Deep Tech makes the headlines | APEX Ventures Newsletter

Published in

APEX Ventures

9 min readDec 20, 2023

As we approach the conclusion of another exceptional year, December brings with it a sense of reflection and anticipation. 🎉

In this edition of the APEX Ventures newsletter, we present the latest updates, achievements and opportunities that have marked our journey in recent weeks.

From transformative collaborations in quantum computing to cutting-edge developments in life sciences and AI-driven solutions, our portfolio companies continue to achieve remarkable milestones. 🚀

In this edition, we’ll delve into the outstanding work of planqc as they have teamed up with the German Aerospace Center, Novoic’s unveiling of AccuRater™ and Quibim’s latest research in cancer detection. A few companies were in the spotlight: Senisca, kiutra and planqc made the headlines and sewts, Spleenlab, and TriLite were on air. contextflow and T3K-Forensics forged new partnerships, HAAWK made the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list, and OroraTech teamed up with Google Cloud. These forward-thinking organisations are pushing the boundaries of possibility in their respective fields, and we’re proud to have them as part of the APEX Ventures family.

As we bid farewell to 2023, we’re eagerly gearing up to step into 2024 — a year promising to be filled with new horizons, building on the successes and learnings of the past year.

Dive with us into this month’s newsletter. We thank you sincerely for being a part of this fantastic year! 🙏

Portfolio Company Updates

Amadeus APEX Technology Fund

Planqc

Quantum computing company planqc has teamed up with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Molecular Quantum Solutions (MQS) and d-fine to improve material simulations using quantum algorithms. This is planqc’s third project with the DLR, after winning an international tender worth €29 million for building Europe’s first digital quantum computer based on neutral atoms and a contract to improve climate models using quantum machine learning techniques. Meanwhile, Alexander Glätzle, CEO and co-founder of planqc, has been recognised by the business magazine Capital as an important talent shaping Germany and named one of its ‘Top 40 under 40’ in the entrepreneurship category.

APEX Medical

CardiaTech

CardiaTech welcomed Dr. Franck Duclos as Director of Cardiovascular Science, bringing over 25 years of experience in advancing cardiovascular discovery programs from exploratory to IND at Bristol Myers Squibb and Dr. Sara Ahrabi, a former Lead Biologist in Drug Target Discovery at BenevolentAI with over 10 years of experience in molecular biology.

Lyfegen

Lyfegen is set to revolutionise the pharmaceutical sector with the prelaunch of The Lyfegen Drug Pricing Simulator. This state-of-the-art tool is designed to transform the landscape of drug pricing and negotiations. It enables users to simulate and receive insights into gross-to-net prices, rebates, and budget impacts, thereby streamlining the negotiation process between pharmaceutical companies and health insurance. This improvement in team collaboration and drug price negotiation will allow pharma and health insurance to deliver access to life-saving drugs to patients faster.

Novoic

Novoic, the digital biotechnology company, showcased AccuRater™ at the recent CTAD Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference in Boston, Massachusetts, its new AI-driven system that matches or surpasses human raters’ performance in clinical assessments. This innovation promises to streamline CNS clinical trials and enhance clinical care, marking a significant step towards our mission of providing gold-standard brain assessment to a billion people.

Quibim

Quibim has filed a patent for a method quantifying bone trabecular structure, marking a significant advancement in medical imaging. At RSNA 2023, CEO Angel Alberich highlighted Quibim’s role in quantitative imaging research, underscoring the company’s innovative impact with its latest research on predicting 5-year progression-free survival in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC) using CT-based radiomics.

Refined Laser Systems

Refined Laser Systems showcased its innovative intraoperative microscope prototype that identifies tumor margins in real-time and offers rapid diagnosis with the assistance of remote pathologists and AI at the EPIC Meeting on Photonics assisted Cancer Pathology and Surgery at University Hospital Antwerp. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the time and stress associated with cancer surgeries. Learn more here.

Quibim’s imaging biomarkers from baseline CT scans for risk stratification of progression in LAHNSCC.

SENISCA

Excellent to see SENISCA featured in The Guardian in a discussion on longevity biotech. Senisca’s cell research looks at cellular senescence and whether this can have an impact on curing diseases or reversing ageing. Read more about it in Julia Kollewe’s article here.

APEX One

Contextflow

contextflow has forged a commercial partnership with Blackford Analysis to bring its ADVANCE Chest CT solution to healthcare professionals. With contextflow’s advanced detection technology in Blackford Analysis’s platform, healthcare providers can detect ILD, COPD and lung cancer on chest CTs.

HAAWK

Congratulations to HAAWK for bagging a spot in the 2023 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 rankings. The technology company, which offers a suite of copyright management and monetisation solutions for the global independent music industry, ranked within the 500 fastest-growing tech companies in North America based on revenue growth since 2019.

