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 Matula (CEO), Maciej Jarzab (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 Matula, 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