Democratizing cell and gene therapy
ASTRAVEUS' success story is a perfect illustration of the positive impact of a fruitful collaboration with the MEARY Center.
Founded in 2016, this deep tech start-up has benefited from grants from BPI France and the European Commission. Specialized in high-capacity microfluidic bioprocess units and automated modular bioproduction instrumentation, ASTRAVEUS has been able to count on the support of the MEARY Center over the past two years.
Thanks to the facilities, advice, expertise and environment provided by MEARY Center, ASTRAVEUS has been able to carry out joint validation activities. This collaboration proved decisive in moving ASTRAVEUS technology from its initial prototypes to a prototype adapted in a GMP environment. In addition, it enabled the ASTRAVEUS team to focus on the challenges and expectations of the market, thus strengthening their positioning.
ASTRAVEUS could showcase the high precision and modularity of its technology, underlining its potential to optimize manufacturing processes and thus contribute to the advancement of biomanufacturing. Thanks to feedback and advice from the MEARY Center, ASTRAVEUS was able to adapt its solution to meet the requirements of clinical batch manufacturing, including simplification, cost reduction through intensification, increased automation and consideration of quality control constraints.
Collaboration with the MEARY Center was essential in validating ASTRAVEUS' technology.
The ecosystem from which ASTRAVEUS benefits, integrated into a university hospital and research campus, and the link with the MEARY Centre, have played an important role in financing the start-up. This is evidenced by a €2.3 million grant obtained in 2021, in partnership with INSERM and the MEARY Center, for the application of their technology to CAR-T cells manufacturing. This grant will enable a large-scale demonstration of CAR-T cell manufacturing.
In addition, ASTRAVEUS successfully raised €16.5 million, attracting strong interest from well-known national and international funds.
ASTRAVEUS is an excellent example of how the MEARY Center supports companies in maturing their technology, validating it in a real-life environment and in line with industry standards, while convincing investors of their ability to turn their ideas into successful businesses.
