German nanotech specialist invests in Singapore

Nanostart AG, a nanotechnology investment company based in Germany, is to invest in Singapore-based Curiox Biosystems, taking a 16.5 percent stake in the start-up, which is a spin-off from Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Curiox has a patented technology platform in miniaturised aqueous bioassays for use in drug discovery and other life sciences applications. The technology allows researchers to conduct bioassays significantly faster and cheaper with less material, while maintaining the same level of flexibility and convenience as conventional platforms. It reduces the amount of material and reagent required by up to a thousand times, while simultaneously reducing reaction time by ten times.

This will cut the time needed to run certain tests by more than 60 percent and reduce the cost of consumables by nearly 90 percent.

The investment in Curiox is Nanostart’s first in Asia. It is acting as the lead investor and is thus assuming an active role in the ongoing development of the company.

“Our new investment holding, Curiox, is our first step into the highly promising Asian market,” explained Marco Beckmann, CEO of Nanostart AG.

“Singapore has established an outstanding position for itself in Asia in nanotechnology. Through our investment in Curiox, we aim to directly participate in the dynamic growth of this region.” Beckmann added that further investments in Asia will follow.

Boon Swan Foo, Executive Chairman of Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd, the marketing and commercialisation arm of A*STAR, said, “We are very excited that the technologies from A*STAR have received such strong interest from Europe, and more so to have Nanostart as a partner to help Exploit Technologies realise the full commercial potential of Curiox. This is a very good beginning and we look forward to more collaborations with Nanostart.”

Singapore's IBN, from which Curiox was spun-off, is headed by Jackie Yi-Ru Ying. She is among the world's leading experts in nanotechnology, and is one of the youngest ever to be named a full professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston prior to joining IBN. She will hold a seat on the company's board of directors along with a representative from Nanostart AG.

Curiox will be headed by Namyong Kim, who was the leader of the IBN research team that developed the new bioassay technology. Kim began his career as a chemist at Agilent Technologies in the US and received his doctorate from MIT.