Immitra Bio receives CHF 40,000 from Venture Kick to advance scalable in vivo gene therapy

What was the first real signal that your solution worked outside the lab or pitch deck, and what did that moment change for you?

Our journey started in academia, where we showed the technology worked at the molecular level and identified a clear path to correcting anemia at its root. Translating this work into patient benefit became the natural next step behind the founding of Immitra Bio.

The real signal came when we started pitching to investors. As we walked them through our proof-of-concept data and development plan, something clicked. Others saw what we saw and backed us not only with capital, but with active engagement. At that point, the idea grew beyond just us and started to gain real momentum.


Can you briefly describe your project and where it stood when you entered Venture Kick?

We are an academic spin-off developing a new approach to genetic medicines for blood disorders. Today’s blood stem cell therapies rely on ex vivo correction, involving stem cell extraction, intensive chemotherapy, long hospital stays, and highly complex manufacturing. While potentially curative, these treatments cause severe side effects, are costly, and remain inaccessible to most patients.

Our approach enables gene correction directly in the patient’s body, without chemotherapy or prolonged treatment, offering a scalable, off-the-shelf solution designed for broad access. We started with limited funding and around ten months of runway. When we entered Venture Kick, we were finalizing our pre-seed round and approaching a critical point. Venture Kick came at exactly the right time, helping us build momentum, attract investors from the jury, and ultimately exceed our funding goal. We now plan to close our oversubscribed pre-seed round by the end of Q1.


Immitra Bio Co-Founders: Jan Nelis (CEO), Prof. Jacob Corn (Scientific Advisor), and Amir Taheri (CSO)

How has the direction of your product/service/product strategy changed since working with the Venture Kick Team?

Venture Kick played a key role during a very challenging phase. Within less than two months, we not only reached our financing target but also generated strong interest in oversubscribing the round.

The visibility, credibility, and validation from Venture Kick led to direct inbound interest from investors who resonated with our vision. This had an immediate and tangible impact on our momentum. We also benefited from hands-on advice in refining our pitch and presentation, which proved crucial in successfully closing the round.


How will the Stage 2 funding help you advance your project concretely?

With our financing round now closed, we are fully focused on advancing our preclinical programs. Venture Kick Stage 2 funding supports a significant portion of our experimental consumables, which are essential to maintain development speed and data quality.

It also enables our participation in key scientific conferences and fundraising events, helping us build visibility and prepare for our next financing round planned for next year. At this stage, Venture Kick continues to act as a strong catalyst for execution and growth.