Laigo Bio Secures €17M in Oversubscribed Seed Round to Advance Novel Protein Degradation Platform
核心洞察
Laigo Bio (搜索) completed an oversubscribed €17 million seed financing round co-led by Biovance Capital (搜索) and Kurma Partners (搜索) to advance its proprietary SureTACs (搜索)™ platform.
The company's Surface Removal Targeting Chimeras technology uses bispecific antibodies to degrade membrane-bound target proteins with high selectivity and improved safety profiles.
Funding will accelerate oncology programs toward clinical development and advance three autoimmune and immunology candidate programs targeting previously undruggable membrane proteins.
Dutch biotech company Laigo Bio (搜索) has successfully completed the final close of its oversubscribed seed financing round, raising a total of €17 million to advance its novel protein degradation platform targeting oncology and autoimmune diseases. The round was co-led by new investor Biovance Capital (搜索) and existing co-lead Kurma Partners (搜索), with the latest close adding €5.5 million to the initial €11.5 million raised in December 2025.
Revolutionary Protein Degradation Technology
Laigo's proprietary SureTACs (搜索)™ (Surface Removal Targeting Chimeras) platform represents a breakthrough approach to targeting membrane-bound proteins that have long been considered "undruggable." The technology generates bispecific antibodies that pair optimal E3 ligase enzymes with disease-causing target proteins to stimulate their ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation with high specificity.
"Laigo Bio (搜索) has shown that its SureTACs (搜索) degradation technology results in remarkable in vivo and in vitro efficacy, with a high degree of selectivity and improved toxicity and safety," said Dr. João Incio, General Partner at Biovance Capital (搜索), who joins the company's Board of Directors.
The SureTACs (搜索) platform works by bringing cell surface target proteins into close proximity with surface E3 ligase enzymes, resulting in highly selective and deep inhibition of disease pathways in affected tissues. This approach achieves deeper inhibition of disease pathways compared to conventional therapeutics while sparing healthy tissue and minimizing side effects.
Clinical Development Strategy
The proceeds from the seed financing will be used to accelerate Laigo's oncology programs toward clinical development, as well as advance three candidate programs targeting selected autoimmune and immunology indications, including graft rejection. The company plans to pursue internal oncology development through preclinical completion before seeking pharmaceutical partnerships for clinical entry.
"The second close of our seed financing round further validates the potential of our SureTACs (搜索) platform and its ability to identify first-in-class dual targeted therapies to redefine the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases," said Dr. Matthew Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Laigo Bio (搜索).
Platform Advantages and Potential
Early data suggest that SureTACs (搜索) could outperform conventional blocking antibodies through deeper pathway inhibition, though clinical proof remains the key milestone ahead. The platform's ability to target previously undruggable membrane proteins opens new therapeutic possibilities for diseases where current treatment options are limited.
The SureTACs (搜索) technology was developed in conjunction with Prof Madelon Maurice's laboratory at the UMC Utrecht and Oncode Institute (搜索), focusing on targeted degradation of membrane proteins that have been validated as disease drivers but have eluded traditional drug discovery approaches.
Strong Investor Syndicate
Laigo is backed by a robust syndicate of leading international investors, including Kurma Partners (搜索), Biovance Capital (搜索), Curie Capital, Argobio Studio, Angelini Ventures, Eurazeo, Oncode Bridge Fund, ROM Utrecht Region, and Cancer Research Horizons. This diverse investor base provides both financial support and strategic expertise across multiple therapeutic areas.
Biovance Capital (搜索), Portugal's leading life sciences venture capital firm, manages a €60 million fund backed by the European Investment Fund and the European Commission through the Portugal Tech and InvestEU programmes. The fund focuses on early-stage drug development companies across Europe, with particular emphasis on Southern Europe.
The successful completion of this oversubscribed financing round positions Laigo Bio (搜索) to advance its innovative protein degradation platform toward clinical validation, potentially opening new treatment paradigms for cancer and autoimmune diseases through its first-in-class dual targeted therapies.