ImmuONE raises £600K to advance human lung model as alternative to animal drug testing
The fresh funding will enable it to continue to develop its capabilities, target new sectors such as agrichemicals and automotive and expand its 12-strong team by hiring two new scientists. Backers believe the company has the ability to grow worldwide and become No.1 in its field.
ImmuONE’s laboratory model is used to test new drugs, chemicals or consumer products to prove they are safe to use. The company has premises in Milton Keynes and lab space in Stevenage.
It has come a long way since being founded in 2019 by Dr Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter from the University of Hertfordshire and quickly attracted clients including a number of blue-chip companies.
ImmuONE was able to take its MK and SBC bases after securing an initial £2 million investment in 2023.
Since the £2m raise, ImmuONE has invested in new equipment and expanded its range of services. As well as respiratory safety checks, it now offers more complex immunology tests which show the long-term effects of substances on the lung including the potential to cause inflammation.
The company has also onboarded new clients in the chemicals sector, building on its existing customer base of consumer products and pharmaceutical companies.
ImmuONE almost doubled its revenue in 2024 and is on course to achieve similar growth in 2025.
The company’s 3D laboratory model not only enables companies to replace or reduce the need for animal testing but also provides results that are human relevant, more reliable and reproducible.
With research having found that around 90 per cent of drugs shown to be safe and effective in animals do not work as planned in humans, animal testing is now considered one of the reasons for the high failure rate in drug development.
ImmuONE’s technology can evaluate various products – from drugs and chemicals to cosmetics and other inhaled substances – making it valuable across multiple industries.
In particular, ImmuONE uses advanced techniques like cell painting and high-content imaging assays to gather detailed insights into cellular responses. It offers products (ImmuPHAGE™ and ImmuLUNG™) and services, allowing clients to either conduct in-house tests or outsource them.
Dr Martin says: “Our mission is to help companies avoid unnecessary animal testing and provide more accurate and relevant test results. This latest funding will enable us to continue building our range of tests and assays and use our model for different purposes, across different industries.
“We will also continue to actively engage with regulators to adapt industry standards tests to become animal free and establish ImmuONE as a leading provider.”
David Baker of Mercia Ventures placed the immense opportunity for ImmuONE in a global context, highlighting the potential for future sales internationally. He said: “The move away from animal testing is gaining momentum worldwide. Laboratory models for skin testing have been available for over a decade and the race is now on to develop reliable and accurate lung models. ImmuONE is a pioneer in the field and has the potential to become an industry leader.”
