- Limula raises $6.8M to advance cell and gene therapy manufacturing. The funding supports development of a novel Swiss-made bioreactor-centrifuge platform.
Limula has raised CHF6.2M ($6.8M) to advance its automated cell therapy manufacturing platform, aiming to make life-saving therapies more accessible. The oversubscribed seed round was led by LifeX Ventures, with contributions from multiple investors.
Founded in 2020, Limula is addressing the high costs and complex processes that hinder the accessibility of Cell and Gene Therapies. By combining a bioreactor and a centrifuge into a single closed vessel, Limula’s platform simplifies and scales up production, reducing stress and contamination risks.
“Our team is driven by the ambitious goal of developing tools that are based on a fundamentally novel way of manipulating cells outside of the body,” said Luc Henry, co-founder and CEO of Limula. “Automation is the only route to scalability and digital traceability, key to unlocking the full potential of Cell and Gene Therapy.”
The new funding will support further development of Limula’s proprietary platform, aiming to meet GMP requirements. The company is currently running pilot programs with selected cell therapy developers and partnering with research centres like the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy.
Dr. Inaki Berenguer, managing partner at LifeX Ventures, highlighted the importance of Limula’s work: “Production tools have lagged behind scientific and clinical advancements, particularly in terms of price and scalability. Limula’s commitment to addressing these bottlenecks is crucial to enhancing accessibility for patients.”
Prof. Bernhard Gentner at San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy said: “We believe the solution Limula is advancing can support our current process development activities and later enable the manufacturing of these cell products at scale. We also see its potential in improving the status quo in Cell & Gene Therapy manufacturing in general, and in the field of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in particular.”
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