Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) and the Francis Crick Institute have initiated a partnership to support the delivery of KQ Labs.
The KQ Labs programme is a national accelerator for data-driven health startups, building scalable solutions within the drug discovery, digital health and precision medicine sectors.
The five month scheme is designed to help young companies de-risk their innovation, while providing them with mentoring, as well as industry and investor networks.
Since 2018, KQ Labs has supported 70 start-ups across seven cohorts, helping them to transform breakthrough biomedical and data science ideas into scalable commercial ventures. Collectively, KQ Labs alumni have raised more £219 million in investment to date.
Through the partnership, MDC will contribute expertise and funding to scale KQ Labs' national impact, while extending the programme's reach to early-stage ventures across the UK.
MDC will also prpvide expert drug discovery and translational support, helping companies to validate and strenghten their commercial readiness.
Applications for the next programme will open on 1 July 2025.
“Young biotechs are the high-risk heartbeat of our sector, and they deserve industry-class translational support to make them Fit to Fund and grow," noted Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult.
"As a national Life Sciences service, that is what MDC is here for. We are delighted to be supporting this vital accelerator programme: defragmenting the nation, driving collaboration and deploying targeted funding to make companies more investor-ready.
“Together, KQ Labs, the Crick and MDC will maximise impact for the sector, the nation, and most importantly, patients.”
“Data-driven approaches offer the key to unlock significant advancements in healthcare. The UK’s brightest biotechs are applying groundbreaking AI, machine learning and advanced computational techniques to find new ways to treat disease, opening an exciting avenue for drug discovery innovation," added Nicola Heron, Chief Strategy Officer, Medicines Discovery Catapult.
"We look forward to working with some of these companies and helping to realise the potential of their game-changing ideas.”