Instant NanoBiosensors, the Taiwanese medtech startup revolutionizing biomarker detection, aims to enter the European market via the RAPID-Health Accelerator program.
Biomarker detection is a critical process in both life sciences research and clinical diagnosis. The existing conventional solutions such as ELISA are time-consuming, require a high amount of human effort, can only be carried out in centralized laboratory settings, and have limited sensitivity for analyte in low abundance. The Taiwanese startup Instant NanoBiosensors introduces its own unique and patented fiber-optics biosensor solution that addresses each one of these constraints: the FOPPR™ Technology (Fiber Optic Particle Plasmon Resonance), which combines optical waveguides with noble metal nanoparticles to achieve highly sensitive and reliable detection of molecules.
With over 40 international patents, Instant NanoBiosensors is able to apply its proprietary FOPPR technology to create biosensor products and services that possess the following advantages: 1) Ultra-sensitivity (fg/mL) & wide linear dynamic range (5 orders) for the precise measurement of low abundance biomarker, 2) Ease-of-use portability, 3) Real-time detection (15 minutes), and 4) Low sample use.
Equipped with this highly competitive technology, Instant NanoBiosensors aims to achieve significant growth in the coming years, both in the Life Sciences market and Healthcare market, with specialized solutions for research organizations, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies, as well as for clinical research use.
In 2020, Instant NanoBiosensors was selected from more than 500 global startups to participate in Merck’s Accelerator program, aimed at coaching startups into collaboration and partnerships with Merck. Currently, Instant NanoBiosensors is working with distributors in 14 countries for the sales of their products. Furthermore, the startup is working with large international biotech/pharma partners, supplying their FOPPR and Light-Sensing Biomarker Analyzer platform technologies in the co-development of new customized products. Concurrently, Instant Nanobiosensors is also engaged in clinical collaboration with multiple hospitals and biotech research organizations in Taiwan, US, Germany and France.
During the RAPID-Health Scaleup Roadshow event that took place on May 26th, Instant NanoBiosensors presented the company’s profile, its unique technologies, as well as their fundraising plans and their aspiration for growth in Europe. As the company is aiming to scale up in the European market, at this moment Instant NanoBiosensors is open to collaboration with European partners, both for funding and for other forms of business partnerships.
RAPID-Health Scaleup Roadshow 2021
The RAPID-Health Scaleup Roadshow is an event organized by Tiger Accelerator. The main goal of this event is to present and highlight outstanding medtech startups from the RAPID-Health Acceleration Program, and to draw attention to the continuous exchange of medtech/bioscience innovations between Taiwan and Europe.
Attending the event was Representative Hsin-Hsin Chen from the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands. In her opening remarks, Representative Chen expressed her support for the collaboration of startup ecosystems between Taiwan & the Netherlands, and her encouragement for Tiger Accelerator & founder Valerie Hsu for creating such a facilitating platform.
In recent years, Tiger Accelerator has identified the medtech, health, and life sciences sectors as an area rich in innovation potential for Taiwan & the Netherlands, and has created the RAPID-Health acceleration program in collaboration with ROM Utrecht Region. The program aims to coach Taiwanese medtech entrepreneurs with the ambition to grow their business in the European market, to connect with local knowledge and local expertise in the Netherlands, in order to develop feasible and effective market access strategy and fundraising plans fit for European expansion.
Within the context of the RAPID-Health program, Tiger Accelerator also works closely with the Taiwan Business Association Innovation Committee. The Innovation Committee was set up in August 2020 under the supervision of David Wang, Director of Economic Division, Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands. Chaired by Gordon Chen, the Committee includes at least 26 Taiwanese corporates active in the Netherlands, and offers coaching and investment to selected RAPID-Health alumni. Utilizing the vast corporate resources and experiences of successful Taiwanese tech companies in the Netherlands, the Committee is able to provide valuable business support to RAPID startups, helping them to most efficiently identify the optimal European market strategy.
Since the project’s initiation in 2019, RAPID-Health has introduced more than 30 Taiwanese medtech startups to European investors, European business partners, research partners, and other key stakeholders. Currently the program has selected two outstanding Taiwanese startups for the intensive coaching track: Instant NanoBiosensors & Soteria Biotech. In this first edition of the Roadshow event on May 26th, Instant NanoBiosensors’ presentation also serves as a milestone in its progress along the RAPID-Health program’s track towards a future of scaling up and growth.
The closing remarks of the event were provided by Jelle van der Weijde, ROM Utrecht Region Director Health/ Business Partner Health. According to van der Weijde, medtech innovations from Taiwanese startups are often highly impressive, and present very good fits for the needs for Europe and its health & life sciences sector. But for an external startup/SME, access to the European market can seem challenging at first. By entering through an open and international startup ecosystem such as that in Utrecht Region, Taiwanese startups can connect with various key local stakeholders, and establish a basis from which to enter and expand in Europe efficiently and effectively.
TIger Accelerator is currently supported by Taiwan’s Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, to establish a soft-landing bridge for startups through the Hub2Hub Program between Startup Terrace Linkou and Utrecht Region. In the near future, through the RAPID-Health initiative, Tiger Accelerator aims to continuously assist more exceptional Taiwanese startups of the same calibre as Instant Nanobiosensors to identify and pursue their own opportunities for European expansion.
