Immitra Bio receives CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick
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The ETH spin-off and Geneva-based company Immitra Bio has received CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to develop a new treatment approach for rare genetic diseases. The biotech startup aims to replace complex stem cell transplantation procedures with a single injection, making potentially curative therapies more accessible to patients worldwide.
More than 7,000 rare genetic diseases affect an estimated 400 million people worldwide, yet 95% still lack an effective treatment. Current stem cell therapies for genetic disorders are often expensive, difficult to scale, and require intensive procedures such as chemotherapy and cell transplantation, limiting patient access and widespread adoption.
Immitra Bio is developing an in-vivo stem cell therapy designed to work directly inside the body. By harnessing natural biological mechanisms already present in the human genome, the approach aims to eliminate the need for chemotherapy, donor cells, and complex manufacturing processes. The goal is to provide a single, off-the-shelf treatment that can be broadly accessible and independent of a patient’s specific genetic mutation.
Immitra’s first wave of indications is focused on Red Blood Cell disorders, which are among the most severe inherited genetic diseases, affecting hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.
The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will support Immitra Bio’s preclinical proof-of-concept work and platform validation by reversing the disease in a disease model.
Combining expertise in genetic medicine, stem cell biology, and therapeutic development, the team is composed of co-founders CEO Jan Nelis, CSO Amir Taheri, and scientific advisor Jacob Corn, together with R&D scientist Veera Vainio.
“Venture Kick has been invaluable to Immitra Bio at a defining moment in our journey. Beyond funding, the process helped us sharpen our pitch, increase our visibility, connect directly with investors, access Venture Kick’s extended network, and benefit from meaningful non-dilutive innobooster support,” highlighted co-founder Amir Taheri. “I am very pleased to have VK joining our journey of bringing much needed therapies to patients.”
➡️ Source: Press Release Venturelab | 📸 Co-founders Jan Nelis (CEO), Prof. Jacob Corn (Scientific Advisor), and Amir Taheri (CSO), © Venturelab