Founded in 2022 by the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Biotope focuses on nurturing early-stage agrifood biotech startups, helping them reach seed-stage readiness within 18 months. The programme provides investors with lower-risk opportunities by ensuring participating startups are scientifically and financially viable, scalable, and equipped with strong regulatory and IP strategies.

The 2024 Fall cohort includes:

• Corium Biotech (Portugal): Developing exotic leather using cellular agriculture
• I-Challenge (Belgium): Innovating solutions to predict food shelf life more accurately, tackling food waste
• Lantana Bio (France): Creating natural colourants through precision fermentation

Each startup offers a biotech-driven solution to a significant industry challenge, with strong potential for growth and alignment with Biotope’s expertise. Notably, two of the startups are led by female CEOs, reflecting Biotope's dedication to supporting diverse leadership.

Over the course of 18 months, these startups will receive customised support from Biotope’s network of scientists, business leaders, and corporate partners, alongside access to VIB's R&D facilities, greenhouses, and co-working spaces. The programme’s portfolio has already secured €20 million in external funding, creating 20 new full-time roles. Among its successes is Amphistar, a biosurfactant manufacturer from the second cohort, which raised €6 million in pre-Series A funding earlier this year.

Biotope continues to support innovation across seven countries, having aided 13 startups to date.

Commenting on the new cohort, Head of Biotope Annick Verween, said: “biotope focuses on potentially impactful solutions which can benefit from a dedicated biotech ecosystem to support them. Our new, fifth, cohort is a perfect reflection of this mission - all of the startups represented are passionate entrepreneurs with groundbreaking biotech solutions that have the power to create lasting change for people and the planet.”

“By combining our high-quality incubation support with targeted investment, we provide the startups with the resources and expertise to develop their proposition and scale rapidly. We’re thrilled to support these visionary founders as they embark on their journeys.”

To drive innovation and sustainability in the biotech space, biotope strives to attract the best entrepreneurs around the world by derisking biotechnology investment through the provision of both scientific expertise and financial security to startups.

Mounir Benkoulouche, CEO of Lantana Bio, said: "Our journey with biotope has been an invaluable learning experience, especially in areas like business development or regulatory challenges. The open and direct dialogue with experts and discussing challenges with peers provided insights we couldn’t have gained from research alone. As a biotope portfolio company, we're excited to tap into biotope’s network for crucial guidance on regulatory matters and market access, and we look forward to finding the right partners to bring our product to market."

Sharing Mr. Benkouloche’s enthusiasm, Wendy Ossieur, CEO of I-Challenge commented: “We’re honoured to share that I-Challenge is joining the biotope family! This opportunity will enable us to advance our solutions, helping food companies to better determine shelf-life and fight food waste. We’re looking forward to collaborating with biotope’s passionate team and leveraging their extensive network of experts.”

Maria Maia, CEO of Corium Biotech adds: "We're delighted to have been selected for the biotope program. The experience so far has been invaluable and the support from biotope is already helping us strengthen our company foundations. We're confident that this opportunity will play a pivotal role in preparing us for future growth and innovation in the biotech industry."