About us
VERAXA Biotech specializes in ADC development combining cutting-edge solutions for targeted antibody discovery and bioconjugation. Through biochemical and technological innovation, we strive to transform the way antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are created to develop more effective and safe therapies for patients.
With our transformative technologies, we can streamline and derisk early bioconjugate development. We have established a rich pipeline of proprietary ADCs and are collaborating with a number of partners to provide access to our unique research & development capabilities going from target to antibody to ADC.
Founded in Heidelberg, Germany, VERAXA is the fusion of two spin-offs from the research hub European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). Our company is born out of a deep passion for transformative scientific discoveries, and our experienced team is committed to using these discoveries to change the way we combat cancer.
Meet our team
Management
Christoph is an experienced company executive and former venture capital manager in the fields of life sciences with special focus on drug development (small molecules and biologicals), diagnostics and instrumentation. Prior to VERAXA, he was Managing Director at Acousia Therapeutics (inner ear drug development) and Luxendo (light sheet microscopy).
Torsten has more than 20 years of professional and management experience within the fields of Finance and Business Development in global life science and tech companies such as Molecular Health, BASF Pharma, Techem Energy Services and Colt Telecom. He holds a Diploma in Business Administration from DHBW in Mannheim.
Lars has more than 15 years of experience in life sciences sector with a strong focus on integrating technologies from high precision instrumentation, software, photonics and biology. Prior to joining Veraxa he was General Manager and Vice President of Luxendo a Bruker company. Lars received his Ph.D. from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization in Göttingen and has been Group Leader at EMBL Heidelberg and co-founded several companies in the biotechnology field.
Heinz is a successful entrepreneur in biotech industry. He currently serves EMBL Ventures as General Partner focusing on venture building in life science. Prior to that, Heinz was CEO of various biotech companies in Austria, The Netherlands and Germany of which all were acquired by large pharma or biotech companies. Heinz studied Chemistry in Regensburg and earned his PhD in Clinical Chemistry. He was postdoc at Harvard Medical School, USA and holds an MBA from Henley Business School, UK.
Board of directors
Oliver is a passionate entrepreneur and has more than 17 years of experience in investment banking, capital market strategies and life science. From 2003 to 2019, he held various positions at Credit Suisse and Sloan Asset Management Capital, where he focused on alternative investments, research in the biotech and medical technology sectors, and institutional clients. In addition, he holds various active board memberships.
Jürgen has more than 22 years of experience in successful business development and technology transfer. He is Deputy Managing Director and Head of Business Development at EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH, the commercial arm of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). Jürgen is a graduate of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (Biology) and holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology.
David is a deeply experienced entrepreneur in biotech with over 28 years of experience in company development and financing. David is focused on the life sciences industry and realized several successful exits in the area of biotech and Medtech up to date.
Associated experts
Alexander graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a strong background in G protein-coupled receptors focusing on the discovery of endogenous ligands and personalized medicine.
Edward is a Professor and Chair for synthetic biophysics in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. He is also an Adjunct Director at the Institute for Molecular Biology, Mainz.
Matthias is a professor and chair for department of Translational Imaging in Oncology at National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC) Dresden, Germany with strong background in clinical oncology and basic science. He graduated from Technical University Munich and has a translational research focus on immune oncology.
Hans-Georg was appointed Chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Tübingen in 1996, after spending three years as Head of the Tumor-Virus-Immunology Section of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. He is co-founder of Immatics AG, Curevac AG and Synimmune GmbH.
Michael has 20 years experience in international business development in pharma, biotech, and medical device companies, and a long-standing track record as a seasoned deal-maker in the life science industry. He studied biology and holds a PhD in tumor immunology from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. He also received an MBA from Henley Management College, UK and currently serves as Director of International Business Development at Prestige Biopharma.
Investors
VERAXA is a privately held company. Main shareholder is the Swiss company Xlife Sciences AG. Other shareholders are the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and its technology transfer arm EMBL Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM), private investors, founders and management.
Join our team
We are your partner from target to antibody to ADC. Our unique antibody screening platform and proprietary ADC technology enable us to help you create the best targeted biotherapeutics for your application.
With partnership models tailored to your needs, we can join you at any step of your development journey, whether you are starting out with a target or are looking for a bioconjugation partner.