Dutch biotech startup with Polish roots QurieGen, which uses AI to map cell responses and accelerate drug discovery, has raised €2.2 million in a pre-seed funding round, as Vestbee was informed.
- Founded in 2022 by Kinga Matula and Maciej Jarząb, QurieGen develops an AI-powered platform that accelerates drug discovery by mapping how individual cells respond to drug treatments.
- The firm's "Google Maps for cells" technology combines advanced single-cell analysis with artificial intelligence to reveal complete cellular signalling pathways.
- QurieGen currently operates in the Netherlands and Poland. Its technology helps pharmaceutical companies understand disease mechanisms, predict drug efficacy, and improve the development of more targeted therapies, particularly in oncology.
"At the time I was diagnosed as an oncological patient, we were developing groundbreaking single-cell technology. This was our first paid project in which we designed a special technology to study single cells. Eventually, this project and two others with pharmaceutical companies led to the creation of the startup QurieGen, which I currently lead," co-founder and CEO of QurieGen, Kinga Matuła, commented in a press release.
Details of the deal
- A syndicate of CEE investors — Tensor Ventures, Lighthouse Ventures, BSV Ventures, Moondust Ventures, and 22 Hor Invest — and renowned venture US capital investor Tim Draper of Draper Associates, who has SpaceX, Tesla, and Carta in the portfolio, have backed the pre-seed round.
- QurieGen will use the €2.2 million in funding to enhance its AI-driven platform for drug discovery, expand its team, and accelerate the development of its single-cell analysis technology.
- Additionally, the funds will support partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and help expand its global presence, including participation in the NATO DIANA program.
Previously, Vestbee interviewed participants from the program’s Estonian cohort. Check out the challenges they faced and the insights they gained in our article.
