Funding Oost NL and Innovation Industries for IamFluidics to accelerate broad market introduction
24 October 2024
Enschede-based IamFluidics has raised funding to accelerate the market introduction of their product. The spin-off from the University of Twente has developed a patented technique for encapsulating ingredients at high speed (micro-encapsulation). This technology can be applied in drug production, as well as in cosmetics and food. The funding is provided by Oost NL and shareholder Innovation Industries. Oost NL invests from the Participatiefonds Oost NL.
IamFluidics can micro-encapsulate faster - while maintaining quality and uniformity. ‘That means we can make tiny droplets at a very high rate. Those droplets have a protective layer, and can release active substances at the right time. This is very useful in, for example, drug release in the body,’ explains IamFluidics CEO Leonard van Bokhorst. ‘Our technology can make capsules smaller than the thickness of a human hair for encapsulating pharmaceuticals, but also spheres the size of a small pearl for high-quality cosmetic products.’
The application of the technology is thus broader than just pharmaceuticals. It is a so-called platform technology: a ‘foundation’ on which different applications can be built. This means that IamFluidics' microparticles can also be used in food supplements, for instance for encapsulating sensitive vitamins and lipids or probiotics. The layer protecting the droplets can be made of sustainable materials, making it also an alternative to the microplastics commonly used in the cosmetics industry. Encapsulating living cells for cell therapy is also a possibility.
Funding to take next steps
In recent years, IamFluidics has raised money in several investment rounds. ‘This has allowed us to develop into a startup with various customers and partnerships, both in the medical sector, and the food industry. This new investment allows us to execute our strategy within medical applications with more focus and accelerate the commercial phase,’ Van Bokhorst said.
Harm de Vries, partner at Innovation Industries: ‘IamFluidics has developed strongly in recent years. The collaborations the company has established with other companies are proof of that. We are confident that the team can make further strides in the medical sector with this new funding.’
Geert Corstens, investment manager at Oost NL: ‘IamFluidics’ technology can make an important contribution to societal challenges. IamFluidics has shown that its technology can encapsulate ingredients for application in food and cosmetics faster and better than existing techniques. With this investment, the technology can now be accelerated for development and production of medical devices and pharmaceuticals.’
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This press release was written by Oost NL and can be found here on their website!