Aenitis Secures Strategic Funding to Redefine Bioproduction with Sole-In-Class Acoustofluidic Technology

Aenitis Secures Strategic Funding to Redefine Bioproduction with Sole-In-Class Acoustofluidic Technology

• Aenitis is set to transform the bioproduction industry by addressing the increasing need for scalable, cost-effective, and highly precise cell processing technologies.

• Mitis™, the flagship product of its unique Acoustofluidic Technology, is already used across various applications, from research to clinical and industrial scales, including cell sorting, isolation, concentration, and washing.
• Funding round led by the European Innovation Council Fund, Quadrivium I fund (Seventure Partners) and Mifani Invest to support commercial launch and global expansion.

Paris, France, October 10, 2024 – Aenitis Technologies, a pioneer in acoustic-based cell manipulation, has successfully closed its equity financing with the European Innovation Council Fund advised by the European Investment Bank, Quadrivium I fund managed by Seventure Partners, Mifani Invest, Stamos, Weaving Invest, a few business angels and the company founders, marking a significant milestone in the deeptech sector. The funding, secured in a two-stage round, will drive the company's innovative acoustofluidic technology towards commercial launch and global expansion.

Since its inception, Aenitis has raised a total of €14.5 million in both equity funding and in non-dilutive funding. Supported by public authorities and the European Innovation Council, being one of the few European players to receive an equity-only support under an EIC Accelerator call, the company remains committed to advancing bioproduction processes and delivering high-quality solutions for cell therapy and biomanufacturing.

The funds provided by the investors and the final tranches of non-dilutive funding will be used to prepare for the commercial launch of Aenitis, demonstrate specific new use cases in collaboration with key users, and establish distribution channels, initially in Europe, followed by the US and then selected Asian markets. In addition, the funds will be used to support the final stages of technology development, improve production lines and refine the already CE-marked Mitis™ for market readiness.

Among the newcomers to the Company's Strategic Board, Eric Garnier, former Vice President and General Manager of Pall Medical, joins the Strategic Board as Independent Chairman and will be instrumental in accelerating revenue and profit growth and establishing new partnerships. In addition, Michel Spagnol will represent Mifani Invest and bring his expertise and network, notably as former Chairman and CEO of Novasep, which will help structure the Company.

Emmanuel Vincent, CEO of Aenitis, commented: “Our consortium of investors provides not only significant funding, but also valuable expertise and a network that will help shape the company. Their involvement is critical to Aenitis' success, positioning us for a successful market launch with Mitis™ and future growth while driving innovation in the field of bioproduction”.

Michel Spagnol, new Strategic Board member, representing Mifani Invest, added:
“I am impressed by Aenitis' technology, which offers significant advantages for biomanufacturing, including increased yields, reduced processing costs and improved cell quality. It is highly valuable for cell therapy and other cell-based applications where precision and gentleness are critical. I look forward to joining Aenitis' Strategic Board and contributing to its success.”

Reflecting on the strategic importance of the investment, Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, noted, “This investment is important for the European biomanufacturing sector. We are happy to support Aenitis' technology using acoustic waves to manipulate cells with unmatched precision and gentleness, which is poised to set new standards. The company represents the innovative and disruptive potential that the EIC actively promotes. This investment underlines our confidence in their ability to effect meaningful change and drive innovation on a global scale.”

Setting New Standards for Biotech Manufacturing

Bioproduction is a cornerstone of modern healthcare and biotechnology, enabling the efficient production of therapeutic cells and biologics. As the industry faces growing demand for scalable and cost-effective solutions, Aenitis is set to address these challenges with its groundbreaking technology. A spin-off from CNRS and ESPCI Paris, co-founded by Emmanuel Vincent, Mauricio Hoyos and Jean-Luc Aider, the company has developed a platform based on acoustic levitation in flow that enables gentle, non-invasive manipulation of cells at the millifluidic scale, allowing tens of millilitres per minute to be handled. This patented technology uses acoustic waves to levitate cells without physical contact, minimizing mechanical stress and preserving cell viability and functionality. This high-precision approach enhances yields, reduces costs, and improves cell quality, advancing the fields of cell therapy and biomanufacturing.

