UMC Utrecht Participations was created in 1996 to protect and properly exploit medical and scientific knowledge developed by UMC Utrecht. We aim to reinforce, broaden and intensify collaboration with partners in industry, government, and the cultural sector, as well as with socially oriented organizations.
UMC Utrecht Participations and UU Holding BV (together known as 'the Holdings') control the entire portfolio of both UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University and are jointly responsible for its successful commercial exploitation. The UMC Utrecht owns 100% of the shares of UMC Utrecht Participations.
The Holdings counsel and support entrepreneurial initiatives until these spin-off companies are fully independent. We have a record of successful support of innovative activity, which has led to the creation of a range of spin-off companies.
In 'Scientific Integrity' (see download below), a document containing guidelines and the vision of the UMC Utrecht, specific information can be found about how to patent a scientific idea ('from bench to market').
Current Participations:
The following companies began with the aid of UMC Utrecht Participations, mainly based on intellectual property of UMC Utrecht.
Alant Vrouw BV (2002)
A private clinic erected by UMC Utrecht Participations and Alant Medical BV specialized in women's diseases.
Cavadis (2007) together with UU Holding BV
Cavadis is a biomedical company, established as a joint initiative by leading scientists at the department of Experimental Cardiology of the University Medical Centre of Utrecht and the department of Bioinformatics of the Erasmus MC Rotterdam. Cavadis’ goal is to deliver diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the treatment of patients who are prone to develop unstable cardiovascular syndromes due to the presence of multiple thrombogenic vulnerable plaques.
CrossBeta Biosciences BV (2005) together with UU Holding BV
Spin-off that will focus on the development and diagnostics and therapeutics for protein accumulation diseases. Crossbeta Biosciences' area of focus includes broad intellectual property coverage of screening tools and therapeutics.
Elana BV (2004) together with UU Holding BV
At the UMC Utrecht in 1993, Professor Tulleken invented a completely new way to make a neurovascular bypass without interrupting the blood flow in the recipient vessels. Elana sells the devices enabling this technique.
GenMab BV/SA (2000), UU/ UMC Utrecht
GenMab creates and develops human antibodies for the treatment of life-threatening and debilitating diseases. GenMab has numerous products in development to treat cancer, infectious disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, and intends to continue assembling a broad portfolio of new therapeutic products. GenMab is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and has its (pre-clinical) R&D operations in Utrecht. The company is partly built on intellectual property of CSO professor Jan van de Winkel of the UMC Utrecht.
Genome Diagnostics BV (2005)
Genome Diagnostics aims to offer accurate and affordable diagnostic tools to facilitate donor/recipient matching, ultimately leading to higher success rates of bone-marrow, cord blood and stem cell transplantations.
Milabs BV (2006) together with UU Holding BV
Milabs develops and sells imaging systems, in particular to non-invasively monitor the dynamics and biodistribution of radio-labeled biomolecules. The first product is the U-SPECT (high resolution tomography system for three-dimensional imaging of molecule distributions and cell trafficking in living rodents).
Promedas BV (2002)
Promedas is a joint venture of Radboud University Nijmegen and UMC Utrecht Participations which develops and sells medical diagnostic decision systems.
Semaia Pharmaceuticals BV (2000), UU/UMC Utrecht, acquired by Hybrigenics SA in 2003
Semaia specialized in the discovery and development of low molecular active substances that regulate defective intracellular signal transduction. These play a central role in the pathogenesis and growth of cancer. As a pioneer in the field of signal transduction, the company develops new drug candidates that demonstrate higher efficacy and, due to their target precision, produce fewer side effects.
Thuja Capital Healthcare Fund BV (2007) together with UU Holding BV
Thuja Capital a healthcare dedicated venture capital fund. Currently its fund capital is € 20 million. Thuja Capital is dedicated to investing venture capital in early-stage innovative healthcare companies. The focus will be on biotechnology and medical device companies. Thuja Capital has a rigorous and analytical investment process and a hands-on value creation approach and is active in the Benelux.
U-Gene Research BV (1995), acquired by Kendle International in 1997
U-gene research was founded from the University Medical Centre Utrecht in 1995. With venture capital funding U-Gene developed from a small academic biotech/clinical research group into one of the leading independent contract research companies in Europe with about 200 employees. U-gene Research was a clinical phase 1/2a unit that was acquired by the American clinical research company Kendle in 1997.
Other spin offs or divested participations:
Crucell NV (2000) / U-BiSys BV (1996) together with UU Holding BV
Crucell is the result of the merger in 2000 between the Leiden-based company IntroGene and the Utrecht spin-off U-BiSys (founded in 1996). In the same year, Crucell issued its IPO. Today Crucell N.V. is a leading European biotechnology company focusing on the development of vaccines and antibodies that prevent and treat infectious diseases, including Ebola, influenza, malaria, West Nile virus and rabies.
For more information see the links below.