Nicoya Lifesciences has completed its acquisition of Applied Photophysics, a UK-based provider of biophysical characterization instrumentation with a 50-year history in analytical methods. The strategic acquisition creates an integrated biologics characterization platform designed to accelerate drug discovery and development for complex protein-based therapeutics.
The acquisition is expected to immediately double Nicoya's annual revenue, triple its existing customer base, and establish a foundation for substantial profitability with continued organic growth projected at 25%. Applied Photophysics will now operate as part of Nicoya, with its UK headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey, becoming Nicoya's European operational hub.
Comprehensive Technology Integration
The expanded Nicoya platform combines complementary analytical technologies to provide comprehensive characterization of complex biologics from a single provider. The integrated suite includes:
- Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) systems, including the high-throughput Alto™, for label-free analysis of binding kinetics and affinity
- Circular Dichroism (Chirascan™) for assessing protein secondary structure
- nanoDSF (SUPR-DSF™) for evaluating thermal stability
- Stopped-flow instrumentation (SX™) for rapid kinetic measurements
This integration addresses the biopharmaceutical industry's need for more comprehensive and efficient analytical solutions to accelerate the development of increasingly complex protein-based drugs. The platform is particularly beneficial for biopharma companies and emerging biotech firms with automation objectives and high-throughput screening needs, enabling better assessment of complex modalities such as ADCs and bispecific antibodies.
Enhanced Drug Discovery Capabilities
A key advantage of the unified platform is its ability to process crude, unpurified samples, eliminating the need for early-stage purification steps. This capability enables faster identification of viable leads, reduction in resource expenditure on unsuitable candidates, and accelerated timelines in lead optimization.
The platform provides detailed insights into a biologic's function, structure, and stability, allowing researchers to gain a more complete understanding of their therapeutic candidates. This comprehensive characterization approach enables earlier and more informed development decisions, helping to de-risk pipelines in the drug discovery process.
AI-Driven Drug Discovery Integration
Nicoya is standardizing data output across its portfolio to facilitate AI-driven drug discovery applications. By partnering with AI-native biotechs and academic institutions, the company is contributing to more accurate predictive modeling of antibody function and drug developability. The capacity to generate integrated, multi-parameter datasets will be critical in training robust models that improve forecasting of clinical success.
Financial Structure and Global Expansion
The transaction was supported by Nicoya's existing investor syndicate, led by Graphite Ventures and debt partner SWK Holdings Corporation. Additional participants include Garage Capital, MaRS IAF, Laurier Startup Fund, ArchAngel, GTAN, with support from Agilent Technologies, WhiteCap Venture Partners, BDC Capital's Growth & Transition Capital Team, and Export Development Canada (EDC).
The establishment of Applied Photophysics' UK facility as Nicoya's European operational hub significantly expands the company's global reach and customer support capabilities across key international markets. This geographic expansion positions Nicoya as a leading provider of integrated biologics characterization platforms with enhanced service delivery capabilities.
