bio:cap Life Science & AI Investival is a new international event bringing together innovators, investors, industry leaders, and policymakers from across life sciences and AI.
From June 9–11, 2026, CityCube Berlin at Messe Berlin will open its doors to this interdisciplinary gathering dedicated to advancing innovation and strengthening international collaboration.
As part of bio:cap 2026, SPARK-BIH will host the SPARK Europe Showcase on June 10, from 10:30 to 12:30. During the showcase, twelve teams from across Europe and one from Taiwan will present their innovative projects. Most of the participating teams have already launched spin-offs, highlighting the strong translational potential within the SPARK Europe network.
In addition to the pitches, participants will have the opportunity to connect during networking breaks and through dedicated 1:1 meetings. Alongside the scientific and entrepreneurial exchange, bio:cap will offer numerous opportunities for networking throughout the event.
Interested in learning more about the presenting teams? Discover them below.
Presenting order SPARK Europe Spin-offs
Promental Health
Magdalena Kulczycka, PhD — CEO at Promental Health
Promental Health is a pioneering biotechnology spin-off dedicated to revolutionizing the diagnostic landscape of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Currently, an estimated 75% of AD cases remain undiagnosed because existing methods are often too expensive, invasive, or inaccessible for routine screening. Our team addresses this gap with a scalable, minimally invasive solution.
Our innovative technology identifies a unique molecular AD signature by measuring altered miRNA levels in human plasma. By combining molecular biology with a proprietary machine learning algorithm, Promental Health delivers a diagnostic tool with 95% sensitivity and specificity. This approach allows for detection at the MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) or early-stage Alzheimer Disease level, providing a window for intervention decades before irreversible brain damage occurs.
With IP protection and a roadmap targeting CE IVD certification, we are tapping into a diagnostics market. Promental Health is currently seeking strategic partnerships for replication studies and founding investors for a pre-seed round in 2026/2027 to accelerate clinical validation.
Our mission is to make early AD diagnosis a global standard, unlocking the door to more effective therapy and prevention.
Supported by: SPARK Poland (Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology)
More info:
BeLiver
Dr. Madeleine Moscatelli — CEO & Co-Founder at BeLiver
Madeleine Moscatelli is the CEO and co-founder of BeLiver, a precision oncology company developing a predictive test to guide treatment selection for cancer patients. The company focuses initially on liver cancer, where treatment decisions are still largely made without reliable predictive tools, resulting in low response rates and a significant unmet medical need.
Supported by: SPARK Bordeaux
More info:
MoniCardi
Prof. Esa Räsänen — CEO at MoniCardi
Esa Räsänen is a Professor of Physics and Head of the Physics Unit at Tampere University, an Associate of Harvard University, and a visiting scholar at SPARK Stanford. His research focuses on computational physics, with expertise in dynamical systems, quantum physics, and the interdisciplinary analysis of complex time series, including applications in cardiology. He has published more than 150 scientific articles, holds several patents, and his work bridges fundamental physics and biomedical innovation, contributing to data-driven approaches for cardiac health monitoring.
He is also the CEO and co-founder of MoniCardi, a digital health spin-out developing device-agnostic cardiac intelligence software. MoniCardi delivers cardiac intelligence to every wearable. Its patented technology transforms heart rate data into early cardiac risk and disease detection, as well as precise training intensity and recovery insights. The software integrates into any heart rate device such as watches, patches, rings, and beyond, enabling scalable deployment without new hardware.
MoniCardi’s technology is already licensed by a global wearable brand reaching millions of users, runs on ultra-low-power chips, powers digital ECG platforms in Europe, and is currently part of an R&D collaboration with a top-5 global mobile company.
Supported by: SPARK Finland
More info:
GrOwnValve GmbH
PD Dr. Boris Schmitt — CEO and founder at GrOwnValve GmbH
PD Dr. Boris Schmitt, CEO and founder of GrOwnValve GmbH, is a pediatric cardiologist at the German Heart Center Berlin and the Charité. He has worked in interventional pediatric cardiology for more than 20 years and has spent 15 years conducting research in several renowned National and EU-funded projects.
