GlycanAge, a biotech startup in the field of glycan biomarkers has announced it has completed a $4.2 million seed funding round. LAUNCHub Ventures and Kadmos Capital led the investment.
Bulgaria-based LAUNCHub Ventures is a venture capital fund focused on tech startups in Central and South Eastern Europe (SEE & CEE), and diaspora founders. Their current fund stands at €74M. Meanwhile, Kadmos Capital, based in London, specialises in early-stage investments in deep tech and impactful technologies, with a focus on TechBio, AI & Data, and Sustainability sectors.
Measure biological age
In the past, studying glycobiology was tough because it was complex and lacked good technology. But now, new discoveries are changing things. GlycanAge wants to use these discoveries to predict diseases, help treat them, and make therapies that fit each person better.
Founded by Grodan Lauc (CSO), Nikolina Lauc (CEO), and Filip Lauc (CTO), the UK-based biotech company focuses on glycobiology and how our bodies age. They’ve created a special test to measure biological age, helping people take control of their health and make smart choices about how they live.
The funding will drive GlycanAge‘s strategic shift towards the diagnostics market, focusing on developing disease-specific prognostic biomarkers. It will support regulatory strategies and product pipeline development. GlycanAge has also secured significant grant support, including a $140,000 grant from Mubadala’s accelerator program HUB71 and an additional $220,000 from an EU AI grant. These grants aim to bridge the gap between diagnostics and AI, showing how they’re using new ideas to help people.
At the heart of these advancements is GlycanAge’s co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Gordan Lauc. Alongside his team, Dr. Lauc has been instrumental in advancing high throughput glycomic analysis and harnessing the power of glycan biomarkers for precision medicine. In 2017, Dr. Lauc took a significant step by initiating the Human Glycome Project.
GlycanAge: 20 years of research
GlycanAge aims to use glycomics, a technology focused on studying sugars in the body, to detect diseases, classify patients, and track how well therapies are working. Research shows that sugars in the body change in more than 70 diseases, sometimes years before symptoms appear. These changes are affected by many things like genes, environment, and lifestyle. GlycanAge was created to turn around 20 years of research and $40 million in grants into something practical. They offer a state-of-the-art test to measure biological age using sugar markers. This helps people and healthcare providers spot problems early and take action to prevent them.
Nikolina Lauc, CEO of GlycanAge, said, “We are thrilled to have the support of LAUNCHub Ventures and Kadmos Capital, who share our vision for a healthier future. This funding round marks a significant milestone for GlycanAge, and we are excited to continue our journey towards transforming healthcare and empowering individuals to take control of their well-being.”
“With the pace of change now faster than ever, it’s vital to back high-impact technologies that will deliver solutions to tomorrow’s biggest problems. GlycanAge’s vision lies at the crossroad between preventative healthcare, diagnostics and longevity. We are delighted to back Nikolina Lauc and Dr.Gordan Lauc in their mission and are confident they will leave a mark on the future of healthcare” – John Gebeily – Partner, Kadmos Capital.
