University spin-offs

Spin-offs are companies whose main activities are based on the formal transfer of research results originating from the university or university college. This transfer can take different forms, e.g. through a license agreement or share capital participation, depending on the specific case.

In 2020 VUB added 3 new spin-off companies to its portfolio which brings the total to 41 active companies based on research in various fields: engineering, life sciences, economics, ICT, sports, etc. In this context, VUB also cooperates with strategic research centers such as VIB, imec, Flanders Make and VITO.

VUB TechTransfer plays a crucial role in identifying, developing and evaluating VUB spin-off projects. To maximise the survival of a start-up, a lot of attention is paid to other factors than the innovative technology, such as market strategy, value proposition and a complementary team.

Animab offers a safe and sustainable way to protect piglets’ intestinal health during the vital postweaning stage. Our proprietary antibodies mimic secretory IgA, a type of natural antibody passed through colostrum and milk to protect nursing animals. In a collaborative effort with VIB, VUB and the Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Animab further improved these antibodies to target with speed and precision specific intestinal pathogens in livestock without altering the healthy microbiome. Animab will continue to collaborate with these top academic research groups to expand the high precision biological resources available to protect young animals. www.animab.com

Knowing what citizens and consumers really think of new measures, products or advertising is crucial for governments and businesses. But it is often difficult to find out. iCense, a new spinoff from the VUB, now offers neuro-research services that measure implicit emotional reactions and thus help to better understand and predict behaviour. In addition, it can provide companies and governments with advice and courses on neuroscience and marketing. When people come into contact with information or products, it triggers a series of reactions in their bodies that they are often unaware of, such as changes in their heartbeat or eye movements. Thanks to powerful algorithms developed within VUB and high-tech applications such as eye-tracking devices and sensors that measure emotions and engagement, these bio-signals can be mapped. This gives a deeper insight into the emotional reactions of consumers that ultimately determine their behaviour. www.icense.org

LAVIMA Fertlity, Inc. was founded by Prof. Johan Smitz (VUB), Prof. Andre Rosenthal and Elien van Hecke. The company focuses on the development and commercialisation of a biphasic in vitro maturation (IVM) culture system named “Capa-IVM” which has been developed at VUB, in a collaboration between the Follicle Biology research group (FOBI) and Centrum voor Reproductieve Geneeskunde, the fertility clinic of UZ Brussel. The Capa-IVM technology has the potential to improve the efficiency of the currently available IVM systems for clinical use. “Capa” stands for capacitation, i.e. the in vitro culture of the oocytes is extended in order to enhance the developmental potential of the matured oocytes. The technology of IVM of oocytes is a more patient-friendly alternative for standard hormonal stimulation of the ovaries, because of the lower hormonal burden and reduced risks of adverse events. Moreover, the technology has an emerging role in onco-fertility preservation and may increase access of women to fertility treatment in countries with limited resources.

• New start-up Animab secures 3.4 m€ seed investment to improve health and performance of livestock animals

October 2020 - Source VIB, VUB Today, De Tijd Animab, a venture spin-off from VIB, VUB and UGhent, announces today that it has successfully concluded a 3.4 M€ seed financing round. The company develops monoclonal antibodies for oral administration to ensure intestinal health of livestock. The initial focus is on improving the resilience of piglets during the fragile post-weaning period. The start-up will use the seed capital to develop its first oral antibody product for protection against ETEC and initiate a product portfolio for the livestock industry.

• Camel-IDS enters next stage with name change to PRECIRIX® and IND approval for CAM-H2 Phase I/II study

September 2020 - Source flanders.bio, De Tijd The Brussels biotech company Precirix will treat a first cancer patient with a drug in which a radioactive charge is brought to the tumor via a “taxi”. In an American study, Precirix has received the green light from the American drug watchdog FDA to set up a study in the US with more than 70 cancer patients. The study will start in October and will take several years. “We’re using a new technology, so I can assure you it wasn’t easy to convince the FDA,” said Ruth Devenyns, CEO of Precirix. Precirix is a VUB spin-off created in 2014. It’s original name - Camel IDS - referred to the antibodies of camelids that it deploys.

• Axiles Bionics and BruBotics receive €2M R&D grant from Innoviris

September 2020 - Source De Tijd One year after successfully completing a € 2.4M Series A financing round, Axiles Bionics announces a new R&D collaboration with the BruBotics Research group from VUB to achieve its goal in developing a revolutionary next generation bionic prosthesis for lower limb amputees. The collaboration is supported by Innoviris with an additional grant worth € 2.0M, which will be used to reinforce the research, development and innovation in human robotics and artificial intelligence.

• Etherna is in a consortium developing a candidate vaccine against COVID-19.

June 2020 - Source De Tijd The biotech company Etherna Immunotherapies is raising EUR 34 million in additional capital to accelerate the development of its COVID-19 candidate vaccine and its immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. When it comes to the biopharma companies in our country that are chasing a COVID-19 vaccine, the spotlight is invariably on big boys like Pfizer, Janssen Pharmaceutica or GlaxoSmithKline. But in their shadow, in the Science Park in Niel, near Boom, the lesser-known Etherna Immunotherapies also burns with ambition. The biotech company, founded in 2013 as a VUB spin-off, announces that it will raise 34 million euros in additional capital, both from all existing and new shareholders.

• PharmaFluidics awarded VLAIO research grant

June 2020 - Source flanders.bio VUB spin-off PharmaFluidics, innovative player in the field of analytical chromatography has been awarded a €613.000 grant from VLAIO.The grant will run over two years and will support the further optimisation of PharmaFluidics’ manufacturing flow, and to develop complementary new surface-modified µPAC™ products.

• Data company Collibra raises 112 million and is worth 2.3 billion dollars

April 2020 - Source De Tijd The Brussels growth company Collibra is worth $ 2.3 billion after another round of funding. That is more than Belgian stock market icons such as Barco or Melexis. For the fourth year in a row, Collibra is raising an unusually high sum of private capital by Belgian standards. The software company, whose platform helps companies manage their data flows, will receive $ 112.5 million.