Polish-founded Nanovery raises £1.1M to revolutionize RNA drug testing
Nanovery, led by Polish founder Jurek Kozyra, secures £1.1M to expand RNA nanorobotics platform for drug development
Polish entrepreneur Jurek Kozyra, co-founder and CEO of UK-based Nanovery, has announced a landmark £1.1 million funding round to accelerate the company’s mission of transforming RNA therapeutic testing. The investment is set to boost Nanovery’s cutting-edge nanorobotics platform, enabling faster, more reliable drug development using only standard lab equipment.
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The funding includes £450,000 from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Northstar Ventures, as well as £195,000 from the Northstar EIS Growth Fund. Strategic investor Smartlink also contributed £500,000, and the company received additional support through Innovate UK’s investor partnership programme.
Nanovery is developing a simplified and scalable solution for testing RNA therapeutics—an emerging drug category with vast potential in areas like oncology and rare genetic disorders. Its platform uses synthetic nanorobots to detect RNA at extremely low concentrations, offering a practical, high-impact solution in a field that typically requires costly and complex equipment.
Kozyra, originally from Poland, has played a pivotal role in shaping Nanovery’s vision and securing early traction with top pharmaceutical companies. Speaking about the raise, he commented:
“Securing this investment is a significant milestone for Nanovery and positions us to make a real difference in how next-generation drugs are developed and tested. Our technology makes the process simpler, quicker and more reliable. And we couldn’t make it easier: just add our nanorobots to the samples, measure fluorescence and get results.”
The company aims to become the go-to bioanalysis tool for pharmaceutical labs worldwide, aligning with a global RNA therapeutics market projected to exceed $20 billion by 2030.
Northstar Ventures, a long-time backer of Nanovery, emphasized the potential of the technology. Alex Buchan, Investment Director, said:
“Nanovery’s solution addresses real industry problems in diagnostics and drug development with elegance and cost-effectiveness. We’ve supported them from the early days and are excited to see what they’ll achieve next.”
A cultural icon beyond acting:
Jurek Kozyra exemplifies the new wave of Central and Eastern European deeptech founders making global impact through scientific entrepreneurship.