The Novo Nordisk Foundation is making a major investment in the Danish biotech ecosystem, committing 5.5 billion Danish kroner (approximately $860 million) to the BioInnovation Institute (BII). This funding aims to help scale up emerging biotechs and deep-tech companies from Denmark and support broader innovation efforts in the region.
About the BioInnovation Institute
The BioInnovation Institute, based in Copenhagen, was founded in 2018 to accelerate innovation and support life science entrepreneurship. Its initiatives are structured across several programs:
- A “venture lab” focused on helping new companies grow;
- A “bio studio” that backs academic researchers with entrepreneurial ambitions;
- A program specifically targeting advances in quantum computing.
Through these efforts, BII has helped establish and grow more than 130 companies while attracting over 7 billion Danish kroner (about $1.09 billion) in external funding to date.
Driving biotech growth in Denmark and Europe
The latest investment from the foundation will run through 2035 and is intended to strengthen Denmark’s biotech infrastructure while positioning BII as a central player in European innovation. As part of this effort, several biotechs have recently secured support from BII’s venture lab, including protein engineering firm Troya Therapeutics and Sulis Therapeutics, which focuses on STING.
For the Foundation, a philanthropic organization that redistributes funds from Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, this substantial investment provides an opportunity to tackle critical global challenges in human health, planetary health and societal resilience.
Foundation leadership on the investment
“We are giving BII the opportunity to expand its reach and further strengthen its position as a European powerhouse for innovation,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Ph.D., CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, in a statement.
Thomsen added, “This will prove instrumental in securing that even more science is translated into new companies, jobs and solutions benefitting people and our planet—and ultimately driving the growth and entrepreneurial culture that will benefit European competitiveness.”
BII leadership comments
BII CEO Jens Nielsen, Ph.D., highlighted the importance of long-term support for linking Denmark’s life science sector with other leading innovation hubs across Europe. “We have proven that our innovation platform is successful, but we cannot push the boundaries of innovation alone,” Nielsen said.
He emphasised that strengthening partnerships will remain a priority as BII works to develop Denmark’s innovation ecosystem and reinforce Europe’s competitive edge.
