QurieGen, a Dutch startup with Polish roots, secured a pre-seed round to develop AI-powered single-cell technology, accelerating cancer drug discovery.
👯 Founders: Dr. Eng. Kinga Matuła (CEO), Maciej Jarząb (COO)
📅 Founding year: 2022
🏭 Industry: HealthTech
💥 Problem: Drug development, especially in oncology, is costly, time-consuming, and often ineffective due to a limited understanding of disease mechanisms at the single-cell level.
📣 Solution: QurieGen is developing advanced AI-based single-cell technology — dubbed “Google Maps for cells” — to provide deep insight into how drugs work, helping pharmaceutical companies accelerate and optimize cancer treatment development.
👥 Customers: Pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, healthcare innovators
🌱 Stage: Pre-seed
💰 Investment amount: €2.2 million
🚀 Funded by: Tensor Ventures, Lighthouse Ventures, BSV Ventures, Moondust Ventures, 22 Hor Invest, and Tim Draper (Draper Associates)
👁️🗨️ Investor’s perspective:
“QurieGen aligns perfectly with our mission: backing visionary teams transforming healthcare.” – Marios Nicolettis, Moondust Ventures
“Kinga’s example will inspire more women into deep tech.” – Roman Smola, Tensor Ventures
💡 It will be spent on: Developing AI-driven drug discovery technology, expanding operations, and conducting cutting-edge research.
💬 In their own words:
“Our technology could help accelerate drug development, making it faster and more cost-effective. But beyond the science, my personal battle gave me firsthand insight into the challenges patients face.” – Kinga Matuła, CEO
💪 Their specialty: Single-cell AI technology for drug efficacy analysis and cancer research
🔑 Business model: B2B; Contract-based research & development for pharmaceutical partners
👩🏫 Market: Global oncology drug development market; applicable in both commercial and defense/dual-use sectors
