INSIGHTS / News

SETsquared Scale-Up member SENISCA has developed a technology to combat and reverse the aesthetic and disease-causing aspects of ageing, aimed at enabling people to live healthy lives for longer.

The team recently announced that its launch investment round was oversubscribed by £350k against target of £950k, receiving substantial funds from a group of private investors including venture capital specialists: Emerging Longevity Ventures, the R42 Group, Longevity Tech Fund and Trend Investment Group.

SENISCA’s innovation takes old or ‘senescent’ cells and effectively resets the cellular ageing clock. The new investment will enable the company to further develop the potential medical applications towards clinical validation for its long-term vision to deliver innovative, effective pharmaceutical interventions to treat age-related chronic diseases. SENISCA will also develop anti-ageing cosmeceuticals, supported by a recent £240k grant award from Innovate UK.

The company was founded in 2020 by Professor Lorna Harries and Kirsty Semple.

Professor Lorna Harries, Chief Scientific Officer, says: “It’s so exciting to see the science we’ve developed in our labs reaching this crucial point towards commercialisation, and increasing the potential that we could help people to live healthier lives for longer. We’re incredibly grateful to our funders for their vision and support.”

As a graduate of SETsquared’s ICURe Innovation to Commercialisation Programme, the team pitched to an audience of investors at last year’s NextGen Invest showcase and has also featured on SETsquared’s Investment Platform Envestry which promotes investment opportunities to investors.

Kirsty Semple, Chief Executive Officer, says: “This investment is the first step towards positioning SENISCA as a global leader in the development of medicines to target the causes, not just the effects of ageing (senotherapeutics). We are dedicated to proving that our innovative cell-rejuvenation technology, together with perseverance and passion, can come together to improve the lives of patients.

“Our long-term aim is to ensure that our Exeter Research and Development base becomes widely recognised on the UK Biotech map for the development and delivery of precision medicine for age-related disease, bringing economic growth and recognition to the South West of England.”

Co-founders Kirsty Semple and Professor Lorna Harries featured in our International Women’s Day blog which celebrated female founders who are pioneering health tech solutions – read the full blog