Arivin secures €3 million seed funding to advance Future-Proof antimicrobial therapies

Helsinki, Finland – Arivin therapeutics Oy, a biotechnology spin-off company from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki pioneering novel treatments against bacterial pathogens, today announced the successful closing of a €3 million seed funding round. The investment will accelerate the company’s research and platform technology, expand its laboratory capabilities, and strengthen its team as it advances toward first-in-class antimicrobial solutions.

For the last few decades, resistance mechanisms in bacterial pathogens have evolved faster than our ability to develop new and effective antibiotics. This has plunged us in a resistance healthcare crisis, with 4.7 million associated deaths in 2021. A number that is expected to rise to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, with $2 trillion in annual global economic losses according to the UK Government’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Center for Global Development.

“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.”

Chris Jonkergouw, CEO of Arivin therapeutics

• Advance our lead program through IND-enabling studies for chronic infections in non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis (NCFB) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Delivered via inhalation, the therapy neutralizes bacterial toxins to reduce inflammation and lung damage, while enhancing antibiotic effectiveness and potentially shortening treatment duration.
• Progress our wound infection program to address resistant pathogens by lowering bacterial burden, accelerating healing and closure, and enabling prophylactic use to prevent infections from establishing.
• Further develop our Fast-P platform, a rapid screening technology for identifying molecules that influence resistance in bacterial pathogens.

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

“We are excited to support Arivin Tx 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.”

Michiel Seerden, Imbestio Capital

Read the original release on arivintx.com