Barcelona’s Nanoligent Secures €12M To Develop Precision Nanodrugs For Cancer

The funding round was led by Inveready, through its Inveready Biotech IV fund, with additional participation from CDTI (via the Innvierte program) and Clave Capital through its Clave Innohealth fund.

Barcelona-based Inveready is one of Spain’s most active investors in small and medium-sized companies, managing over €2.1 billion in assets.

“We strongly believe in the potential of Nanoligent’s nanodrugs to overcome the limitations of conventional cytotoxic conjugate therapies. Their low molecular weight, high cellular internalisation capacity, and strong selectivity for the therapeutic target provide advantages. We are pleased to lead this round alongside a strong syndicate of specialised national and international investors,” says Antonio Herce, Director at Inveready.

Existing investors i&i Biotech Fund I, Italian Angels for Growth, and Avanteca also joined the round.

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The new funding will help Nanoligent finish preclinical development of its main drug, NNL1524, and begin Phase Ia clinical trials for patients with solid tumors. It will also be used to scale up manufacturing and improve production processes.

Founded in 2017 by Manuel Rodríguez Mariscal, Nanoligent is a spin-off from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Research Institute.

The company develops targeted nanodrugs using advanced protein engineering and nanobiotechnology to create highly selective nanoparticles that attack tumour markers directly.

Its lead drug, NNL1524, targets the CXCR4 receptor — a key driver in the growth and spread of cancers such as colorectal, lung, and breast cancer.

Preclinical animal studies have shown that NNL1524 significantly reduces tumour size with minimal toxicity, underscoring its potential as a breakthrough cancer therapy.

Montserrat Cano, CEO of Nanoligent, comments, “This is a very important moment for Nanoligent. We feel deeply grateful for the significant recognition it represents, both at the national level with the incorporation of the new investors and through the continued trust of our international investors. Their knowledge of the sector will be of great value in achieving the company’s upcoming milestones. Our team is fully prepared and committed to enthusiastically embracing the challenges of this new stage and to bringing our technology to where it truly matters: the patients who need it.”

About Nanoligent

Nanoligent is a biotechnology company focused on improving patients’ lives by developing innovative drugs that selectively target diseased cells. Using advanced protein engineering and nanobiotechnology, the company creates precise, effective therapies with reduced toxicity aiming to offer safer and more efficient treatments for serious medical conditions, including cancer.