Laigo Bio, a biotechnology company, has completed the second close of its seed round. It raised an additional €5.5 million, bringing total funding to €17 million.
The round was co-led by Biovance Capital and Kurma Partners, with participation from Curie Capital, Argobio Studio, Angelini Ventures, Eurazeo, Oncode Bridge Fund, ROM Utrecht Region, and Cancer Research Horizons. The funding will support the advancement of its oncology programs toward clinical trials and expand its pipeline into autoimmune and immunology indications.
What The Company Does
Laigo Bio is developing targeted therapies using its proprietary SureTACs platform, which focuses on precision degradation of disease-causing membrane proteins. The platform uses engineered bispecific antibodies that connect a target protein with an E3 ligase, triggering its degradation through cellular pathways.
This approach enables selective removal of proteins associated with disease, offering a potential alternative to traditional therapies that often inhibit rather than eliminate targets. By directly degrading membrane proteins, Laigo aims to achieve more effective and durable therapeutic outcomes.
The technology has been developed in collaboration with research groups at UMC Utrecht and the Oncode Institute, forming the scientific foundation for its drug development programs.
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Market Context / Industry Background
Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a growing area in drug development, particularly in oncology and immunology. While earlier approaches have focused on intracellular targets, addressing membrane proteins presents additional challenges but also significant therapeutic potential.
There is increasing interest in technologies that can improve specificity and reduce side effects compared to conventional treatments. As understanding of cellular degradation mechanisms advances, new platforms are being developed to expand the range of druggable targets.
At the same time, demand remains high for therapies addressing complex conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejection, where current treatment options may have limited efficacy or significant adverse effects.
Founder / Investor Commentary
CEO Dr. Matthew Baker described the funding as further validation of the company’s platform and its potential to generate first-in-class therapies. He emphasized that the additional capital will accelerate the progression of oncology programs toward clinical testing while also supporting expansion into autoimmune and immunological applications.
He also noted the importance of continued investor support and welcomed the addition of new board representation as the company advances its development strategy.
Growth Plans / Use Of Funds
The funding will be used to advance Laigo Bio’s lead oncology programs into clinical trials, a key milestone in the company’s development roadmap. In parallel, the company will expand its research and discovery efforts across additional therapeutic areas, including autoimmune diseases and transplant-related conditions.
Investment will also support further development of the SureTACs platform, with the aim of generating multiple candidate therapies and strengthening the company’s pipeline.
About Laigo Bio
Laigo Bio is a biotechnology company focused on developing targeted therapies through protein degradation. Based in Utrecht, the company uses its SureTACs platform to selectively eliminate disease-causing membrane proteins. Its mission is to create more effective treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and related conditions by leveraging precision molecular technologies.
