Cellbox Labs, a Riga-based biotechnology company, has secured €3.3 million in non-dilutive funding to further develop its organ-on-chip technologies. The funding—partly provided through the EU’s IPCEI Tech4Cure initiative—will support several projects, including the validation of a scalable, patient-specific gut-on-chip system in collaboration with Altis Biosystems, integration of real-time O₂ and pH sensors, benchmarking biosimilar GLP-1 drugs on pancreatic islet models, and the creation of digital twin models for in vitro–in vivo translation in partnership with ESQlabs and MPSlabs. These developments aim to enhance the platform’s relevance for pharmaceutical, nutrition, and biosimilar testing applications.
Cellbox Labs develops organ-on-chip systems designed to replicate key functions of human organs in vitro. Founded in 2020, the company focuses on creating microengineered models—such as gut, pancreas, and blood-brain barrier chips—that integrate biological components with sensor-enabled platforms. These models aim to support applications in drug discovery, toxicology, and microbiome research by providing alternatives to animal testing and enabling more physiologically relevant data.
Cellbox Labs’ technology includes a PDMS-free gut-on-chip system, controlled gas environments for hypoxia conditions, and modular automation for increased throughput. The company collaborates with academic and industry partners to explore the translational potential of its platforms in pharmaceutical and biomedical research.
Additional priorities include integrating oxygen and pH sensors into all organ-on-chip assays to enable real-time data collection without additional hardware, reflecting a broader industry trend toward high-resolution experimental data for AI-driven drug discovery. The company will also conduct benchmarking studies for GLP-1 biosimilars using its pancreatic islet-on-chip model, comparing results under dynamic flow conditions with static and animal-based data.
In collaboration with ESQlabs and MPSlabs, Cellbox Labs plans to develop digital twin models that simulate drug absorption and response. These in silico systems will be used to improve in vitro–in vivo translation (IVIVE) and increase the predictive value of their platforms for human biology.
The funding includes support from the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in healthcare, under the Tech4Cure initiative, which aims to enhance the EU’s industrial resilience in life sciences. The roadmap for these developments aligns with recent regulatory shifts, including the FDA’s plan to phase out mandatory animal testing and new NIH requirements promoting computer modeling and organ-on-chip technologies in federally funded research.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/cellbox-labs-raises-e3-3-million/
