hemotune raises CHF 7.25 million Series B1 funding for the development of their disruptive blood purification platform

26.04.2022 10:00, Guillaume Tinsel

hemotune AG, a spin-off from ETH Zurich founded in 2017 and being accelerated by Wyss Zurich, today announced the closing of a CHF 7.25 million Series B1 for the development of HemoSystem, a breakthrough blood purification platform based on nanoengineered magnetic beads. The investment consortium was led by OCCIDENT with the participation of all previous investors including Zürcher Kantonalbank and joined by the new investors HEMEX, VP Venture Partners as well as a global family office and private individuals. We interviewed CEO Lukas Langegger to know more.

The Series B1 will allow hemotune to complete the preclinical development of HemoSystem and prepare a clinical trial in hemotune’s lead indication. The HemoSystem is a blood purification platform with much higher efficiency and precision compared to existing methods. It mixes nanoengineered magnetic beads directly with patients’ blood in a dialysis-like machine where they bind to selected targets. While the blood flows through a magnetic filter, beads and bound targets are highly efficiently removed before it is recirculated to the patient’s body. The first therapy under development is designed to restore adequate immune response in sepsis-associated immunosuppression. Sepsis is an underserved global health issue leading to around 11 million deaths every year and being one of the most expensive conditions.

Lukas Langenegger, CEO and co-founder of hemotune AG, states: “We are very proud of our achievements in the past years, bringing the technology from a lab concept to a medical device soon to be used to the benefit of patients and building a great network of clinicians and immunologists. We are happy that all previous investors participated in the round and are welcoming the new investors on our journey to disrupt blood purification and sepsis treatment.” 

Lukas Langenegger will be a speaker at the VENTURE CHALLENGE #6: HOW TO DO THE PERFECT PITCH AND FEEDBACK SESSION. We enjoyed this opportunity to ask him more about the use of these funds and his entrepreneurial path.

Lukas, how will the CHF 7.25 million investment help achieve your vision?
The Series B1 will allow hemotune to complete the preclinical development of HemoSystem and prepare a clinical trial in hemotune’s lead indication sepsis.

You won Venture Kick in 2017. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?
VentureKick helped us a lot in the beginning to ask the right questions and sharpen our value proposition. It was also great support due to the huge network it offers.

You also participated in Venture Leaders Medtech 2021 and were selected on the TOP 100 Swiss Startups Awards in 2020 and 2021. How did it leverage your fundraising strategy?
While it is obvious that Venture Leaders Medtech gave us the opportunity to discuss our approach with US investors and experts, the networking and discussions between the participating startups were equally valuable. The TOP 100 is a great opportunity to get visibility and be recognized as one of the most promising startups in Switzerland.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing in your development right now?
While we have done a lot of the classical “development” and already have functional prototypes, the main focus now lies in manufacturing, testing, and making sure that the tough quality requirements for medical technology products are met. In parallel, we prepare our clinical trial, which will include multiple centers in Europe.

When, and what, was your inspiration to found Hemotune?
Actually, I was always super interested both in business and science. A key period that made me enthusiastic about founding my own startup was my time in the US at MIT, where I met a lot of startups. I was extremely impressed by the passion of the founders and wanted to build up to something myself. After my return to Switzerland, I was then looking for an applied Ph.D. with the opportunity to eventually found a startup. Eventually, I joined the Functional Materials Laboratory 2015, which had long-lasting research on magnetic particles before, and then founded hemotune in 2015 with my co-founders.

What is your advice for the potential MedTech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today? 
Medtech is an exciting field with great potential, but also high regulatory requirements. While you might be most intrigued by the technology at the beginning, you can’t build a prototype in your garage and then bring it to the market. Make sure that you have the regulatory and quality requirements in mind early on, as the whole development process needs to be right for a successful launch. One of our earliest hires was therefore an experienced expert in regulatory and quality, which turned out to be extremely valuable.