Bionomous secures USD 2.7 million for the deployment of its automatic screening device
23.01.2023
The Venture Kick winner and Venture Leader Biotech has raised USD 2.7 million in a Series A funding round. The funds will allow the startup to scale production for global deployment of the EggSorter, an automatic screening and sorting device for small biological entities. We asked co-founder and CEO Frank Bonnet some questions about what this funding means for his startup.
 Bionomous co-founders Ana Hernando (COO) and Frank Bonnet (CEO)
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Founded in 2019, Bionomous has been developing the EggSorter, a device that automatically screens, sorts and dispenses small biological entities like the eggs of zebrafish, Xenopus oocytes and embryos, as well as plant seeds and more. The investment allows the startup to scale the production of the device and prepare for global deployment, as Bionomous is entering the commercialization phase of the EggSorter, with customers lined up in Europe, the US, and China.
The investment round was led by Nivalis Group, a Swiss Holding based in Villaz-St-Pierre, with participation from Cybernetix Ventures, a leading robotics-focused US venture capital firm based in Boston, and Capital Risque Fribourg, an early-stage investment company based in Fribourg. Fady Saad, Cybernetix Ventures Founder and Managing Partner, will join Bionomous' board of directors.
"I am particularly proud of our team to have reached several milestones on time, which has been the key factor in convincing our current and new investors to finance the next phase of our venture," said Bionomous CEO & co-founder Frank Bonnet in a statement. "We are also very grateful to our customers who trusted us by adopting our products in their early phase."
Over the past year, the startup concentrated its efforts on optimizing the EggSorter based on the feedback received from early adopters. Moreover, the new device obtained CE certification in December 2022 and is now ready to be deployed on the market. The EggSorter device consists of a rotary wheel that grabs the entities one by one, placing them in front of a camera for bright field or fluorescence imaging. The images are then processed and then dispensed into different output containers, depending on the classification and the criteria of a given project.
"Be focused on what the market and your customers want": Interview with CEO Frank Bonnet
How will the newly acquired funding help you realize your vision?
The funds will be used for two main purposes: product roll-out for the EggSorter, the main technology developed at Bionomous over the last few years and which is now ready to be commercialized, but also business development, as we want to expand our activities in the US market and develop new verticals for our technology, primarily focused on industry.
You won CHF 150,000 participating in Venture Kick in 2020. How did this help you lay the foundation for your company's growth?
This helped in several ways: the funding received helped us recruit key members of our core team, the pitches and kicker camps helped us improve our slide deck and our business plan, and, finally, winning Venture Kick has given us a lot of visibility and credibility with the ecosystem of Swiss investors.
What did you gain from your participation in Venture Leaders Biotech this year, and how did it affect your fundraising strategy?
The Venture Leaders was a fantastic experience, as we were able to learn hands-on how to fundraise in the US and also build our network within Boston's startup ecosystems. The experience acquired during this training and while pitching in front of prestigious venture capital funds was very beneficial during the discussions with the American investors who joined us in this round of funding.
Do you have any advice for entrepreneurs launching biotech and/or robotics ventures in Switzerland?
Be focused on what the market and your customers want, and be positive and passionate no matter the situation, because the entrepreneurial and life experience is exceptional at all stages.
Bionomous' team
Bionomous was awarded CHF 150,000 by Venture Kick in 2020. The startup was also chosen to participate in the Venture Leaders Biotech roadshow in Boston in 2022, which introduces Swiss biotech entrepreneurs to top investors in the sector.
The investment round was led by Nivalis Group, a Swiss Holding based in Villaz-St-Pierre, with participation from Cybernetix Ventures, a leading robotics-focused US venture capital firm based in Boston, and Capital Risque Fribourg, an early-stage investment company based in Fribourg. Fady Saad, Cybernetix Ventures Founder and Managing Partner, will join Bionomous' board of directors."I am particularly proud of our team to have reached several milestones on time, which has been the key factor in convincing our current and new investors to finance the next phase of our venture," said Bionomous CEO & co-founder Frank Bonnet in a statement. "We are also very grateful to our customers who trusted us by adopting our products in their early phase."
Over the past year, the startup concentrated its efforts on optimizing the EggSorter based on the feedback received from early adopters. Moreover, the new device obtained CE certification in December 2022 and is now ready to be deployed on the market. The EggSorter device consists of a rotary wheel that grabs the entities one by one, placing them in front of a camera for bright field or fluorescence imaging. The images are then processed and then dispensed into different output containers, depending on the classification and the criteria of a given project.
"Be focused on what the market and your customers want": Interview with CEO Frank Bonnet
How will the newly acquired funding help you realize your vision?
The funds will be used for two main purposes: product roll-out for the EggSorter, the main technology developed at Bionomous over the last few years and which is now ready to be commercialized, but also business development, as we want to expand our activities in the US market and develop new verticals for our technology, primarily focused on industry.
You won CHF 150,000 participating in Venture Kick in 2020. How did this help you lay the foundation for your company's growth?
This helped in several ways: the funding received helped us recruit key members of our core team, the pitches and kicker camps helped us improve our slide deck and our business plan, and, finally, winning Venture Kick has given us a lot of visibility and credibility with the ecosystem of Swiss investors.
What did you gain from your participation in Venture Leaders Biotech this year, and how did it affect your fundraising strategy?
The Venture Leaders was a fantastic experience, as we were able to learn hands-on how to fundraise in the US and also build our network within Boston's startup ecosystems. The experience acquired during this training and while pitching in front of prestigious venture capital funds was very beneficial during the discussions with the American investors who joined us in this round of funding.
Do you have any advice for entrepreneurs launching biotech and/or robotics ventures in Switzerland?
Be focused on what the market and your customers want, and be positive and passionate no matter the situation, because the entrepreneurial and life experience is exceptional at all stages.
Bionomous' team
Bionomous was awarded CHF 150,000 by Venture Kick in 2020. The startup was also chosen to participate in the Venture Leaders Biotech roadshow in Boston in 2022, which introduces Swiss biotech entrepreneurs to top investors in the sector.