Arivin Therapeutics Raises €3M Funding In Pre-Seed Round

The round was led by life sciences and deep tech investor Michiel Seerden, founding partner at Imbestio Capital. It also included support from private and angel investors, along with non-dilutive funding from Business Finland.

Michiel Seerden says, “We are excited to support Arivin Therapeutics as they address a challenge of global proportions with a technology truly capable of making a long-term and sustainable impact. By directly targeting bacterial toxins and biofilms, the company is tackling a major unmet need and unlocking new treatment possibilities—innovations that are badly needed as resistant complications and healthcare costs continue to escalate quickly.”

Bacterial resistance is outpacing the development of new antibiotics contributing to an estimated 4.7 million deaths in 2021 alone. Without action, that number could rise to 10 million annually by 2050, with global economic losses reaching $2 trillion per year, according to the UK Government’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Center for Global Development.

Arivin Therapeutics, a biotech spin-off from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki, is tackling this urgent challenge. Based in Helsinki, the company is developing innovative therapies to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections.

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As Finland’s National Coordinator for AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) in the BEAM Alliance, Arivin is focused on novel antimicrobial strategies that not only treat resistant infections but also reduce the risk of resistance developing again.

Its approach is built on discoveries published in Nature Communications. Arivin’s therapies use a dual mechanism: small molecules that neutralize bacterial toxins and disrupt the biofilm matrix—a protective layer that makes infections harder to treat.

This strategy reduces infection spread and targets some of the most dangerous Gram-negative pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

With €3 million in fresh seed funding, Arivin plans to advance its research, grow its platform technology, expand its lab operations, and build out its team as it develops the next generation of antimicrobial treatments.

Chris Jonkergouw, CEO of Arivin Therapeutics, says, “Antibiotics are a short-term solution to a long-term problem. As both the medical and economic consequences of resistant bacterial pathogens continue to increase sharply, we need to find more long-term solutions to this global healthcare threat.”

“Our mission is to develop effective therapies against resistant pathogens that can evade rapid bacterial resistance mechanisms. This makes them more effective in the long term and sustainable in use, which is why we call them Future-Proof.”

Jonkergouw adds, “This seed round provides us with the resources to accelerate our early-stage discovery pipeline and advance our lead indication for patients suffering from chronic respiratory infections towards first patient trials.”

With the new funding, Arivin Therapeutics will move its lead program into IND-enabling studies, focusing on chronic lung infections in patients with non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis (NCFB) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The inhaled therapy works by neutralizing bacterial toxins, reducing inflammation and lung damage, boosting antibiotic effectiveness, and potentially shortening treatment times.

The investment will also accelerate progress in Arivin’s wound infection program, which targets drug-resistant bacteria. The goal is to lower bacterial load, speed up healing and wound closure, and enable preventive use to stop infections before they start.

Additionally, Arivin will continue developing its Fast-P platform a rapid screening technology designed to identify new molecules that affect bacterial resistance, helping to uncover the next wave of antimicrobial treatments.

About Arivin Therapeutics

Arivin Therapeutics is developing next-generation treatments to combat drug-resistant infections. By targeting bacterial toxins and biofilms, their therapies aim to enhance antibiotic effectiveness and reduce treatment times. Focused on lung and wound infections Arivin is building future-proof solutions to fight resistance and protect patients worldwide.