Velabs Therapeutics Secures €3M Series B Funding to Advance Droplet Microfluidics-Based Functional Antibody Screening Platform

Recently, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that Velabs Therapeutics, a leader in the rapid screening of functional therapeutic antibodies, announced the completion of a €3 million Series B financing round. The funds will be used to advance its functional antibody screening program and strengthen its supply of preclinical functional antibodies for diseases with suboptimal treatment options. Further details of this financing round have not been disclosed.

Velabs Therapeutics is a spin-off from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and a pioneering representative in microfluidics technology. The company specializes in screening antibodies that modulate complex signaling proteins, such as GPCRs, ion channels, or other regulatory signaling proteins.

Velabs Therapeutics employs a proprietary high-throughput screening platform to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of millions of correctly paired, fully human and mouse antibodies. The company provides customized screening services to global clients. In addition to its existing drug co-development partnerships, Velabs is currently building its own pipeline of therapeutic antibody candidates for further joint development with interested partners.

Christoph Antz, General Manager of Velabs, said, “This investment will enable us to advance the development of our preclinical functional antibody pipeline and ensure that our platform technology expands into new drug-based co-development deals.”

Christoph Merten, Scientific Founder and CSO of Velabs, added, “Further preclinical validation of our anti-GPCR and ion channel antibody candidates will strengthen our position as a leader in the field of rapid functional antibody screening and development.”

Jürgen Bauer, Managing Director of EMBL Enterprise Management Technologies GmbH (EMBLEM), stated: “We are delighted to see Velabs Therapeutics grow into a leading company in rapid antibody screening. This financing will position Velabs as the partner of choice for companies seeking to rapidly generate functional antibody candidates targeting complex signaling proteins.”

Velabs Therapeutics is a spin-off company jointly launched by the renowned European life sciences institute, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and its technology transfer arm, EMBLEM. The institute has an outstanding track record in instrument development and is at the forefront of global microfluidics-based screening technologies and applications.

The company’s droplet-based microfluidic screening technology is designed to rapidly generate antibodies against target molecules presented on cell membrane surfaces or against soluble proteins. Velabs pioneered the use of droplet microfluidics for the rapid screening of correctly paired human antibodies. The antibodies discovered by the company not only bind to drug targets but also modulate their function.

(Compiled by Jiang Yong)