Avigen Raises £300k from SFC Capital to Launch Immunotherapy CRO Services
London, UK – 31 March 2025 – Avigen (“the Company”), a privately held Contract Research Organisation spun out from Imperial College London developing advanced preclinical immunotherapy R&D services using its proprietary microfluidic platform, today announced the successful close of a £300,000 seed funding round led by SFC Capital, with co-investment from the British Business Bank.
This investment marks a key milestone in Avigen’s growth journey, enabling the company to not only sustain its research and development programmes but also expand its team and scale operations in preparation for commercial rollout. With this funding, Avigen will bolster its technical and business development capacity to bring its advanced CRO services to the cell therapy market.
We are absolutely thrilled to partner with SFC Capital at this pivotal moment! Their support will supercharge our mission to deliver game-changing tools to biotech and pharma companies pioneering the next generation of cancer therapies. Expanding our team and commercial capabilities will be key to unlocking the full potential of our technology and accelerating our impact on the industry!
Tobias Gamper, CEO of Avigen
Avigen is creating a cutting-edge, high-throughput platform that delivers a more comprehensive and physiologically relevant understanding of immune cell interactions with cancer cells, helping predict their therapeutic efficacy at the preclinical stage. The company’s first service will focus on validating existing immunotherapies, empowering biotech and pharmaceutical companies to unlock the potential of breakthrough drugs already hidden within their pipelines.
SFC Capital, a leading player in the UK’s early-stage investment sector, alongside the British Business Bank, has recognised Avigen’s significant growth potential. Together, they have provided essential seed capital to fuel Avigen’s scientific and commercial development, positioning the company for a successful market entry and rapid initial growth.
Avigen is the kind of transformative science we are passionate about supporting. Their innovative platform has the potential to address one of the biggest challenges in cell therapy development. We are excited to be part of their journey and look forward to seeing their impact on the industry.
Adam Beveridge, Investment Executive at SFC Capital
Avigen is now actively conducting research and development and will hire across scientific and commercial roles to support its contract research service launch and early client engagements. The company plans to launch its offerings over the next 12–18 months, targeting partnerships with biotech and pharma innovators in immuno-oncology and cell therapy.
About Avigen
Avigen is a Contract Research Organisation spun out of Imperial College London developing a cutting-edge microfluidic platform to accelerate and streamline the preclinical development and translation of cellular immunotherapies. Avigen’s platform offers holistic insights into cellular interactions at unparalleled throughput, enabling a confident prediction of therapeutic potential to facilitate the rapid validation of immune cell constructs. Avigen is committed to enabling biotech and pharmaceutical companies to unlock the full potential of cellular immunotherapies and bring the next generation of cancer treatments to patients.
To learn more visit: www.avigen.bio
About SFC Capital
SFC Capital is the UK’s most active seed-stage investor, providing seed capital and support to promising British startups. By combining our leading investment funds with our angel syndicate, we have created a unique model that provides investors with diversified exposure to high-potential SEIS and EIS-qualifying businesses. Since 2012, SFC has invested in over 500 startups and partnered with the likes of British Business Investments to support innovation across all UK regions.
To learn more about SFC Capital and see its portfolio, visit sfccapital.com.
Contact
For more information or media enquiries contact: Tobias Gamper, CEO of Avigen Ltd at info@avigen.bio.