IBT Lower Saxony
IBT Lower Saxony creates a fast track for biomedicine in Lower Saxony
Our goal is to translate excellent research results into innovative preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures as quickly as possible. We establish new collaborations to create and support promising startups. We increase the speed and effectiveness of biomedical translation with close and consistent involvement of resident biomedical companies and an ever-growing circle of idea providers and supporters.
IBT Lower Saxony is structured as a two-pillar cooperative framework designed to accelerate the pace of translation and enhance its effectiveness. Through our IBT INCUBATOR programs, PRE-SEED and EXPLORE, we bring outstanding ideas with clear medical relevance into practical application. Through IBT EXCHANGE, we are building a sustainable ecosystem and a close network for biomedicine in Lower Saxony.
IBT PRE-SEED #7
Call for Proposals
Lower Saxony-wide call: Apply now for IBT PRE-SEED funding and become the next IBT project!
The most promising projects will be provided with comprehensive, high-level support and funding of up to €1,500,000 to navigate the crucial transition from lab to market.
IBT EXPLORE
Call for Proposals
Lower Saxony-wide call: Apply now for targeted de-risking and get funded with up to €150,000 by the new funding line IBT EXPLORE.
IBT INCUBATOR
We quickly translate outstanding ideas into practical application.
The IBT Incubator provides the immediate framework needed to rapidly transition outstanding, medically focused research projects into practical applications through a highly professional support process. By aligning with the metropolitan region’s core research priorities, projects can leverage local expertise and infrastructure across main locations that operate collectively as a decentralized, highly networked technology platform. This targeted approach accelerates project maturity, creating ideal handoff points for subsequent industrial development.
PRE-SEED program
The IBT PRE-SEED program provides comprehensive, high-level support and funding for Lower Saxony’s most promising biomedical research projects, helping them navigate the crucial transition from academia to entrepreneurship. Selected high-potential projects receive tailored funding of up to €1,500,000, specifically structured to achieve defined de-risking milestones and lay the groundwork for a successful start-up.
Projects are chosen by an independent Portfolio Advisory Board, ensuring the highest quality standards by leveraging combined expertise across academia, start-ups, regulatory affairs, and industry. Beyond financial backing, the selected teams benefit from dedicated professional mentorship and targeted networking within the IBT ecosystem.
IBT PRE-SEED Cohort 7:
Deadlines and steps of the two-staged selection procedure
- Friday, 26 June 2026:
Official release of the call for proposals - Monday, 17 August & Tuesday, 8 September 2026:
Online information session on the current call for proposals
(Click on date to get to the registration) - Friday, 9 October 2026:
Deadline for submission of short proposal via innomatch - Monday, 16 November 2026:
Evaluation of the applications and selection of finalists - Friday, 15 January 2027
Deadline for submission of detailed project outline - Wednesday, 17 February 2027
7th IBT PRE-SEED Portfolio Conference in Göttingen – Pitches and project selection
Download
Submit application
Please read the Call for Proposals before submitting your application.
Cohort 6
Winner – 6th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,300,000
Accurate cancer diagnosis depends on knowing exactly how far a disease has spread. A key factor is the reliable detection of lymph node metastases, which strongly influences staging, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes. PathoPress introduces a novel device that mechanically compresses adipose tissue to drastically reduce its volume while preserving full compatibility with standard histopathology and immunohistochemistry. By enabling complete and standardized examination of the remaining tissue, the technology makes it possible to detect all lymph nodes more reliably, reduces workload for pathology staff, improves safety and workflow, and supports better treatment decisions.
Winner – 6th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,000,000
Intestinal colonization with pathogens such as Escherichia coli frequently occurs long before serious infections develop, including sepsis, pneumonia, wound infections, or recurrent urinary tract infections. DeColi addresses this problem at its source by developing a live biotherapeutic product designed to selectively remove these dangerous bacteria from the gut before infection begins. Targeting a large and high risk patient population with no approved preventive options, the approach uses a rationally designed bacterial consortium with clearly defined functions.
Cohort 5
Winner – 5th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,400,000
Citrapeutics aims to revolutionize cancer treatment and offer patients an alternative to conventional immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors. The project team is developing small molecule inhibitors of a novel immunotherapeutic target. Citrapeutics plans to further optimize its currently most promising compound Citra01, as well as to generate additional lead structures and validate their efficacy.
Winner – 5th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,000,000
RNA-Healer is developing an RNA-based drug for patients with advanced chronic liver fibrosis. The aim is to reduce the devastating scarring caused by myofibroblasts and improve liver function in the long term.