Throughout his clinical career, he repeatedly encountered a critical challenge: children born with severe heart valve defects lack dedicated treatment options designed for their growing bodies. While adults benefit from a variety of advanced valve technologies, babies and young children often receive adapted solutions that cannot grow with them—making repeated open‑heart surgeries inevitable and exposing patients to significant risks over time.
To address this unmet need, Dr. Schmitt initiated the development of the GrOwnValve. The project focuses on creating a personalized, autologous heart valve produced from the patient’s own tissue and designed to grow with the child. A novel anchoring mechanism enables minimally invasive implantation while allowing natural growth of both the valve and the surrounding vessel.
The technology may also serve as a platform for treating adults with pulmonary and aortic valve diseases.
Supported by: SPARK-BIH
More info:
ZephyRNA
Dr. Philippe Vollmer Barbosa — designated founder & CEO at ZephyRNA
Philippe Vollmer Barbosa is the designated founder and CEO of ZephyRNA, an RNAi inhalation company in the making. ZephyRNA brings novel siRNA drugs directly to the site of disease to help patients with severe respiratory symptoms. ZephyRNA´s proprietary delivery technology mediates a swift and efficient LNP-free siRNA formulation that enables safe and efficient treatment at drastically reduced cost compared to competitor solutions. This opens the door for a completely new market in respiratory care and treatment of devastating diseases like COPD and pulmonary fibrosis.
Supported by: SPARK-BIH
More info:
LinkedIn Website bio:cap
CasInvent pharma, a.s.
Tomas Prat, Ph.D. — Head of Alliance Management at CasInvent Pharma
CasInvent Pharma is a biotechnology company established in 2020 as a spin-off of Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, in cooperation with the investment partner i&i Prague. The company develops innovative anticancer therapies based on proprietary, highly selective inhibitors of the Casein Kinase 1 (CK1) family, targeting the CK1α, δ, and ε isoforms. These enzymes regulate key cellular mechanisms involved in tumor progression and resistance to targeted therapies. CasInvent’s first-in-class small-molecule inhibitors demonstrate sub-nanomolar potency, strong on-target activity, and favorable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in preclinical studies. The technology is primarily developed for treatment-resistant malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including cases resistant to venetoclax therapy. In addition, promising activity has been demonstrated in solid tumor models such as pancreatic cancer and melanoma, where therapy resistance remains a major clinical challenge.
The company and its technology platform will be presented by Tomas Prat, Ph.D., Head of Alliance Management at CasInvent Pharma, who contributes to the coordination of preclinical development, collaborations with contract research organizations, grant preparation, and communication of scientific results to academic, investor, and industry partners. Prior to joining CasInvent, he worked in R&D roles at Contipro and GeneProof, contributing to projects in regenerative medicine and in vitro diagnostics development. Tomas obtained his Ph.D. at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, where his research on auxin transport and cell polarity led to publications in multiple high impact journals.
This work was supported by the SPARK program at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Supported by: SPARK Czech Republic
More info:
NanoZymeX
Dr. Eva Hemmrich — Chief Regulatory Officer at NanoZymeX
NanoZymeX is a University of Basel spin-off developing the next generation of enzyme replacement therapies for lysosomal diseases. Pompe disease, our lead indication, has approved treatments. Yet patients still endure biweekly infusions costing USD 500,000 or more a year, and for life. For many, muscle function keeps declining anyway, and a significant number progress to wheelchair dependency. Respiratory capacity worsens over time, and a substantial proportion of patients eventually require ventilatory support. Current therapies slow the disease. They do not stop it.
NanoZymeX is built to change what patients actually experience. By dramatically improving how the approved Pompe enzyme reaches target tissues and reducing the immune reactions that undermine existing therapies, the platform aims to deliver what patients have not had: complete preservation of muscle function, no respiratory decline, and complete independence. Preclinical results are compelling. And because the same technology applies across more than 70 lysosomal diseases, NanoZymeX is not just a better Pompe therapy; it is a broader platform opportunity, with a patent filed in January 2026 to protect it.