ImageBiopsy Lab

ImageBiopsy Lab released IB Lab FLAMINGO at this year’s RSNA conference. The fully automated software identifies asymptomatic spinal fractures in CT scans. Utilising the gold standard Genant classification, IB Lab FLAMINGO highlights relevant fractures and empowers proactive treatment for healthcare professionals using CT images of the upper extremities (thorax, abdomen) that include the spine so no additional examinations, radiation exposure or costs are required. Learn more here.

Kiutra and planqc

kiutra and planqc both feature in a recent article in Germany’s Business Insider which put the spotlight on the disruptive potential of quantum technology. Dr. Chiara Decaroli, a quantum physicist and investment expert at Redstone, chose the pair in her ‘top five quantum startups to watch this year’ shortlist.

OroraTech

OroraTech has teamed up with Google Cloud for wildfire detection. With Google Cloud technology, OroraTech can monitor the Earth’s temperature 24/7, enabling it to quickly detect potential wildfires and assess the damage. The infrared cameras of the OroraTech camera satellites help protect more than 1.6 million km² of forest worldwide.

Phantasma Labs

Phantasma Labs, the Germany-based autonomous tech expert, is looking for strategic partners to collaborate on the Epicentre Eurocluster programme. The funded project aims to support SMEs and start-ups in developing innovative solutions in collaboration with corporates to foster green and digital transformation. Learn more about working with Phantasma Labs.

Spleenlab

Lights, cameras, action! Spleenlab tested its AI software with the German TV channel MDR MITTELDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK. The company held a live demonstration of its VISIONAIRY® perception software for automated drones, cars and aircrafts.

Sewts

Deep tech startup sewts’ co-founder Alexander Bley took part in the German podcast ‘Lena’s Start-ups’ to discuss the company’s development, funding and vision for the future. You can listen to the full podcast here.

TriLite

Dr Jörg Reitterer, CTO and co-founder of TriLite, was recently featured on the ams OSRAM podcast, The Photon Studio, alongside Karl Leahy, product marketing director at ams OSRAM, for the episode “Unlocking the future: Laser Beam Scanning in AR/VR”. In this engaging half-hour discussion, Jörg delved into the advantages of Laser Beam Scanning-based display solutions, its potential to revolutionise the AR/MR field, and the challenges that must be overcome before AR Glasses can be widely adopted. You can listen to the podcast here.

T3K-Forensics

A new partnership for T3K-Forensics and data software provider Nuix will help with identifying and curtailing the distribution of illegal content in images and videos. The collaboration leverages the premier AI-based classifiers and mobile forensic analytics platform of T3K with Nuix’s powerful data collection and processing capabilities.

Two APEX Ventures portfolio companies, ATMOS Space Cargo and Yuri, have joined forces to provide valuable insights into the field of space biotechnology. In the latest instalment of our ‘Ask The Expert’ series, Sebastian Klaus CEO of ATMOS Space Cargo, and Mark Kugel, co-founder and co-CEO of Yuri, share their expertise on testing stem cultures in microgravity, space return services, and innovative projects that have the potential to shakeup biotechnology both in space and on Earth. Read more here.

Team Activities

A trip to Copenhagen for Andreas Riegler and Ion Hauer served up a fantastic opportunity to visit the Centre for Quantum Devices and see kiutra’s ‘L-Type Rapid’ in action. The L-Type Rapid is a versatile cryogenic platform for basic science and applied quantum research, offering a plethora of possibilities to propel quantum technologies in Europe.

Andreas Riegler (left) and Ion Hauer (right) at the Centre for Quantum Devices

Currently Fundraising

CardiaTech, based in Cambridge, UK, is raising a Seed round. Cardia Tech is applying artificial intelligence technology on large-scale multi-omic data to develop the next generation of cardiovascular disease drug targets.

Celeris Therapeutics, based in Graz, Austria, is raising a Seed round. Celeris is a deep learning company that uses innovative, computer-based methods to degrade undruggable targets. Celeris One exploits the potential of degrader technologies with accurate predictions of biomolecular interactions and the expansion of chemical space.

Kiutra, based in Munich, Germany, is raising a Series B round. It develops and manufactures B2B cooling systems for extremely low (Milli-Kelvin and Sub-Kelvin) temperatures to be used mainly in Quantum Technology. kiutra has developed a novel refrigeration system based on a cryogen-free magnetic cooling process known as Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration.

Quibim, based in Valencia, Spain, is raising a Series A round. The company develops technology to assist in the full process of imaging biomarkers integration, from the optimisation of the image acquisition in the equipment to the imaging biomarkers report integration.

Robeaute, based in Paris, France, is raising a pre-Series A round. It has developed a microrobot for neurological medical applications, which can navigate the brain with minimal invasiveness to collect crucial information to cure patients or deploy necessary medication. Currently, animal trials are being performed, and the team needs funding to conduct human trials in the future.

TriLite, based in Vienna, Austria, is raising a Series A extension round. TriLite designs and builds the world’s smallest projection displays with unprecedented size, weight and image quality. TriLite’s patented solutions are driven by proprietary software and deploy advanced machine-learning algorithms to generate ultra-compact laser beam scanning devices. This enables customers to accelerate the availability of leading-edge display solutions for mass-market AR applications.