July 31, 2023 | News & Notices CVC Fund “Shimadzu Future Innovation Fund” has invested in IMMUNOSENS Co., Ltd., developing immunoassay technology.
On July 26, Shimadzu Corporation invested in IMMNUNOSENS Co., Ltd. (IMMUNOSENS) which has a proprietary immunoassay technology through the Shimadzu Future Innovation Fund (Shimadzu FIF), a corporate venture capital (CVC) fund. The company is a start-up from Osaka University aiming at social implementation of the Gold Linked Electrochemical Immuno Assay (GLEIA), an immunoassay developed by Eiichi Tamiya, a specially appointed professor at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, by combining immune and electrochemical reactions.
POCT (Point of Care Testing) * is attracting attention as it contributes to the testing of infectious diseases, early detection of lifestyle-related diseases, and prevention of diseases. In POCT, there are two types of tests, one is a simple test kit and the other is a large testing machine. The former is simple and inexpensive, but there are problems with sensitivity and quantitation, and the latter, which can be accurately measured, requires to be outsourced by a hospital that does not have equipment. IMMUNOSENS’s "GLEIA" is a small instrument that achieves the same high sensitivity as a large precise testing machine. Therefore, it is expected to be applied not only in clinical practice but also in emergency testings at disaster sites and waterfront measures against infectious diseases.
Shimadzu has contributed on the clinical diagnosis business, focusing on analysis equipment and diagnostic imaging equipment. Shimadzu FIF has invested in IMMUNOSENS, which has the potential of proprietary immunoassay "GLEIA". With this investment, Shimadzu will support the IMMUNOSENS’s business and contribute to the development of the clinical diagnosis field.
- *On-the-spot, real-time testing
About IMMUNOSENS
| Name | ： | IMMUNOSENS Co., Ltd. |
| CEO | ： | Hirokazu Sugihara |
| Location | ： | Suita City, Osaka Pref. |
| Founded | ： | January 2018 |
| URL | ： | https://immunosens.com/ |
About Shimadzu FIF
| Name | ： | Shimadzu Future Innovation Investment L.P. |
| Founded | ： | April 2023 |
| Fund Size | ： | JPY 5 billion |
| Fund Term | ： | 10 years |
| Target Stage | ： | Seed Early, but also Middle and later in the growth phase |
| Investment Fields | ： | Healthcare, Green Transformation (GX), Materials, Industry |
| General Partner | ： | Global Brain Corporation |
| Limited Partner | ： | Shimadzu Corporation |