ZEISS Ventures invests in life science start-up InSphero to drive 3D cell culture research

ZEISS is investing in life science start-up InSphero to further advance the adoption of 3D microtissues in research and drug development. InSphero AG, a pioneer in 3D spheroid and cell-based assays in pharmaceutical drug discovery and safety testing, has raised an eight-figure amount in its latest funding round. InSphero will utilize the proceeds to commercialize its cryo-preservation technology to enable further growth and scalability. ZEISS Ventures is participating in the financing round along with internal and external investors.

InSphero’s comprehensive solutions for preclinical drug safety and efficacy testing are based on 3D microtissues, which are phenotypic models of the smallest functional unit of a tissue or organ. These drug-discovery and testing platforms combine scalable 3D technology, ISO quality-controlled 3D human tissue models, 3D-optimized media, as well as tailored assay services and support. Drug discovery partners immediately gain access to the depth and breadth of InSphero’s experience in developing and applying 3D models for liver toxicology, metabolic diseases and oncology.

“The market for complex 3D in-vitro models is very attractive and is experiencing new tailwinds with the FDA Modernization Act. This Act elevates alternative methods for drug development to the same level as animal testing. InSphero has uniquely positioned itself with its highly industrialized platform solution to address this market opportunity,” says Gerrit Schulte, Head of ZEISS Ventures.

Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, CEO and Co-founder of InSphero, says: “The widespread use of 3D microtissues following the ratification of the FDA Modernization Act requires efficient, automation-compatible, and scalable 3D models quickly. Our ground-breaking, cryopreserved ARCTis 3D Microtissue portfolio offers a storable, always ready-to-use solution to efficient and insightful compound testing. We are on the way to becoming the biggest 3D microtissue biobank in the world.”

“The strategic investment in InSphero is perfectly aligned with our strategic initiative – Life Science Industrialization. We will leverage the ZEISS know-how and establish our technologies as a key enabler for widely adopted and standardized workflows in applied life sciences and healthcare. We look forward to intensive collaboration with InSphero to provide customers with end-to-end workflows,” explains Dr. Michael Albiez, Head of ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions.
  

InSphero is the pioneer of industrial-grade and scalable 3D-cell-based assay solutions and scaffold-free 3D organ-on-a-chip technology. With its efficient and automation-compatible technology platform, InSphero empowers researchers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology to successful decision-making by accurately rebuilding the human physiology in vitro. Its robust and precisely engineered suite of 3D InSight^™ human tissue platforms are used by major pharmaceutical companies worldwide to increase efficiency in drug discovery and safety testing. The company specializes in liver toxicology, metabolic diseases (e.g., T1 & T2 diabetes and NAFLD & NASH liver disease), and oncology (with a focus on immuno-oncology and PDX models). The scalable Akura^™ technology underlying the company’s 3D InSight^™ Discovery and Safety Platforms includes 96 and 384-well plate formats and the Akura^™ Flow organ-on-a-chip system to drive efficient innovation throughout all phases of drug development.