Prometheus Life Technologies sets up its 1st EU office in Strasbourg, Eastern France

Prometheus Life Technologies is a Swiss biotech start-up from the University of Zurich, specialized in the development of organoids in space. The company has chosen Strasbourg for the location of its first European office, within the incubator of the International Space University (ISU), located in the Innovation Park of Strasbourg.

ORGANOIDS “MADE IN SPACE”, A PERSPECTIVE FOR FUTURE HEALTH RESEARCH AND THERAPIES

Space offers scientists extremely complex microgravity conditions to reproduce on Earth. However, microgravity allows cells to self-arrange in three dimensions, whereas on Earth it is necessary to introduce a scaffold or matrix composed of foreign materials to achieve the same result.

These microgravity conditions make it easier to create organoids, i. e. three-dimensional cell structures of differentiated organ tissues (e. g. liver cells). These organoids are currently in particular demand for biological testing, including preclinical drug testing or cosmetics.

Easier to cultivate, the organoids produced in space are also of a more homogeneous quality and better differentiated than those grown on Earth. As a result, they offer significant opportunities for the health research and therapies of the future.

PROMETHEUS, AN EXPERT COMPANY TO GROW ORGANOIDS IN SPACE

A Swiss start-up from the University of Zurich, Prometheus Life Technologies has proven technology to grow human tissue organoids in microgravity. Composed of the world’s leading experts in gravitational biology, the company offers services through the culture of organoids in space that enable the faster and more efficient production of stem cell therapies. The use of “Made in Space” can thus be complementary, or even be a substitute, to animal testing for preclinical trials of certain drugs.

Space-grown organoids may also find applications in the field of regenerative medicine. Indeed, these cellular structures can also be used to regenerate organ tissues. In the medium term, these cultures could lead to the creation of entire organ replacements through their use in bio-printing. Since the organoids grown by Prometheus Life Technologies are derived by differentiating mesenchymal stem cells from donors, the creation of personalized organoids for a specific donor could be considered, thus enabling so-called precision medicine.

THE CHOICE OF STRASBOURG FOR PROMETHEUS LIFE TECHNOLOGIES’ FIRST EU OFFICE

Raphaël Roettgen, Co-Founder and CEO of Prometheus Life Technologies, announced his decision to set up his first EU office within the ISU incubator, located in the Innovation Park of Strasbourg (in Illkirch-Graffenstaden), at a press conference held just before the first “Health in Space” seminar organized by the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg on 13 December.

“Strasbourg was a natural choice for Prometheus: as a biotech company, we appreciate its location in the heart of the Rhine “Biovalley” (a tri-national ecosystem unique in Europe in the field of Health) and its proximity to our headquarters in Switzerland. The region’s world-renowned education and research institutions, as well as locations of prominent life science companies, are natural potential partners and customers for Prometheus. Last but not least, Strasbourg is of course also home to the International Space University, which is the logical home for Prometheus as a space biotech company and of which I am an alumnus, lecturer, and governing member”. Raphael Roettgen, co-founder and CEO of Prometheus Life Technologies.

In Strasbourg, the company will start by locating its space operations function, which coordinates the start-up’s space missions to produce organoids. Prometheus also plans to locate its business development in Strasbourg to interact with potential customers and partners in the life science ecosystem of the Upper Rhine. In the medium term, some R&D or production activities may also be located in Strasbourg.

THE SUPPORT OF PROMETHEUS LIFE TECHNOLOGIES IN STRASBOURG

Supported by the International Space University and Invest Eastern France (the international investment promotion team of Grand E-Nov+, the Innovation and Foreign Direct Investment Agency of the Grand Est Region) in synergy with Adira, Prometheus Life Technologies has chosen to join the incubator of the International Space University, co-financed by the City of Strasbourg.

It will benefit from the support of BioValley France, the health sector competitiveness cluster in Eastern France, which will facilitate the identification of skills and possible collaborations in the field of the health research.

The start-up will also be able to benefit from the presence of partners of excellence at the Innovation Park of Strasbourg, with the presence of more than a dozen higher education institutions and research structures of international scope.

About Raphael Roettgen

Raphael Roettgen is CEO and co-founder of Prometheus Life Technologies, a space biotech startup that was the first startup to win the Orbital Reef innovation challenge. He is also the founder of E2MC Ventures, a space-focused early-stage venture capital firm.   He lectures on space entrepreneurship and finance at several universities including the International Space University (ISU) and the Swiss Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL), hosts the popular Space Business Podcast, and is the author of “To Infinity”, an introductory book on the space economy.  

Previously, Mr. Roettgen held senior roles at global investment banks and hedge funds and was also a fintech entrepreneur in Brazil. He holds degrees in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, in machine learning from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and in space studies from the International Space University, of which he is also a governing member. More information : Raphael Roettgen