Bioaxial secures €1.9m in new funding

Bioaxial, a French developer of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy for the extended imaging of live cells, has completed a €1.9m (US$2.7m) equity investment to support the commercial launch of its first product, an optical microscopy module, which is expected in the second half of 2014.

Paris-based Bioaxial is developing imaging instruments for fluorescence microscopy that allow extended imaging of live cells with an improved resolution claimed so far to be unreachable in research laboratories. The new module not only allows observation of living cells in super-resolution over time without damaging them, but unlike its competitors, it also does not require complex manipulations. It has been tested at the Institut Pasteur for the last 12 months.

The firm has the support of three new investors: Amorcage Technologique Investissement (a fund managed by CEA Investissement), Inserm Transfert Initiative and Viveris Management, plus individual investors.

'The investment of funds in Bioaxial’s capital is a vote of confidence in the team and its technology. It is a strong signal for the targeted market segment. It brings us credibility and allows us to launch commercially,' said Louis Philippe Braitbart, CEO and co-founder of Bioaxial.

'Our technology revolutionises optical microscopy in the life sciences market,' added Gabriel Sirat, CTO, co-founder and inventor of the technology. 'We expect applications in many areas where improved resolution is essential to understand better the processes of live entities.'