Banco Sabadell invests in Inbrain, an 'spin off' of ICN2

Graphene is one of the materials with the greatest potential in the medical sector. A startup founded in Barcelona, Inbrain Neuroelectronics, wants to use it to develop a new type of therapy for brain disorders, an alternative to the use of drugs and with fewer side effects. Banco Sabadell, through BStartup Health, wants to support the development of the firm through an investment of 100,000 euros that complements a recent financing round of one million euros that was subscribed by the funds Alta Life Sciences, Sabadell-Asabys and by other investors and shareholders such as the ICF, Finaves and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).

Inbrain is aspin-offfrom ICN2 and ICREA, founded in 2019, dedicated to the development of neuromodulation therapies using a revolutionary graphene-based neural interface to record and modulate neural signals linked to neurological disorders, with the aim of mitigating and restoring these disorders. Inbrain's device combines artificial intelligence and the use of big data and will have the ability to read and modulate brain activity, detect specific therapy biomarkers, and trigger adaptive responses to obtain optimal results in personalized neurological therapies. According to the firm, this brain implant "is the least invasive and most intelligent on the market."

Until now, the company has conducted in-vitro and in-vivo biocompatibility and toxicity tests, successfully completed studies in small animals, and has begun studies in large animals to ensure that graphene technology is safe, in addition to being superior to current metal-based technologies such as platinum and iridium. The company plans to conduct the first human studies soon. Neural electronic therapies represent an alternative to classic pharmacology with fewer side effects and a shorter, less costly development time.

It is estimated that in Europe alone, the cost of brain disorders is approximately 800 billion euros per year, with over 35% of the population affected. Between 25-35% of patients with neuronal diseases are refractory to pharmacological treatment and are left without a useful therapeutic solution, with a significant ongoing impact on health systems due to numerous consultations and hospitalizations.

Graphene, a carbon-based material only one atom thick, offers a combination of unique properties for which the European Commission decided to dedicate one of the largest research projects at a European level, the Graphene Flagship (endowed with 1 billion euros), to explore the applications and develop the commercialization of this material.

BStartup, Banco Sabadell's entrepreneurship support program, launched BStartup Health, a specific program to support new medical companies in their seed and pre-seed phases. In the third call for this initiative, 146 applications have been analyzed and four of them will be invested in. Inbrain is the first of this new batch, explains Yolanda Pérez, director of BStartup. "This year has been a record year, both in terms of the number of projects and their quality. Inbrain is a clear example: they have pioneering technology worldwide, with a highly recognized scientist at the helm, Dr. José A. Garrido," says Pérez. "We believe that Inbrain can play a major role in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's and epilepsy," notes the director of BStartup.

Josep Lluís Sanfeliu, from Asabys, expresses himself along the same lines: "we have seen in Inbrain the intersection of scientific and medical talent and the technological disruption that graphene will bring, being the opportunity to provide solutions to unmet medical needs that have a great impact on our society."