MedicQuant, a spinout from the Gothelf Lab at iNANO and the Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University, has reached the first closing of its DKK 22 million seed round. The round is led by Delphinus Venture Capital. In addition, a number of business angels are participating, and all existing investors have made full follow-on investments, including the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark. The funding will support the company’s next development phase as it advances a diagnostic platform rooted in more than 11 years of research in DNA nanotechnology.

The company was founded by Kurt Gothelf together with two former PhD students from the group, Line Debois Nielsen and Malthe Hansen-Bruhn. MedicQuant grew out of research at Aarhus University focused on rapid and precise detection of small molecules in complex biological samples. Today, the company has six employees and is led by CEO Line Debois Nielsen and CSO Malthe Hansen-Bruhn. Three of the other employees also hold PhD degrees from iNANO, underlining the company’s strong roots in the Aarhus University research environment. MedicQuant has developed a proprietary point-of-care platform based on DNA nanotechnology. The platform can measure small molecules with laboratory accuracy in around 10 minutes. As a result, advanced analytical measurement can move closer to the patient and closer to the moment when critical treatment decisions are made.

The technology builds on several years of method development, including publications in ACS Sensors (2018, 2022) and Biosensors (2018). In this work, the researchers developed DNA-based assays for rapid detection of small-molecule drugs in biological samples. More specifically, the method uses engineered DNA structures to recognize target molecules and convert that interaction into a measurable signal. This offers a fast and sensitive alternative to more time-consuming laboratory workflows. In turn, that research has provided the scientific foundation for MedicQuant’s proprietary point-of-care platform.

MedicQuant’s first application focuses on measuring anticoagulants in patients with suspected stroke. In stroke care, time is decisive, and clinicians often need fast answers before proceeding with treatment. However, such information is not always readily available at the bedside when patients are treated with newer anticoagulants. This can delay critical decisions in one of the most time-sensitive areas of healthcare. By enabling faster access to clinically relevant information, the platform may therefore support safer treatment decisions and more efficient acute care pathways.

While stroke care is the company’s first clinical focus, the underlying platform has broader potential. According to MedicQuant, anticoagulant testing is only the first application of a technology that may address a wider range of unmet clinical needs. In these areas, rapid and reliable measurement of small molecules is often lacking. More broadly, this highlights the translational potential of long-term interdisciplinary research at iNANO and Aarhus University, where fundamental science can form the basis for new diagnostic solutions with clear societal relevance.

With this MedicQuant seed round, the company will complete product development, expand analytical verification and pre-commercial activities, and prepare for clinical studies. At the same time, the company illustrates how research in nanoscience and chemistry can be translated into technology with real clinical and commercial potential. For iNANO and Aarhus University, MedicQuant is therefore a strong example of how long-term university research can lead to innovation with societal impact.

See also press release in https://finans.dk/erhverv/ECE19118304/nystartet-fond-smider-millionbeloeb-i-aarhusiansk-startup/

Professor Kurt V. Gothelf
Department of Chemistry and iNANO, Aarhus University
Email: kvg@chem.au.dk