The next milestone is in vivo proof of concept in a Pompe mouse model. NanoZymeX is raising EUR 6.5 million in seed funding to get there and take the programme through the steps needed to reach the clinic.
NanoZymeX is supported by SPARK Western Switzerland.
Supported by: SPARK Western Switzerland
More info:
Immunoquest Therapeutics
Esmaeil Dorraji — CSO and Founder at ImmunoQuest Therapeutics
ImmunoQuest Therapeutics is building a first-in-class precision oncology company around p95HER2, a tumor-specific driver of metastasis and resistance in HER2- positive cancers. Our lead asset, NAZ-001, is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to selectively eliminate p95HER2-positive tumor cells that are not effectively addressed by current HER2 therapies. In HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, p95HER2 is associated with resistant disease and represents a significant unmet clinical need, while also opening a compelling commercial opportunity. NAZ- 001 is differentiated by its tumor-specific target, novel mechanism of action, and potential application across multiple HER2-driven cancers beyond breast cancer, including ovarian, lung, endometrial, and colorectal tumors. With a strong scientific foundation, platform potential, and expansion opportunities across indications, ImmunoQuest is advancing a new generation of targeted therapeutics for patients with limited/NO alternatives.
Supported by: SPARK Norway
More info:
Fibraxis
Dr. Rebecca Bignold — Co-Founder and CEO at Fibraxis
Fibraxis is a female-led biotechnology spinout from Aston University developing a new generation of treatments for asthma that target the underlying structural changes in the lungs, rather than simply relieving symptoms. Asthma affects over 260 million people worldwide, yet many commonly used medicines were developed decades ago and focus mainly on short-term symptom control. Fibraxis is developing a first-in-class inhalable small-molecule therapy designed to halt and reverse the processes that drive airway thickening and breathing difficulties. By targeting the root causes of the disease, the company aims to improve long-term breathing outcomes and quality of life, particularly for patients who do not respond to current treatments.
Since its formation, Fibraxis has progressed from an academic discovery to a growing biotech start-up with promising preclinical data, strong intellectual property, and early angel investment. The company is now preparing for the next stage of development, including formulation work and preclinical studies required to progress toward first-in-human clinical trials.
The company is led by Dr Rebecca Bignold, Co-Founder and CEO, who founded Fibraxis while translating discoveries from her PhD and postdoctoral research into a company focused on delivering real-world patient impact. As a female founder under 30 with an academic background in respiratory biology, she is passionate about turning cutting-edge science into meaningful treatments for patients.
Supported by SPARK The Midlands
More info:
Dasher Neuroscience Inc.
Prof. Yufeng Jane Tseng — CEO and Founder of Dasher Neuroscience Inc.
Dasher Neuroscience focuses on pioneering research in central nervous system diseases, leveraging AI to drive groundbreaking research and develop innovative treatments for patients worldwide.
Dasher Neuroscience brings together leading researchers and physicians from top universities and institutions in Taiwan. Incubated through Taiwan’s national initiative and Stanford’s SPARK program, the company integrates advanced AI into pharmaceutical research, focusing on innovative therapies for central nervous system disorders.
YA-101, our flagship drug for Multiple System Atrophy, has received Orphan Drug Designation in the US, EU, and Japan, as well as Fast Track Designation from the US FDA, and is in Phase II trials in the US, Japan, and Taiwan.
Beyond YA-101, Dasher Neuroscience focuses on neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia. We are committed to addressing unmet medical needs by developing innovative, safe, effective, and convenient treatments worldwide.
Professor Tseng, an experienced medicinal chemist and bioinformatician, served as an IRTA Research Fellow at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH in the United States. Since 2014, she’s been a professor at National Taiwan University, specializing in computational chemistry and AI-assisted drug design. In 2019, as one of Dasher Neuroscience’s founders, Professor Tseng was instrumental in licensing YA-101 and other CNS compounds to the company. With vast experience in drug discovery and development, Professor Tseng has established strong networks with hospitals and CROs, secured intellectual property rights, and gained approval for candidate drugs in anti-thrombotic, anti-cancer, anti-neuropathic pain, and CNS compounds, contributing significantly to Dasher Neuroscience’s successful research projects.
