Bologna-based Cellply secures €3.6 million setting sights on future growth | EU-Startups

The Bolognese biotech startup, Cellply, has raised €3.6 million in a recent funding round. The main investors were Recomec, managed by the Zanelli family, LIFTT, and Schia Ventures. It’s worth noting that LIFTT and Schia Ventures have invested in Cellply before, showing their ongoing support for the company. Yet, in the constantly evolving realm of biotech, standing still is never an option, they have also announced the opening of a further round to raise a total of €14 million by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Founded in 2013 by Massimo Bocchi and Roberto Guerrieri, Cellply stands out in the biotech arena for its specialization in assessing the efficacy of immunotherapies in cancer treatments. Their notable milestones include securing €2 million in 2021 and an additional €810K in 2022. Riding on these successes, the startup is geared towards consolidating its position in the research and development sector, with eyes on expanding to the US and North American markets. Furthermore, they are keen on enhancing their footprint in Europe. Cellply’s long-term vision is to be a leader in research and quality standards in the CellTherapy domain. They are optimistic about registering a marked turnover by the end of 2023 and foresee a robust growth trajectory in the following two years.

In terms of their contributions to healthcare, CellPly’s innovations serve a dual purpose. They ensure pharmaceutical companies’ research investments are secure, while also emphasizing the well-being of patients. Contrary to traditional chemical-based medications, immunotherapies involve the use of living cells, each having its unique characteristics. Although these treatments hold promise, they are costly, with some patients facing expenses over 400 thousand dollars. This is where Cellply’s patented monitoring system steps in, guiding pharmaceutical entities to pinpoint the most efficient production methods, particularly those maximizing the generation of tumour “superkiller” cells.

CEO Emiliano Spagnolo said: “We want to offer biotech and pharma companies and clinics that develop new cell therapies a tool capable of reducing development times, costs and risks.” and explained: “Our advanced robotic platform integrates a patented micro-fluidic device, effectively acting as an evaluation ring for individual cells. Using state-of-the-art technologies like machine learning and AI, we can assess each cell therapy batch in detail. This helps us identify samples with a higher count of potent cells, fast-tracking the creation of innovative therapies. Our ultimate goal is the ‘Cell Pass’, which tracks a product’s functional attributes throughout its lifecycle, an essential advancement for the cell therapy domain.”