The Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) and the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) are investing in Smartbax. The Munich-based company has raised a total of €1.9 million to date. The company plans to use the new capital to advance its preclinical studies in the research of small-molecule antibiotics and expand its scientific team. The goal is to further develop its research platforms and find new solutions against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
“The innovative mechanisms of action researched by Smartbax can open up new avenues in the fight against serious bacterial infections.”
Multidrug-resistant infections are responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide each year. Smartbax aims to develop new approaches for treating these pathogens. The company was founded in 2021 by Robert Macsics, Marco Janezic, and Stephan Sieber and supported by initial seed funding of €700,000 from the BIVF. The company's scientific foundation is based on research findings from Stephan Sieber's research group at the Technical University of Munich. Angelika Vlachou, partner at HTGF, says:
"The innovative mechanisms of action researched by Smartbax can open up new avenues for combating serious bacterial infections. The approach also appears promising for overcoming existing resistance mechanisms and makes the rapid spread of new resistance unlikely. I am pleased that we can accompany the scientifically strong team at Smartbax on its journey to address a highly relevant societal challenge."
