such as the screening of passengers at airports for infectious virus particles.

“The successful conclusion of this financing round is an important step for Biametrics’ expansion activities,” said the founders Dr. Florian Pröll and Dr. Günther Proll. “We are now able to further develop our analytical devices as well as to build up and extend our sales and production activities. This will help Biametrics to firmly establish itself in the bioanalytical market”.

Biametrics “b-screen” micro-arraying device is marketed together with the partner Berthold Technologies GmbH & Co. KG (Bad Wildbad). The device is capable of analysing up to 10,000 spots per cm² in a standard microarray format within a few minutes. It therefore perfectly fits the needs of pharmaceutical research for high-throughput screening, identification and characterisation of new active compounds. In the second line of products is the “b-portable”, a small, mobile and robust device for applications at the point of need. Results are obtained directly within a short time and thus the device is well suited for the use in process control, e.g. in bioreactors and fermenters, or in human and veterinary diagnostics. The “b-portable” has a similar level of performance to established commercial label-free products, but at an unbeatable price.

“Biametrics’ analytical devices are noticeably advantageous when compared to competing products and they have the potential to conquer the world market”, said Dr. Harald Poth (LBBW Venture GmbH), who is the chairman of Biametrics’ advisory board.

The development of these innovative devices is based on the patented “1-lambda RIDe technology”. Here, light is partially reflected and partially transmitted when illuminated at thin films with different optical properties. The reflected light interferes and this interference changes when biomolecules bind to the functionalised biosensor surface. Detection of this change over time provides information not only about concentration of the analyte but also about thermodynamic and kinetic constants of the interaction. The used biosensor chips can be made of any transparent material, preferably glass or low-priced plastics. With specifically tailored surface chemistry that has been developed and optimised over many years, these materials can be functionalised to provide optimal properties for measurements in a variety of analyte matrices.

About Biametrics GmbH
Biametrics GmbH is a spin-off at the University of Tübingen and was founded in 2010 by Dr. Günther Proll and Dr. Florian Pröll. It develops and markets label-free analytical devices for application in life science and diagnostics. Based on the patented “1-lambda RIDe technology”, biomolecular interactions can be detected and characterised quantitatively. The portfolio of devices consists of the “b-portable”, which is a small, robust and cost-effective device with high performance and low detection limits, as well as the “b-screen” that is marketed together with Berthold Technologies and can screen up to 10,000 biomolecular interactions per cm² within only a few minutes.

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 576 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 304 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Martin Pfister
Senior Investment Manager
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
Tel: +49 (228) 823 00-100
Fax: +49 (228) 823 000-50
m.pfister@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de