Aenitis is Leading the Way in Innovating Bioproduction

Aenitis has a robust portfolio of patents covering its technology, including exclusive licenses and patents in key global markets, underscoring the breadth and strength of our intellectual property in this field. We are currently completing development, optimizing production lines and refining our offerings to meet the highest standards.
Our technology offers significant advantages for biomanufacturing, including increased recovery yields, reduced processing costs and improved cell quality. It is particularly valuable in cell therapy and other cell-based applications where precision and gentleness are critical. By addressing the key challenges of scaling up production and ensuring high quality results, Aenitis is poised to become a leading player in the bioproduction and cell therapy markets.

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About AENITIS

Aenitis designs, develops, and markets sole-in-class acoustofluidic technology that makes cell and gene therapy manufacturing better, safer, and less expensive. By precisely controlling levitated cells with sound waves, our systems handle cells in full sterile conditions, radically increasing productivity while preserving the native state of cells at every step of the engineering process.

Today, we have achieved proof-of-concept for our contact-free & label-free proprietary technology across multiple cell types and processes. Mitis™, our flagship product, is already used for a wide range of applications, including cell sorting, isolation, concentration, and washing, from research to clinical and industrial scale.

Co-founded by pioneers of acoustic levitation and fluid mechanics, along with a biotech entrepreneur, the company benefits from the support of the European Commission and the French Government, as well as the commitment of leading investors, notably the European Investment Bank and Seventure Partners.

www.aenitis.fr

About the European Innovation Council Fund

The EIC Fund has been established by the European Commission as the venture arm of the European Innovation Council. It aims to fill a critical financing gap, and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players. The European Investment Bank acts as investment adviser to the EIC Fund.

The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders, to reducing the innovation divide among EU countries and to the role of innovation toward climate action.

https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-fund_en

About Seventure Partners

Seventure Partners is a long-term equity investor that actively supports innovative companies aiming at generating positive impact on humankind, society, sustainability and the planet. With circa 1 billion of euros of net commitments under management as of end of June 2024, Seventure is a leading venture capital firm in Europe investing since 1997 in innovative businesses with high growth potential in 2 main areas: 1) Life Sciences: biotech, health & digital Health, nutrition, foodtech, blue economy, aquaculture, animal & agriculture, sport & wellness with a specific interest for microbiome-related innovations across Europe, Israel, Asia and North America; 2) Digital Technologies in Western Europe.

Seventure promotes the development of companies from inception (seed, venture) to later stage (growth, crossover, IPO) with deployed capital ranging from €500k to €10m per round and up to €20m per company. With Health for Life Capital™ funds (€160m and €250m commitments respectively in 2 vehicles) and its co-investment funds, Seventure is a worldwide leader in microbiome investments with more than 20 microbiome companies in its portfolio to date.

www.seventure.fr www.seventure.fr

About Mifani-Invest

Mifani-Invest is a family office headquartered in Charbonnières, France, created by Dr. Michel Spagnol in 2022. Mifani-Invest primary focus is on healthcare investment with a current portfolio of more than 10 companies at different stages of developments (seed venture to capital growth). The family office is dedicated to developing innovative companies with positive impact while supporting their management team in the transition.

About Weaving Invest

Founded in 2016, Weaving Invest specializes in acquiring shares in innovative companies focused on transformation and the creation of products or services that facilitate the daily lives of businesses and peoples. Its investments are dedicated to strengthening the equity of the companies it supports by providing strategic assistance to drive their growth. Weaving Invest is a subsidiary of Weaving Group, benefiting from the rich experience of a family-owned group established in 1983, which encompasses several iconic brands in various sectors: digital communication (Dagobert), agri-food (La Chambre), transportation and travel (GoFast Freight Forwarding, GoFast Travel, Helifirst), as well as a real estate fund (Weaving Properties). Weaving Invest thus brings a cross-sectoral vision and multi-sector expertise to its investments.

http://www.weaving-group.com/