The scale-up follows the recent DKK 5.5 billion (€ 736 million) grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which BII said would be used to support more research-based startups and expand into other European countries. The ambition is to increase the number of annually supported startups from around 20 to 30, and potentially more over time through additional partnerships.

Beyond funding, the selected companies gain access to BII’s innovation platform, which includes a large investor network, laboratory facilities in Copenhagen, and business development expertise to help attract further capital.

“We are facing a historic opportunity to bring even more of the strong research being conducted at Danish and European universities and hospitals out into the world. The 17 companies represent exactly the potential we want to help unlock – research with the potential to become new technologies, products and companies that can make a real difference,”

said Trine Bartholdy, Business Director at BII.

She emphasized that capital alone is rarely enough for research-based companies navigating the early and complex development phases.

“When you build a company based on advanced research, the path from a promising idea to a scalable business is rarely straightforward. It requires capital, but also the right competencies, partners and access to infrastructure. Our role is to bring these different elements together around the founders, so they can focus their time and energy on developing their technologies and building companies with international potential,”

said Trine Bartholdy

The seventeen new companies span a wide range of research areas, including health, biotech, climate, and deep tech. Several are spinouts from regional institutions such as DTU, the University of Copenhagen, and Rigshospitalet. Notable examples include Fibernex, developing advanced electrodes for green hydrogen production; Sylvia Health, working on solutions for women’s pelvic health; KhaosGuard, building laser systems for real-time measurement of greenhouse gas emissions; and Lizard Photonics, developing integrated nanoelectromechanical photonics for data centres, AI, and quantum technology.

Since its establishment, BII has supported more than 140 companies, which have collectively attracted significant external capital. The long-term ambition is to strengthen Denmark’s position as a center for research-based innovation while expanding its reach across Europe.

“Europe has some of the world’s strongest research environments, but we need to become better at translating that research into companies, products and solutions that can compete globally. With the long-term backing of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, we can take on that task at greater scale. The 17 companies we are now welcoming are an important next step,”

said Trine Bartholdy

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