Antwerp – March 24, 2023 – Today, ImmuneSpec announces that it has completed incorporation and secured EUR 1,2 mln funding from HealthTech investment fund HERAN Partners. This financing will allow ImmuneSpec to accelerate the further optimisation and the commercial roll-out of their advanced immunopeptidomics platform. Their technology enables the fast & reliable identification of immunogenic peptides by leveraging mass spectrometry (MS).
ImmuneSpec’s expertise is based on cutting-edge proprietary protocols which enable researchers to precisely target all peptide regions which evoke an immune response. These so- called MAPPS analyses are among the most in-depth ways to conduct immunogenicity testing and will prove to be key in the development of next-generation biologicals. Key applications include pinpointing immunogenic areas for the development of broad-spectrum vaccines, identification of neo-antigens for the generation of leads suitable for immunotherapy, and the testing of biologicals for unwanted immunogenicity.
ImmuneSpec’s groundbreaking methodology was created in the Centre for Proteomics – a collaboration between the University of Antwerp (UA) and VITO. ImmuneSpec differentiates itself from conventional MS-based methods through a state-of-the-art purification of MHC- presented peptides, ultrasensitive MS analysis and a superior data analysis. This proprietary workflow indicates higher immunopeptide purity and volumes which leads to an increase in the capacity to identify immunogenic regions. These outcomes lead to faster, more accurate,
and more reliable immunopeptidomic research results. “Our team of experts, reinforced by Professor Dr. Geert Baggerman and Professor Dr. Kurt Boonen, has been investigating novel techniques for the improvement of immunopeptidomics analyses for several years. We are pleased to leverage our expertise to build out a commercial service offering” says Elise Pepermans, the newly appointed CEO of ImmuneSpec. “In comparison to standard methodologies, we are able to identify significantly more immunogenic target regions. Our superior MAPPS analyses will cater for a surge in efficiency in drug development programs by lowering the risk of unqualified leads and poor clinical trial outcomes.”
“On the back of strong scientific & market knowledge, HERAN Partners is well-positioned to identify novel technologies with the potential to disrupt an entire industry. Early on in the discussions, ImmuneSpec demonstrated the disruptive value of their MAPPS offering.” says Katleen Vandersmissen, Managing Partner at HERAN Partners, “In addition, we were impressed by team’s scientific knowledge and their persistence to build a company around their extensive research efforts. We are looking forward to supporting them in transforming ImmuneSpec into the go-to player for MAPPS analyses.”
Lastly, Elise expresses her gratitude to all the partners involved in the launch of ImmuneSpec. “We want to thank the University of Antwerp and VITO who facilitated the incubation phase, and especially HERAN Partners for believing in us and the project. Their investment allows ImmuneSpec to set up the lab facilities in the Science Park in Niel (Belgium) and to expand the team with lab technicians, project managers, and data scientists.”
About HERAN Partners
HERAN Partners is a Belgium-based investment fund focused on supporting European start- ups and scale-ups in the MedTech and HealthTech industry. In addition to financial support, they provide a strong network, expertise, and mentorship in order to fuel growth at their portfolio companies. HERAN Partners currently manages its first fund of EUR 75,5m which targets ventures with highly-disruptive & scalable technologies.
About ImmuneSpec
Located in Antwerp, ImmuneSpec is a platform for advanced immunopeptidomics focusing on the identification of the sequence of MHC-associated peptides. They provide a state-of-the- art immunopeptidomics methodology for CROs, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies investigating leads for the development of broad-spectrum vaccines, identifying neo-antigens as leads for immunotherapy and testing of immunogenic regions of drug candidates.
Press Contacts
Elise Pepermans, PhD CEO & Co-founder ImmuneSpec Tel: +32 474 77 08 03
Email: Elise@ImmuneSpec.com
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