A UK biotech start-up with a 3D human lung model that provides an alternative to animal testing has raised a further £600,000 from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, Mercia Ventures and Pioneer Group.
ImmuONE’s laboratory model is used to test new drugs, chemicals or consumer products to provide evidence they are safe to use. The funding will enable it to continue to develop its capabilities, target new sectors such as agrichemicals and automotive and expand its 12-strong team with the appointment of two new scientists.
ImmuONE was founded in 2019 by Dr Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter from the University of Hertfordshire and quickly attracted clients including a number of blue-chip companies. It secured an initial £2m investment in 2023, which enabled it to move its current premises in Milton Keynes and take on laboratory space in Stevenage.
Since then it has invested in new equipment and expanded its range of services. In addition to respiratory safety tests, it now offers more complex immunology tests which show the long-term effects of substances on the lung including the potential to cause inflammation. It has also taken on board new clients in the chemicals sector, building on its existing customer base of consumer products and pharmaceutical companies.
ImmuONE almost doubled its revenue in 2024 and is on course to achieve similar growth in 2025.
ImmuONE’s 3D laboratory model not only enables companies to replace or reduce the need for animal testing but also provides results that are more reliable and reproducible. With research having found that around 90% of drugs shown to be safe and effective in animals do not work as planned in humans, animal testing is now considered one of the reasons for the high failure rate in drug development.
