Basel, Switzerland · Startup Araris Biotech is a Basel-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2020 as a spin-out from the Paul Scherrer Institute and ETH Zurich. The company develops a proprietary antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker technology that enables precise attachment of cytotoxic payloads to standard, unmodified antibodies for targeted cancer therapy — unlike conventional ADC approaches that require chemical modification of the antibody itself. This plug-and-play technology gives pharma partners a faster, cleaner path to next-generation ADC cancer treatments. Araris raised a CHF 36 million Series A in 2023 led by V-Bio Ventures, with participation from Novartis Venture Fund and Pfizer Ventures. The company represents Switzerland's strength in precision medicine and its deep integration between academic research institutes and commercially focused biotech.
Warsaw, Poland · Startup Biotech drug-discovery company developing PKL-021, a small-molecule MMP inhibitor program for acute neuroprotection after stroke and traumatic brain injury, with additional applications in field-ready snakebite treatment.
Budapest, Hungary · Startup Turbine is a Budapest-based biotech company using AI-powered simulated cell technology to accelerate drug discovery and identify novel cancer treatment combinations. The platform creates virtual cell models that simulate how cancer cells respond to different drug interventions, helping pharmaceutical companies identify promising candidates faster and with fewer costly wet-lab experiments. Turbine has partnered with major pharma companies and raised significant funding to expand its simulated biology platform. The company is a standout example of deep-tech life sciences innovation emerging from Hungary and one of the most technically ambitious AI-for-drug-discovery startups in Central Europe.
Yerevan, Armenia · Support Organization YerevaNN is a non-profit machine learning and AI research laboratory established in 2016, operating independently from commercial projects and funded by private donations and research grants. The lab collaborates with institutions including the University of Southern California and the Institute of Molecular Biology in Armenia, with active research into drug discovery via molecule generation, computer vision, and clinical AI. It has produced over 85 scientific publications and is a recognized node of the Armenian AI research community.