Univercells, a Belgium-based biomanufacturing technology developer backed by pharmaceutical firm Takeda’s corporate venturing unit, Takeda Ventures, has completed an $18.8m series B round
Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF), Korea Investment Partners, The Innovation Fund and Inventures II provided the funding. Takeda had invested $3.3m in Univercells in 2015, before adding $3.5m through Takeda Ventures the following year.
Founded in 2013, Univercells is developing advanced biologics manufacturing processes intended to considerably cut the cost of production by reducing the size of the required equipment.
The funding will support the commercial deployment of the company’s viral platform as well as the completion of its recombinant platform. Univercells had received a $16m grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a contributor to GHIF, in late 2016.