Supported by: SPARK Taiwan
More info:
Akasi Pharma
Walden Bjørn-Yoshimoto, Ph.D. — CEO at Akasi Pharma
Akasi Pharma, a Copenhagen-based therapeutics company is developing a selective somatostatin receptor 4 (SSTR4) agonist for pain. Akasi Pharma’s program is focused on a small peptide approach designed for peripheral pain, with an initial focus on diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, a condition with substantial unmet medical need and limited effective treatment options. The company is currently in lead optimization and has demonstrated long-acting leads. Akasi Pharma’s approach is differentiated by its focus on SSTR4 selectivity, peripheral activity, and safety. The company is building on scientific validation of SSTR4 in pain while aiming to address key limitations seen with existing therapies and prior SSTR4 programs. Beyond diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, Akasi Pharma sees potential in broader peripheral pain indications.
Supported by: SPARK Denmark
More info:
Innunity Therapeutics
Dr. Antonios Katsoulas — Co-Founder, CEO & Scientific Director at Innunity Therapeutics
Dr. Antonios Katsoulas is an immunologist and entrepreneur, and the CEO & Co-founder of Innunity Therapeutics, a biotech company developing first-in-class therapies targeting the innate immune system. His work focuses on translating fundamental discoveries in immunology into novel treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases with high unmet medical need. He is a recipient of the BioEntrepreneurship Fellowship at the University of Zurich, supporting the translation of his research into a therapeutic program.
Innunity Therapeutics is advancing a pipeline of small-molecule inhibitors targeting the CLR signaling pathway, a genetically and biologically validated driver of innate immune activation. The company’s lead program is focused on progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), where disability progression is driven by smoldering inflammation within the central nervous system, an area largely unaddressed by current therapies. By selectively modulating innate immune signaling with brain-penetrant compounds, Innunity aims to halt disease progression and improve long-term outcomes for patients.
Building on this approach, the company is also exploring expansion into other indications such as inflammatory bowel disease, where similar innate immune mechanisms are implicated. Innunity combines strong preclinical efficacy, a biomarker-driven clinical strategy, and a scalable solution to enable rapid translation into the clinic and expansion across multiple indications.
Supported by: SPARK Zurich
More info:
Fusix Biotech
Dr. Jennifer Altomonte — CEO at Fusix Biotech
Fusix Biotech is an emerging biotechnology company addressing one of the largest unmet needs in cancer care: the effective treatment of aggressive, therapy-resistant solid tumors. Its proprietary oncolytic InFUSE™ platform is designed as a multi-modal therapeutic engine that combines three synergistic mechanisms within a single approach for intravenous delivery. It enables direct oncolysis to selectively destroy tumor cells, activates the immune system by converting “cold” tumors into “hot,” immunologically visible targets, and delivers therapeutic genetic payloads to further enhance anti-tumor activity. This integrated strategy positions Fusix as a highly differentiated platform with the potential for broad applicability across multiple tumor types and compatibility with existing treatment regimens, including standard immunotherapies. The platform’s versatility enables multiple value-creation pathways, including partnership, pipeline expansion, and potential therapy combination strategies.
Led by the inventor and CEO, Jennifer Altomonte, Fusix Biotech benefits from strong scientific and entrepreneurial leadership built upon 2 decades of expertise in translational cancer research, gene delivery, and virus engineering. With a strong academic foundation, including her affiliation with the Technical University of Munich and ERC-funded research, she brings a unique combination of scientific rigor and strategic and commercial vision. Jennifer has dedicated her career to addressing unmet needs in oncology, driven by a commitment to creating scalable solutions that can reach patients efficiently and delivering meaningful improvements in cancer care. Under her leadership, Fusix Biotech is advancing a bold mission: to transform resistant tumors into treatable diseases, unlocking unmatched patient impact and long-term commercial value.
Supported by: SPARK-BIH
More info:
LinkedIn Website bio:cap
.
