UNOMR receives 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based start-up UNOMR has received an investment of 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick, according to a press release. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is developing a novel technology for single-molecule protein analysis. The aim is to make the high-resolution analysis of protein modifications widely accessible in medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research and food science, according to the press release.

Despite the growing need for precision medicine and targeted therapies, current proteomics methods often reach their limits when it comes to reliably detecting and characterizing individual protein changes, according to the press release. This would delay progress in drug development, diagnostics and new therapies, especially for diseases where early intervention is crucial. UNOMR addresses this problem with a patented serial nanopore sensor that can detect protein modifications at the single-molecule level.

According to Venture Kick, the global market for protein characterization has a volume of 21 billion dollars and is growing by 16 percent annually. More than three quarters of the applications are in the fields of life sciences, research and development, clinical diagnostics and food and beverages. UNOMR is working with customers in all these areas and is aiming for a market share of up to 50 percent with its new technology.

The ETH spin-off intends to invest the money from the Venture Kick program primarily in expanding the team in order to accelerate business development and make the technology available for initial customer tests within the next two years. ce/gba