Ascenion's portfolio company OMEICOS has received a significant grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (“BMBF”) to co-finance a Phase 2a study evaluating their lead product candidate OMT-28 in Primary Mitochondrial Disease (PMD) patients.

The Berlin start-up develops AI-based software for predicting complications after major cardiac surgery. New business angels and family offices have now invested in the company, alongside the existing investor consortium around IBB Ventures.

Bio^M and Sweden’s SmiLe Incubator are once again holding their annual BioTech Bootcamp. This free, international training programme is aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs in the field of medical biotechnology.

BioFIT 2023 will take place on 12 & 13 December in Marseille (France) and on 15 December online. More than 1,000 delegates from 35+ countries, 80 exhibitors and 60+ high-level international speakers are expected to join the event.

A record number of over 270 innovators from academia and industry came together in Munich for this year’s BioVaria, one of Europe’s leading events boosting partnerships for the transfer of life-science inventions into application.

‘Valuable insights, trusting atmosphere and great people’ was how a participant summed up her experience of the two-day workshop hosted by Ascenion exclusively for colleagues from its partner institutes, universities and clinics.

The partners have initiated a phase I trial to evaluate LuCaFab (ITM-31), a radiolabelled a-CA XII antibody Fab fragment, for the treatment of glioblastoma. The goal is to eradicate residual tumour cells following surgery to reduce the risk of relapse.

Ascenion is looking forward to a reunion with industry decision makers, venture capitalists, academic inventors and entrepreneurs. Eight from a total of 56 projects to be featured originate from Ascenion’s academic partners.

Rebekka Mueller has joined the Berlin team as technology scout. With seven years’ experience in medical marketing at Sanofi, she brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of pharmaceutical companies and markets to the team.

The investment round is led by TRUMPF Venture with the objective of translating iThera Medical’s optoacustic imaging technology into routine clinical use.

Recovery Cat has developed software to improve the care of around six million patients in Germany with severe mental disorders. The investors are IBB Ventures’ Impact Fonds, Springboard Health Angels and a family office from Heidelberg.

BioVaria 2023 will take place on 24 & 25 April at the Sofitel Munich. 14 technology transfer partners from five European countries will present over 50 commercially attractive projects. Application deadline for Startup Pitch & Partner is 15 February.

Ascenion welcomes two new Technology Scouts: Dr Karin Taş and Richard Fiedler. As of November, they are supporting Ascenion’s partner institutes in the Munich area in all aspects of IP protection and technology transfer.

Bioventure and IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH are financing the Hamburg biotech company for the next four years – to build the necessary infrastructure for research and production.

Ascenion welcomes Dr Heidi Zinecker as Technology Scout in the Berlin team. She joined Ascenion in August to support its partner institutes in the Berlin area in all aspects of knowledge and technology transfer.