Breaking Boundaries in Drug Development: Laigo Bio Raises €11.5 Million to Enhance SureTAC Protein Degradation Technology

Laigo Bio, a pioneering company based in Utrecht, is leading the way in developing innovative therapies using its unique SureTAC precision membrane protein degradation platform. Recently, the company successfully secured €11.5 million in Seed financing, with Kurma Partners and Curie Capital co-leading the funding round. Other investors included Argobio Studio, Angelini Ventures, Eurazeo, the Oncode Bridge Fund, ROM Utrecht region, and Cancer Research Horizons.

The origins of Laigo Bio can be traced back to Argobio, a French Biotech startup studio that was established in 2021 with a commitment of €50 million to create and develop groundbreaking therapeutic spinouts in areas such as oncology, immunology, rare diseases, and neurological disorders.

Dr. Matthew Baker, the Chief Executive Officer of Laigo Bio, expressed his excitement about the Seed funding, emphasizing the potential of their approach in selectively degrading membrane-bound targets associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

In 2025, several European startups focusing on immunology, inflammation, and immuno-oncology also secured funding, indicating ongoing investment activity in these sectors. For example, Graph Therapeutics from Austria raised €3 million in pre-Seed financing for its AI-enabled inflammation and immunology drug-discovery platform.

Laigo Bio, with its €11.5 million Seed round, joins a select group of European companies working on next-generation immunology and oncology technologies. Dr. Baker highlighted the company’s focus on achieving key preclinical milestones and advancing their lead programs towards early clinical evaluation.

The company, founded by the Oncode Institute, the Oncode Bridge Fund, and Argobio Studio, is leveraging E3 ligase internalization for the selective degradation of membrane-bound targets involved in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Their proprietary SureTAC platform utilizes bispecific antibodies to target specific E3 ligase and disease-causing proteins for degradation with high specificity.

The SureTAC technology, developed by Prof. Madelon Maurice’s laboratory at the UMC Utrecht, offers a promising approach for targeting disease drivers that were previously considered ‘undruggable’. Thierry Laugel, Chairman of the Management Board of Argobio and Managing Partner at Kurma Partners, expressed enthusiasm for supporting Laigo Bio’s innovative technology platform.

Laigo Bio plans to use the funding to advance its SureTAC oncology programs and accelerate the development of therapeutic programs for autoimmune and immunology indications. The company has shown promising results in its oncology programs, demonstrating efficacy and selectivity in targeting diseased tissue while minimizing toxicity.

Additionally, Laigo Bio announced the appointment of Dr. Matthew Baker as its CEO, further solidifying its leadership in the field. Mariëtte Roesink, Managing Partner of Curie Capital, commended the company’s unique platform technology for addressing specific therapeutic targets in diseases with high unmet medical needs.

In conclusion, Laigo Bio’s innovative approach to targeted protein degradation holds great promise for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. With a strong focus on advancing its programs and collaborating with pharmaceutical partners, the company is well-positioned to deliver transformative therapies for patients in need.