Stämm Biotech raises $17M for its next-generation, 3D printed bioreactor – TechCrunch

In that previous yr, there’s been so much hype round biomanufacturing — from rising cell-based meat to microbe-powered medication manufacturing. But none of artificial biology’s darlings with out one key piece of kit: a bioreactor. While the world debates how greatest to carry biology-fueled manufacturing into existence, one firm is already rethinking its most vital instrument.

Stämm Biotech, based in 2014, is creating a desktop-sized bioreactor that appears fairly totally different from the tanks, tubes, and knobs historically seen in industrial and even benchtop bioreactors. The Buenos Aires-based firm simply introduced a $17 million Series A spherical; mixed with earlier seed and pre-seed rounds, that brings its whole raised to $20 million.

To get what Stämm is doing, it’s important to know what a bioreactor normally seems like, and what’s happening inside it. At a fundamental degree, industrial scale bioreactors are big, sterilized tanks. Those tanks are full of the medium wanted to develop a sure kind of cell or microorganism, which can both produce the specified product or be the product itself.

These cell cultures are stirred utilizing a motorized instrument, stored on the right temperature utilizing coolants, and equipped with the correct amount of oxygen (or lack thereof) to help their progress. You can even do that course of in a single-use bag, moderately than a tank, which cuts down on the time wanted to re-sterilize a tank earlier than you possibly can develop one thing else.

What Stämm has achieved is actually reduce the tank, stirring, and tubes out of the equation solely. Instead, it’s creating a unit that 3D prints a dense community of microchannels that move cells by means of the vitamins and oxygen they want. The motion itself acts because the stirring movement.

Those channels are designed utilizing Stämm’s software program element. You can consider the entire course of as a “CDMO [contract development and manufacturing organization] on the cloud” as Yuyo Llamazares, the co-founder and CEO of Stamm instructed TechCrunch.

“We detected this breach between the will to develop a biological product and the abilities of tools that were out in the market. That inspired us to take ownership of this problem,” he mentioned.

There’s already been important curiosity within the biomanufacturing house based mostly on the concept that rising stuff in cells is the following wave of producing, from biopharmaceuticals to chemical compounds, textiles, fragrances, and even full cuts of meat.

For occasion Ginkgo Bioworks, which reached IPO with a $15 billion valuation, is one firm particularly bullish on each pharma and non-pharma purposes of biomanufacturing. But the proof of such world-changing manufacturing has leaked in slowly. (And, as of writing, Ginkgo’s market cap was closer to $7.24 billion)

None of the promise of biomanufacturing can really occur with out the bioreactors. Stämm’s method is to scale down the dimensions of the reactor by means of using microfluidics.

CG illustration of the fluid movement by means of one of many printed items.

At the second, the corporate claims to have the ability to scale back the dimensions of a biomanufacturing facility by two orders of magnitude. But it’s nonetheless working on a smaller scale than most massive bioreactors. Stämm’s bioreactors can attain an output of about 30 liters, not the hundreds typically seen at industrial scale. (That mentioned firm does declare that its core idea can scale to concerning the to about 5,000 liters).

Despite the potential of the expertise, Stämm continues to be within the early phases of commercializing it. It at present is working with one European biopharma firm specializing in producing biosimilars, and says it has 5 potential new companions within the pipeline. The firm plans to maneuver to “pilot scale” in 2022.

At this second new partnerships are Stämm’s main metric of success, mentioned Llamazares. “We want to interact firsthand with as many partners as possible, understand how the product that we have developed can further help,” he mentioned.

If you dive a bit deeper into the enterprise aspect of issues, Stämm continues to be understanding some kinks. When I requested Llamazares the price of one of many models, he didn’t give a greenback determine. Stämm is trying to get purchasers used to working with microfluidic bioreactors, versus the normal machines, he mentioned. In the meantime, the worth of the machines and providers isn’t mounted.

“We are exploring at this stage, understanding diverse business models and interaction with clients,” he mentioned.

As for this spherical, Stämm plans to double its headcount to round 200, and increase its worldwide presence. The firm will even additional refine and develop its microfluidic bioreactors and the instruments wanted to manage them.

New buyers within the spherical embrace lead investor Varana, Vista, New Abundance, Trillian, Serenity Traders, Teramips, Decarbonization Consortium. They be a part of present buyers Draper Associates, SOSV, Grid Exponential, VistaPower, Teramips, Cygnus Draper, and Dragones VC, who additionally participated within the spherical.