ScreenIn3D, a University of Strathclyde spin-out, has secured £750,000 in seed funding to advance its revolutionary lab-on-a-chip technology that could transform cancer drug development. The funding round was led by TRICAPITAL Angels Ltd, with participation from existing investors Gabriel Investments, Scottish Enterprise, the University of Strathclyde, German investor Nidobirds Ventures, and private individuals.
Breakthrough Technology Addresses Critical Industry Challenge
The company has developed a groundbreaking system that allows drug developers to test dozens of cancer therapies on tiny patient-derived tumor samples, offering a faster, easier and more accurate alternative to animal testing. This technology dramatically increases the number of drug tests that can be carried out on extremely small samples of human tissue, addressing a critical limitation in current drug development processes.
"Patient-derived tumor tissue is one of the most valuable resources in drug development, yet its use is often limited by cost and scarcity," said Prof. Michele Zagnoni, Chief Executive Officer of ScreenIn3D and the company's co-founder alongside life science tools veteran Alex Sim. "Our technology changes that, making it possible to run a high volume of tests on minimal samples."
Enhanced Drug Development Efficiency
The platform offers drug developers vastly more data from early testing phases, helping them identify effective new drugs earlier, reduce failures in clinical trials, and bring therapies to market faster. By enabling accurate, high-throughput testing on real human tissue, the technology aims to improve success rates, cut development times, and reduce reliance on animal testing.
"This opens the door to faster discovery of effective drug combinations, with fewer failures along the way," Prof. Zagnoni explained. "By enabling accurate, high-throughput testing on real human tissue, we can improve success rates, cut development times, and reduce reliance on animal testing – ultimately getting better treatments to patients faster."
Strong Scientific Foundation and Market Validation
The technology builds on more than a decade of research at the University of Strathclyde and has already been validated in preclinical oncology. ScreenIn3D is currently generating revenue, with both biopharmaceutical companies and cancer centers using the platform.
Moray Martin, Chief Executive Officer at TRICAPITAL Angels, highlighted the technology's significance: "ScreenIn3D is a standout example of the high-impact, deep-tech innovation that's putting Scotland on the map. Their technology addresses a critical global issue - the need to reduce the gestation time and cost of drug development – and is backed by strong scientific credibility."
Expansion Plans and Growth Strategy
With the new investment, ScreenIn3D plans to expand its applications beyond cancer to other disease areas including women's health, immune therapies and fertility treatment – all areas where access to accurate, human-relevant testing models is critical. The company will grow its headcount from five to eight employees as it scales operations and deepens industry partnerships.
Anne Henderson, Head of Investment at the University of Strathclyde, emphasized the broader impact: "ScreenIn3D is an excellent example of how academic research can translate into pioneering solutions with global reach and meaningful societal impact, and we are proud to support it through our Strathclyde Inspire Investment Fund."
The investment deal represents part of a record-breaking year for TRICAPITAL Angels, which completed 18 deals throughout 2024, with members investing over £3.5 million that leveraged close to £30 million of total investment and helped create more than 500 jobs across sectors ranging from artificial intelligence and biotech to renewable energy.