Cohort 4
Winner – 4th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 990,000
Our goal now is to develop a vaccine platform based on our MCMV vector technology. Such vectors should provide long-term immunity against a broad spectrum of indications after a single immunization and thus make booster vaccinations superfluous.
Winner – 4th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 960,000
This project aims to develop targeted therapies for female-specific cancers (endometrial, cervical and ovarian cancer) to enable more effective and less toxic therapies for gynecologic and potentially other aggressive cancers.
Winner – 4th cohort
Funding amount: EUR 920,000
A vaccine against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a significant unmet medical need and market opportunity. The V3ECTORY results will be key to advancing preclinical development. Our ultimate goal is to provide a vaccine that eliminates the burden of HCV disease.
Cohort 3
Winner – 3rd cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,300,000
Worldwide statistics show that around 14.8 million babies are born prematurely every year, with a third suffering from severe respiratory problems. This problem is particularly severe in premature babies born before 28 weeks of gestation – data from Germany shows a mortality rate of up to 33%. InhalPlus aims to dramatically improve the efficiency of inhalation therapy for premature babies with a breakthrough technology. By introducing their patented technology for non-invasive inhalation therapy, they offer a gentle and effective treatment option for the underdeveloped lungs of premature babies, enabling preventative treatment of respiratory diseases.
Winner – 3rd cohort
Funding amount: EUR 800,000
Tissue degeneration, including the development of fibrosis, can affect many organs, including the lungs, and is responsible for approximately 50% of all deaths in industrialized nations. An important key event causing organ fibrosis is the activation of local fibroblasts, leading to organ stiffness, insufficient oxygen supply and eventually organ dysfunction, among others. LuFex will develop a new inhaled treatment with a validated antifibrotic agent for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as a first proof-of-concept disease type.
Cohort 2
Winner – 2nd cohort
Funding amount: EUR 890,000
Staphylococcus(S.) aureus is a human pathobiont that colonizes the skin and mucous membranes of around 20 % of the population. When breaking through barriers or under conditions of immunosuppression, S. aureus causes local and systemic infections. S. aureus can suppress immune responses, destroy tissue and cause complications such as skin, lung and bloodstream infections as well as infective endocarditis. We offer a technology to prevent the infection.
Winner – 2nd cohort
Funding amount: EUR 780,000
Bacta Implants develops implants for long-term local drug therapy. The implants are manufactured specifically for the patient’s individual anatomy and are elastic so that they can be inserted into small, rigid niches, for example. The current focus is on round window niche implants that deliver active substances directly into the inner ear to effectively treat hearing loss.
Cohort 1 (IBT pilot project)
IBT pilot project – 1st cohort
Funding amount: EUR 1,500,000
One in 10 adults has chronic kidney disease that potentially leads to dialysis. Fibrosis, a pathological scarring process, is the common pathomechanism that leads to kidney failure and dialysis, regardless of the underlying disease. Our team brings together excellence in medicine, chemistry and drug development and has developed a portfolio of anti-fibrotic approaches that are in multiple stages of development. As our top candidate is a metabolite of a safe, generic drug, there is the prospect for rapid translation, to the benefit of millions of patients.
EXPLORE program
Promising early-stage projects often carry risk profiles that prevent immediate qualification for PRE-SEED funding of up to €1.5 million over two years. To bridge this gap, the modular EXPLORE program was developed as part of the IBT INCUBATOR. In the value chain, it is strategically positioned before PRE-SEED and aims to support projects in achieving concrete de-risking milestones on the way to PRE-SEED funding eligibility or other funding. We are now looking for projects with clear startup vision that are lacking only one or in exceptional cases two de-risking aspects, which can be addressed with EXPLORE funding.
EXPLORE – key specifications
- Project ideas with clear start-up vision
- Rolling application process with a modular funding scheme
- Funding up to 150,000 Euro (staff costs not covered)
- Short-term funding decisions
- Close guidance throughout the program
- Selection by group of external experts
- Linkage with the PRE-SEED program
EXPLORE – modules (non-exhaustive):
IBT EXPLORE:
Application and process
Applications for IBT EXPLORE are accepted on a rolling basis – there is no fixed deadline.
EXPLORE is currently in its kick-off phase, and it is not yet clear when the first applications will be reviewed. The external review will be scheduled according to the volume of applications received. We will notify you by email as things progress.
Questions can be addressed to ibt@nds.de at any time.
Questions? IBT EXPLORE info sessions
- Info session #1:
Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 14:00 – 14:45
- Info session #2:
Thursday, 22 October 2026, 13:00 – 13:45
- Info session #3:
Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 14:00 – 14:45
Download
Submit application
Please read the “Annex” before submitting your application.
