Copenhagen-based BioTech startup Fuse Vectors announces €4.9 million in pre-Seed financing to innovate gene therapy development with its cell-free viral vector technology.
The funding includes investment from HCVC and support from BioInnovation Institute, EIFO, and Innovation Fund.
“Fuse Vectors’ cell-free Fuse Technology offers significant improvements, reducing production time and costs while enhancing vector quality to meet patients’ unmet needs,” said Benjamin Blaha, Co-founder of Fuse Vectors. “The enzymatic AAV capsid filling process eliminates cell-based AAV production, using efficient technologies storing components in a module library. This allows on-demand, controlled biocatalytic reactions to fill capsids and works across all serotypes.”
Founded in 2022 by Benjamin Blaha, Jordan Turnbull, and Henrik Stage, the Fuse Vectors story began with the identification of the limitations of current drug development technologies. Despite the complexity of viral vectors, the industry has been relying on retrofitted manufacturing technologies from the 1980s and 1990s – according to Fuse Vectors.
As the founders describe it, traditional methods are like “tossing LEGO bricks into a tumble dryer and hoping houses emerge.”
According to the company, gene therapy’s biggest obstacle isn’t science – it is manufacturing. While the field races forward with breakthrough treatments, production remains “stuck in the 1980s“, relying on unpredictable cell-based methods that make therapies costly and slow to develop.
Instead of relying on living cells’ unpredictable behavior, Fuse’s technology assembles viral vectors through controlled biochemical reactions. This approach allows for precision, reportedly achieving over 99% filled capsids synthesised in hours rather than weeks.
Partners simply provide a gene sequence, and Fuse’s streamlined process packages it into an AAV vector – allowing for a faster, higher-quality development with minimal setup.
The platform’s modular nature enables rapid optimisation through multi-parallel prototyping, reportedly making it more efficient than traditional methods.
“This investment from HCVC is a pivotal step for Fuse Vectors, bringing our pre-seed financing to €5 million,” said Henrik Stage, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Fuse Vectors. “We are excited to work towards our vision of making gene therapy more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible, and are grateful for the early support and financing received from BioInnovation Institute, EIFO and Innovation Fund during our ideation and start-up phase.“
Currently in alpha testing, Fuse Vectors is collaborating with over half a dozen partners – from academic research groups to leading pharmaceutical companies.
The company plans two commercialization strategies: partnering with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic institutions to optimise drug candidates using their Fuse Technology and Optimization Engine, while also developing their own pipeline of therapeutic candidates.
“Fuse Vectors’ approach to gene therapy has the potential to make gene therapy much more interesting for the Industry to develop as well as increase accessibility to patients,” stated Trine Bartholdy, CBO of BioInnovation Institute. “Their start-up development exemplifies BII’s commitment to empowering innovative platform technologies based on world-class scientific research to grow into successful companies capable of making meaningful impact on the future of gene therapy and human health.”
“We are thrilled to support Fuse Vectors in their mission to revolutionize gene therapy,” said Alexis Houssou, Managing Partner of HCVC. “With their unique cell-free viral vector solution, expert founding team and strong business model, Fuse Vectors has the potential to overcome significant challenges in the field, and we believe in their ability to bring transformative treatments to patients.“
The funding will accelerate the development of Fuse’s technology platform and pipeline of novel gene therapies. With its approach, Fuse Vectors aims to be the universal solution for AAV gene therapy development, delivering unmet patient needs and expanding the accessibility of gene therapy to a wider range of indications.
