Belfast-based HealthTech startup SignaCor Therapeutics has €288k (£250k) in funding from VC firm Zinc in order to advance the development of a new treatment designed to repair heart damage and slow the progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Today’s investment is part of the winning package for being named the winner of Discovery Park’s startup growth programme for innovations in cardiovascular health. It will form part of a €1.1 million (£1 million) Seed round expected to close in April.
Darach Neeson, CEO at SignaCor, says: “The Spark programme’s content was exceptional – value-filled insights from UK life science industry experts and meaningful investor engagement. The lessons learned have influenced our strategy, and we would absolutely recommend it to other founders. We are excited to now join Zinc’s portfolio of innovative life science companies. This funding will allow us to execute our Phase 2a trial plans and advance our regulatory strategy, bringing us closer to delivering a new treatment for patients with limited treatment options.”
Analysis shows continued investor activity across the cardiovascular innovation space, spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, and AI-driven cardiology tools, providing context to SignaCor’s funding and aim.
In one of the largest rounds, NanoPhoria Bioscience, a Milan-based BioTech company, secured €83.5 million in a Series A to advance its lung-to-heart drug delivery platform and progress a heart-failure therapeutic candidate into early clinical development. In the UK, Oxford-based Ultromics raised €48 million in a Series C to scale its AI-powered echocardiography platform designed to detect complex forms of heart failure earlier, including HFpEF and cardiac amyloidosis. Meanwhile in France, Bordeaux-based DESKi secured €5.2 million in Seed funding to support the international rollout and development of its AI-driven cardiac imaging software, HeartFocus.
Taken together, these announcements represent over €136 million in funding across the European cardiovascular innovation sector in 2025–2026. Although the companies span different approaches – from therapeutics to imaging and diagnostic AI – the rounds illustrate continued investment interest in technologies addressing cardiovascular disease.
Within this context, the €288k investment in Belfast-based SignaCor Therapeutics, part of a €1.1 million Seed round, reflects ongoing support for early-stage companies developing new treatments for heart conditions.
Programme Lead Renos Savva, Head of Innovation and Venture Development at Discovery Park, adds: “SignaCor’s success is a testament to what’s possible when you combine scientific rigour with the right support network. Discovery Spark is designed to bridge the gap between a great idea and a credible business, and seeing that translate into real investment is enormously rewarding. The cardiovascular space is ripe for innovation, and we’re proud that Discovery Spark is helping to drive it forward.”
Founded in 2024, SignaCor is a clinical stage, drug development company, spun-out from Queen’s University Belfast, dedicated to the treatment of cardiac disease.
They are developing medicines for HCM, where thickening of the heart muscle makes it harder for blood to be pumped around the body. According to the company, this genetically inherited cardiac disorder affects around 1 in 500 people in the UK.
Led by CEO Darach Neeson and CSO Dr Chris Watson, SignaCor is working on a new first-in-class treatment to reverse heart damage and prevent further deterioration of heart muscles.
SignaCor aims to address the underlying disease pathology for the first time, leading to better quality of life and longer life expectancies for patients.
Natalie Pankova, Partner, Health and Life Science at Zinc, says: “Zinc’s partnership with Discovery Spark helped surface some really exciting companies capable of delivering meaningful advances for patient impact, and we’re thrilled to have been able to make this investment in SignaCor. Cardiovascular disease continues to represent one of the greatest unmet challenges in global health.
The company is pioneering a first-in-class therapeutic approach to symptomatic HCM – one that goes beyond symptom management to target the underlying disease pathology.
According to the company, ‘Cardiaza’ is the first and only treatment that harnesses DNA methylation to address multiple underlying causes of symptomatic HCM, including established fibrosis, a key driver of disease progression.
“What stood out about SignaCor was the strength of the science combined with a clear, executable path to clinical impact. SignaCor’s progress and success through the programme demonstrates the power of combining science with the right venture and ecosystem support,” adds Natalie.
The funding was delivered through Discovery Spark, a business growth programme for founders working in life sciences, with specialist-led sessions and mentoring spread over seven weeks. A cohort of eight promising cardiovascular and cardiometabolic companies took part, culminating in a pitch day with investors at Zinc’s London offices at the end of 2025.
SignaCor was recognised as the overall winner for their standout pitch presentation, experienced team and clear market need.
As the fifth iteration of the Spark programme, the cohort’s focus on heart health was selected for its high burden on lives, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for 1 in 4 of all deaths in the UK.
A sixth cohort of Discovery Spark is starting in mid-March, with an open tech focus.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/03/driving-progress-in-cardiovascular-health-signacor-therapeutics-lands-e288k-investment-as-pat-of-e1-1-million-seed-round/
