Helsinki-based medtech startup Solid IO has secured €800K in funding from Nordic Science Investments, BSV Ventures, Helsinki University Funds, and a private European investor. The company is developing patient-specific organ-on-chip technology to model tumor behavior and predict treatment responses in real time. The funding will support further development of the platform, aiming to improve treatment selection in immunotherapy and oncology drug development. Solid IO’s approach could help clinicians reduce trial-and-error in cancer treatment while providing pharmaceutical companies with more precise data for clinical trials.
Solid IO’s tumor-on-chip platform replicates the patient’s tumor microenvironment, generating high-accuracy, real-time data on how individual cancers respond to immunotherapies and combination treatments. By integrating bioengineering, organ-on-chip technology, the platform helps clinicians select the most effective therapy from day one, improving patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary side effects.
“Every cancer patient deserves a treatment plan based on their unique biology, adapting throughout the treatment journey,” said Noora Hujala, CEO and co-founder of Solid IO. “We are eliminating trial-and-error in cancer immunotherapy by bringing patient-specific tumor models into clinical use – this is the next evolution in precision oncology.”
Beyond improving personalized patient care, Solid IO’s platform is a game-changer for clinical trials and pharmaceutical R&D. The technology offers early patient stratification, biomarker validation, and treatment-response modeling, helping pharmaceutical companies reduce trial timelines, optimize patient selection, and accelerate the development of new immuno-oncology drugs.
“Organoids and organ-on-a-chip technology are transforming drug testing. Solid IO provides patient-specific insights in immuno-oncology, and we’re very proud to back this team, whose expertise is truly unique,” says Alexandra Gylfe, Partner at Nordic Science Investments.
Sandra Golbreich, Partner at BSV Ventures, added: “Despite all the advances in medicine, for too long we’ve relied on educated guesses in cancer treatment. It’s time to move on from uncertainty to real data, and from data to life-saving precision. Solid IO brings a new level of conscious, careful rigour to personalizing treatment for patients unlike any solution we’ve seen. This has a real world impact on people’s lives. We’re glad to partner with NSI on backing such a cutting-edge team.”
Solid IO was born out of a shared vision to transform cancer care through precision medicine. CSO, Dr. Haikala’s research together with Bassel Alsaed and a research team at the University of Helsinki focused on tumor-immune interactions, revealing the urgent need for patient-specific models that could guide real-world treatment decisions. CEO, Noora Hujala, with a background in commercial leadership roles in pharma and health care, got excited about the potential of turning this research into a clinically impactful solution. Together with the core team, they formed Solid IO, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and biotech experts to push the boundaries of organ-on-chip technology.
“The possibility to predict individual patient responses to immunotherapies before treatment is a game-changer,” said Dr. Haikala. “By replicating how real tumors interact with the immune system, we are bridging the gap between research and clinical application – bringing us closer to truly personalized oncology.”
“What started as a research project has evolved into a company with the potential to impact millions of lives,” added Hujala. “We built Solid IO to bridge the gap between lab discoveries and clinical application – ensuring that every cancer treatment decision is based on real, patient specific data.”
A shared mission to end the guesswork in cancer care, the Solid IO team is engaging with leading research institutions and global pharma and biotech partners to accelerate the clinical adoption of tumor-on-chip technology, paving the way for a new era of precision oncology and immunotherapy.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/solid-io-raises-e800k/
