3D-Side
3D-Side was created in 2015 to provide surgeons with patient-specific instruments and implants. Bone tumor resection and skull reconstruction were the two medical conditions that the company decided to target first. Exploiting its unique combination of 3D-imaging softwares and 3D-printing technologies, the company is diversifying its surgical applications and has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan worldwide. 3D-Side has also recently announced the commercialization of an online platform dedicated to surgical workflow optimization. Starting with its two founders, Laurent PAUL and Khanh TRAN DUY, the 3D-Side team now comprises about 15 people, all enthusiastically focused on winning the many challenges the young company is facing while scaling-up. The partnership between WBC and 3D-Side was initiated in 2014, shortly before legal incorporation. Among other inputs, WBC helped arrange a direct investment of 160 k€ in the company so as to significantly accelerate the setting-up of its first 3D-printing facility.
WBC and us, it’s a long story that started even before the creation of our company. What has enriched us a lot thanks to WBC is the general vision of their team, always challenging the most important issues, always trying to think out of the box and, above all, helping us remain positive during difficult times. WBC has given us unwavering confidence, which has allowed us to consolidate our position and to open up other perspectives in terms of both medical and business developments.
BioGenCell
BioGenCell was founded in 2008 with the aim of becoming an innovative leader in advanced cell therapies. Combining the power of immune and regenerative cell approaches to create safe, effective and accessible treatments, the Israel-based company has elected to target chronic vascular diseases in priority, with critical limb ischemia as its first indication. Their cell product BGC101 was shown in a preliminary open label cohort of patients to be safe and effective on multiple clinical parameters, including significant improvements of leg blood flow and walking ability.
BGC101 has recently received approval from the belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products and other regulatory authorities to continue clinical trials as a double-blind placebo-controlled study. It is relevant to note that, compared with other technologies, the blood-derived adult progenitor cell platform developed by BioGenCell enables physicians to treat patients the very day after diagnosis.
BioGenCell is currently establishing the european hub for its medical operations in Belgium. Thanks to the professional and helpful guidance of WBC, our company was exposed to the major advantages offered by the walloon region to companies who, like us, are engaged in advanced cell therapy and regenerative medicine. WBC supported us throughout this challenging transition phase and made it easier for us to build a network of useful contacts with both public and private partners, to gain access to financing resources as well as to local managerial support.
Mitral Technologies
Mitral Technologies is a medtech start-up launched in 2014 to develop and commercialize a novel device for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation through mitral valve repair. By means of a transcatheter procedure already commonly used by interventional cardiologists, the device is inserted at the right location in a non-invasive way. About 2% of the world population suffers from mitral valve regurgitation, mainly as a consequence of heart attack. Originally incorporated in the US, Mitral Technologies was relocated to Belgium in 2017 and raised 3.2 millions € to start their development activities in Liège.
WBC was able to put me in front of the right partners to make a smooth transition of my company from the US to Belgium. Additionally, WBC offered a substantial support in building my team and worked actively with us as an observer at my board of directors. My personal relationship with Franck Toussaint, team member at WBC, has been substantial to make our story happen. Franck has been a reliable and friendly contact all along the process.
RevaTis
RevaTis was launched in 2013 by serial entrepreneur Didier SERTYEN, Professor at the University of Liège, to develop a global therapeutic concept in veterinary regenerative medicine. This innovative approach is centered around a patented technology to isolate pluripotent adult mesenchymal stem cells from muscular micro-biopsies, combined with advanced biobanking services for cell sourcing and aseptic isolator units for cell amplification. Although performance horses are the primary target of this integrated therapeutical strategy, RevaTis has bold plans to transfer its unique muscle-derived stem cell treatment to human applications. A joint-venture with an Indian company has been recently announced regarding the organization of human clinical trials for osteoarthritis using RevaTis technology.
This Indian alliance is a timely addition to an already large network of subsidiaries that RevaTis is creating around the world, namely in Texas, Dubai and Hong Kong, to serve multiple equine markets in demand of novel therapeutic approaches. It is back in 2011 that a collaboration agreement was signed between WBC and RevaTis with the aim of helping the then-nascent spin-off develop and commercialize its veterinarian products and services. WBC also contributed to secure an additional 90 k€ investment to accelerate the finalization of its cell manufacturing system.
In addition to the usual export subsidies that are made available to any technology company in Belgium, the highly professional and expert support provided to us by WBC has been absolutely critical in the hiring process of our first business developer. The same can be said about how helpful WBC has been in the maturation of our integrated cell therapy platform toward commercialization. In this way, we were able to undertake our expansion abroad much more quickly.
Synabs
Synabs was launched in 2015 to exploit the commercial potential of a unique monoclonal antibody platform developed by Professor Pierre Gianello at UCL. This contract research and manufacturing organization platform compares mouse, rat and guinea pig immunization models in order to produce superior monoclonal antibodies targeting either poorly immunogenic or complex antigens.
At inception, Synabs benefited from a significant equity investment by French company Biotech Investissement that allowed to consolidate its development activities and gain traction in the challenging business of custom monoclonal antibody services. Today, the company employs 12 people led by their expert CSO Yannick Nizet.
WBC has continuously added structuring value to our company through its international business and marketing support, generating at least one important contract for us. In addition, their network of biotech managers and mentors has allowed us to benefit from the precious experience of many of them to help us define and execute our commercial strategy. Without any doubt, WBC has been instrumental in helping us achieve an annual turnover of more than EUR 1 million within our third year of existence as a company.
