Biotech Startup Leyden Labs €40 Mn in Round

The funding comes after the company was selected for the EIC STEP Scale Up programme. Investors in the round include the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Invest-NL, the Gates Foundation Strategic Investment Fund, ClavystBio, and other backers. Invest-NL contributed €10 million as part of the investment round.

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“This financing represents much more than capital,” says Koenraad Wiedhaup, founder and CEO of Leyden Labs. “It signals confidence in our scientific approach, our team, and our mission to fundamentally improve how the world protects itself against respiratory viruses. The support from globally respected investors across public health and strategic innovation gives us tremendous momentum as we advance our programs through clinical development and toward global access.”

“Leyden Labs represents the kind of breakthrough biotechnology innovation the EIC STEP Scale Up initiative was designed to support,” adds Hermann Hauser, Member of the EIC Fund Board. “This investment was made because we believe Leyden Labs’ novel approach to protect against respiratory viruses has the potential to make a meaningful impact on global public health while reinforcing Europe’s leadership in biotechnology innovation

“To turn breakthrough innovations into solutions that benefit society, companies need access to patient capital. As the national promotional institution of the Netherlands, we are pleased to support Leyden Labs in that journey,” says Ineke Cazander, investment principal at Invest-NL.

Founded in 2020, Leyden Labs is developing a new type of nasal spray that delivers protective antibodies directly to the nose and throat, where viruses such as influenza and coronaviruses usually enter the body.

Its Mucosal Protection Platform is designed to stop viruses at this first point of entry, instead of relying only on protection from vaccines or injected antibody treatments.

The company’s nasal spray contains broadly protective antibodies that are designed to work against entire families of viruses. This means the treatment could remain effective even as viruses change and develop new variants over time.