Laigo Bio, an Utrecht-based firm pioneering novel and extremely differentiated therapies utilizing its proprietary SureTAC precision membrane protein degradation platform, has efficiently raised €11.5 million in Seed financing.
The funding spherical was co-led by Kurma Companions and Curie Capital. The opposite traders have been Argobio Studio, Angelini Ventures (the enterprise capital arm of Angelini Industries), Eurazeo, theOncode Bridge Fund, ROM Utrecht area, and UK-based Most cancers Analysis Horizons, the interpretation subsidiary of Most cancers Analysis UK.
Laigo Bio’s origins additionally hyperlink again to Argobio, the French BioTech startup studio that launched in 2021 with €50 million committed to creating and developing pioneering therapeutic spinouts throughout oncology, immunology, uncommon illnesses and neurological problems.
“This Seed funding is a powerful endorsement of each the scientific basis and the distinctive potential of our strategy enabling selective degradation of membrane-bound targets concerned in autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses,” says Dr Matthew Baker, Chief Govt Officer of Laigo Bio.
In 2025, a number of European startups working in adjoining fields of immunology, irritation and immuno-oncology additionally secured funding, underscoring regular – although selective – funding exercise on this space.
Austria’s Graph Therapeutics raised €3 million in pre-Seed financing to advance its AI-enabled irritation and immunology drug-discovery platform. France-based Exeliom Biosciences added €2.85 million in a Sequence A extension to progress its microbiome-based immunotherapies for most cancers and immuno-inflammatory situations. In the meantime, UK firm T-Therapeutics secured a €27.5 million Sequence A extension to develop its T-cell receptor bispecific platform for autoimmune illness and oncology.
Altogether, these rounds signify roughly €33 million flowing into associated sectors throughout 2025.
Inside this panorama, Laigo Bio’s €11.5 million Seed spherical positions the Dutch startup amongst a centered cohort of European firms growing next-generation immunology and oncology applied sciences.
“With these sources, we’re nicely positioned to provoke discovery efforts in auto-immunity and to advance our oncology programmes by means of preclinical growth. Our crew stays centered on reaching key preclinical milestones and progressing our first-in-class lead programmes towards early scientific analysis, to ship transformative therapies for sufferers,” provides Dr Baker.
Laigo Bio was based by the Oncode Institute, along with the Oncode Bridge Fund, and Argobio Studio, a global BioTech start-up studio launched by Kurma Companions, BPI France and Angelini Ventures.
Laigo Bio is leveraging E3 ligase internalisation for the selective degradation of membrane-bound targets concerned in autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. Its proprietary SureTAC platform creates bispecific antibodies that focus on the optimum pair of E3 ligase and disease-causing goal to stimulate ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation of the goal protein with a excessive diploma of specificity.
Degradation of the goal protein achieves deeper inhibition of illness pathways, whereas sparing the fascinating capabilities of the goal cell.
Floor Elimination Focusing on Chimeras (SureTAC), developed by Prof Madelon Maurice’s laboratory on the UMC Utrecht, are proprietary therapeutic candidates for focused degradation of membrane proteins, which have been validated as illness drivers however have eluded drug discovery, and have been lengthy thought of ‘undruggable’.
“Kurma is happy to help an organization with such a promising know-how platform focusing on illness pathways which have lengthy been deemed undruggable,” says Thierry Laugel, Chairman of the Administration Board of Argobio and Managing Associate at Kurma Companions.
The corporate will use the proceeds to advance its SureTAC oncology packages in the direction of scientific growth, and to speed up discovery and growth of its three SureTAC immunology candidate therapeutic packages for chosen autoimmune and immunology indications and graft rejection.
In its oncology programmes aimed on the immune checkpoint PD-L1 and VEGF, and a hard-to-drug Wnt pathway receptor, Laigo Bio has reportedly proven that its SureTAC degradation know-how ends in in vivo and in vitro efficacy. SureTACs present a excessive diploma of selectivity for focusing on diseased tissue, leading to improved toxicity and security.
Laigo Bio intends to advance its oncology programmes internally till completion of preclinical research earlier than collaborating with pharmaceutical companions to convey them into the clinic.
Laigo Bio additionally proclaims the appointment of Dr Matthew Baker, the present performing Chief Govt Officer, as its CEO.
“Curie Capital is proud to help growth of Laigo Bio’s SureTac distinctive platform know-how due to its promise in addressing very particular therapeutic targets in illnesses with excessive unmet medical want,” says Mariëtte Roesink, Managing Associate of Curie Capital.
