Geneva-based startup FluoSphera, which is developing new ways to test drug safety and effectiveness, has raised €1.23 million (CHF 1.15 million). The round was led by Soulmates Ventures and a Swiss business angel, with IndieBio New York also taking part, as Vestbee was informed.
- Founded in 2021 by Clélia Bourgoint, Gregory Segala and Aurélien Roux, FluoSphera develops laboratory models that allow researchers to study how experimental drugs affect several human tissues at the same time.
- The company produces three-dimensional clusters of human cells that resemble small versions of organs, such as liver, heart or tumour tissue, and places them together in a shared liquid environment so they can exchange chemical signals, similar to how organs interact through the bloodstream.
- Each tissue type is marked with a distinct fluorescent tag, allowing microscopes and software to monitor how every tissue responds when a drug is added. The resulting data is used to measure both therapeutic effects and unwanted toxicity early in the drug-development process, before compounds move into animal studies or clinical trials.
“We’re building the next generation of preclinical tools, not just to get new medicine faster to market and at a lower cost, but also to enhance the quality of drug discovery processes. By improving human relevance and reducing reliance on animal models, we help our partners bring safer, more effective treatments to patients faster,” claims Dr. Clélia Bourgoint, CEO and Co-founder of FluoSphera.
Details of the deal
- FluoSphera will use the fresh funding to expand its commercial partnerships, build out its business development team, and strengthen its technology by adding more automation and AI for large-scale image analysis, allowing the company to integrate its platform more deeply into drug development pipelines and support growth across Europe, the US, and new international markets.
"FluoSphera stood out to us from the start for its exceptional founders and groundbreaking science. As the pharmaceutical industry transitions away from animal testing, the need for reliable human-relevant models is immense. FluoSphera is opening a multi-billion-dollar opportunity by giving drug developers the means to innovate faster, safer, and more ethically. It represents a completely new approach to developing the next generation of medicines," explains Hynek Sochor, Founder and Managing Partner at Soulmates Ventures.