IBT EXCHANGE
We are creating a sustainable ecosystem for a new generation of biomedical start-ups.
IBT together with the network partners in Lower Saxony serves to create an efficient and sustainable translational ecosystem for biomedicine. The primary focus of IBT EXCHANGE is the targeted promotion of a new generation of translationally oriented developer personalities through a multi-layered exchange between academic institutions and industrial partners. This dialogue is intended on the one hand to dissolve traditional patterns of thinking that regard research, development and commercialisation as separate entities, and on the other hand to close training gaps for young professionals in the field of biomedical translation. Two dedicated IBT formats showcase how this dialogue comes to life, intertwined with the IBT INCUBATOR program.
BIOMEDICAL TRANSFER CIRCLE
The BIOMEDICAL TRANSFER CIRCLE is a growing network of transfer professionals representing Lower Saxony’s biomedical landscape – drawn from academic and research institutions. economic development agencies, and key regional partners. Co-hosted by IBT together with TRAIN – Translationsallianz in Niedersachsen and Startup Factory GOe FUTURE, we are bringing together colleagues from over 30 institutions.
The BTC promotes knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving on topics central to academic commercialization, including IP transfer models, joint cost structures for scientific infrastructure, or science-business matchmaking. Specific focus areas are identified by the network itself and advanced through dedicated sub-teams, making the Circle a driving force for stronger, more coordinated biomedical translation throughout the region.
IBT PROJECT CIRCLE
The IBT PROJECT CIRCLE is a peer-to-peer network for founders of biomedical start-ups in Lower Saxony, bringing together team representatives from all IBT-funded projects for regular exchange. Beyond aligning on IBT-specific regulations, cross-project collaboration, and joint appearances at investor and industry events, the Circle focuses on the practical realities of building a biotech start-up in academia like funding opportunities, pitch events, and CRO recommendations.
By connecting early-stage founders with each other and with experienced guests from the region’s transfer landscape, the Project Circle helps ensure that no one has to navigate the biomedical translation journey alone.
ABOUT US
The IBT Lower Saxony – lighthouse project of the state of Lower Saxony
We support the establishment of new start-ups in the field of biomedical research through targeted financial support as well as expert advice and networking with leading minds from research and industry.
The IBT bundles the existing strengths of the Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen metropolitan region and other associated locations. In addition, we are creating a strong network of science, business and clinical practice that facilitates access to relevant partners, resources and expertise for founders.
The IBT is enabled by funding from the state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation via the zukunft.niedersachsen program.
The IBT concept was developed jointly by three of Lower Saxony’s most renowned research institutions:
What began as a joint initiative of these three founding institutions has now developed into a state-wide program – all academic institutions in Lower Saxony are invited to apply.
Helmholtz Center for Infection Research Braunschweig
Hannover Medical School
University Medical Center Göttingen
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees provides strategic advise to IBT.
Dr. Georg Schütte
Volkswagen Foundation (©Philip Bartz)
Prof. Dr. Josef Penninger
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (©Stephan Dublasky)
Prof. Dr. Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner
Hannover Medical School
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brück
University Medical Center Göttingen
Prof. Joachim Schachtner
Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture
Matthias Wunderling-Weilbier
Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Construction
Uwe Ilgenfritz-Donné
Niedersachsen.next
Prof. Dr. Peter Hammann
PAB Chair (standing guest)
Portfolio Advisory Board
The Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB) advises on the selection of finalists and winners and supports the projects in their further development through individual feedback and topic-specific advice.
Prof. Dr. Peter Hammann
Chair (Consultant Antiinfectives – frmr. Sanofi In-Licensing)
Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff
Vice-Chair (Founder AiCuris, frmr. Supervisory Board)
Prof. Dr. Klaus Cichutek
Former President (Paul Ehrlich Institute)
Dr. Matthias Evers
Chief Business Officer (Indivumed) & Board Member (Angelini Ventures)
Dr. Kathrin Körner
SVP, Global Head of Patents and Scientific Services (Merck Group)
Prof. Dr. Eicke Latz
Scientific Director (German Rheumatism Research Centre)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Meuer
Former Executive Director, Institute of Immunology (University Hospital Heidelberg)
Ingrid Sassoon Ph.D.
Cluster head Immuno-Oncology (Sanofi)
Prof. Dr. Ariel Dora Stern
Alexander von Humboldt Professor (Hasso Plattner Institute)
Dr. Sven Wagner
Head of Corporate Development (Sartorius)
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