News

Drug Repurposing Venture Challenge 2026: From breakthrough research to viable venture

13 February 2026 ZonMw and FAST will organise the second edition of the Drug Repurposing Venture Challenge from June to October 2026.

From Venture Challenge to First Funding: Omivera turns CellEKT into a new drug discovery venture

12 February 2026 What does it take to turn years of academic research into a viable life sciences company? For Leiden-based startup Omivera, the answer started with the Venture Challenge program in the winter of 2025.

Cyclomics raises €2.6 million to advance liquid biopsy diagnostics | Alumni news (Venture Challenge Fall 2017)

21 January 2026 Cyclomics, alumnus of the Venture Challenge Fall 2017, has raised €2.6 million in new financing to support the further development and commercialisation of its liquid biopsy diagnostics for cancer detection.

ShanX Medtech secures €24 million to accelerate ultra-rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing | Alumni news

9 January 2026 ShanX Medtech B.V., alumni of the Venture Challenge Summer 2020, has secured a total of €24 million in financing to accelerate the final development, clinical validation, regulatory approval and commercial launch of its ultra-rapid antimicrobial susceptibil

Cyclomics Secures New Investment to Accelerate Commercialization of Ultra-Sensitive Cancer Diagnostics by Fast and High-Resolution DNA Sequencing Strategie

7 January 2026 Cyclomics BV, a pioneer in liquid biopsy technology, announces the successful closing of a new investment round led by Myosotis Investments and supported by Oncode Bridge Fund. This

Levels Diagnostics advances biomarker validation for early liver cancer detection | Alumni news

6 January 2026 Levels Diagnostics, alumnus of the Venture Challenge Fall 2019, has secured new funding to support the clinical validation of its biomarkers for the early detection of liver cancer.

Venture Challenge Winter 2024/25 winner Lumeniris secures EUR 350,000 from Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland | Alumni news

6 January 2026 Lumeniris secures funding from Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland to develop pill sized camera for early detection of oesophageal cancer

TargED reports positive Phase 1 results for TGD001 at ASH 2025

18 December 2025 TargED Biopharmaceuticals has announced positive results from a Phase 1 first-in-human study of its lead investigational thrombolytic fusion protein, TGD001, presented in an oral session at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting 2025 in Or

AquaWomb and Medsim receive Stimuleringsfonds MRE funding for neonatal innovation

18 December 2025 AquaWomb and Medsim have been awarded funding from the Stimuleringsfonds Metropoolregio Eindhoven (MRE) to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for extreme premature births. Within this collaboration, AquaWomb and Medsim are developi

TargED raises €21.5 million Series A extension to accelerate clinical development of targeted thrombolytic therapy (Alumni news)

18 December 2025 TargED Biopharmaceuticals B.V., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation targeted treatments for thrombotic diseases, has secured a €21.5 million Series A extension, bringing its total Series A funding to over €60 million.