Three Asabys-Backed Biotechs Featured in Nature, Showcasing Spain’s Scientific Innovation

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Nature, the world’s leading scientific journal, has spotlighted three Barcelona-based biotech startups, Ona Therapeutics, Nuage Therapeutics, and SpliceBio, in a recent article highlighting Spain’s burgeoning life sciences sector.

All three companies were seed-funded by Asabys Partners, a Barcelona-based venture capital firm specializing in healthcare innovation. Asabys played a key role in building these companies from the ground up, attracting top talent and follow-on investors, and continues to support them both financially and through active, hands-on engagement.

“Being highlighted in Nature underscores the strength of Spain’s research institutions and the effectiveness of our collaborative model in translating academic discoveries into impactful biotech ventures,” says Clara Campàs, Managing Partner of Asabys.

With close to €300 million in assets under management, Asabys has been instrumental in spinning out and scaling biotech ventures from Spanish academia. Below are the companies exemplifying this mission:

The 3 Nature-Featured Startups

Ona Therapeutics
Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from IRB Barcelona and ICREA, Ona Therapeutics focuses on developing therapeutic biologics targeting metastatic cancer. Asabys seed-funded the company and co-led a €30M Series A financing in 2020.

Nuage Therapeutics
Established in 2021 as a spin-off from IRB Barcelona and ICREA, Nuage Therapeutics is dedicated to discovering drugs targeting intrinsically disordered proteins involved in most diseases. Asabys co-founded the company, co-led a €12M seed financing round with Sofinnova Partners, representing its first Spanish investment, and assisted in building its strategic roadmap.

SpliceBio
Based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University, SpliceBio is advancing gene therapies utilizing its proprietary protein splicing platform to address diseases caused by large genes, such as Stargardt disease. Asabys co-seeded the company in 2020, participated in its €50M Series A financing, and continues supporting its growth within Barcelona’s biotech ecosystem.

Other Notable Companies spined-out by Asabys from Spanish Academia

Inbrain Neuroelectronics
A spin-off from the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) and ICREA, Inbrain is developing graphene-based brain–computer interfaces to treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Asabys provided initial financing to establish the company’s team, co-led its €14M Series A financing and participated in the recent $50M Series B.

ALLOX
A spin-off from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), ALLOX is focused on identifying allosteric sites on disease-causing proteins to develop selective therapies, particularly in oncology. Asabys provided initial financing to establish the company’s team and facilities and remains chair of the board.

Orikine Bio
Originating from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, Orikine Bio is developing a proprietary platform for cytokine-based therapies targeting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Asabys co-led its €5.5M seed financing round, supporting the company’s pre-clinical development efforts.

Origo Biopharma
Specializing in developing organ-restricted small molecule drug candidates targeting the TGF-β pathway for fibrosis-related disorders, Origo was closely linked to the Spanish research community. Asabys led its seed financing in 2020, and was instrumental for its acquisition by Agomab Therapeutics in 2021.

Barcelona cityscape with Sagrada Familia seen from Park Güell at sunrise, Catalonia, Spain

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