Healing wounds is a process that requires time and patience. A process, moreover, that generally involves the use of products harmful to the skin or that contain toxins. Mostly, the products that can be found are made from cyanoacrylate derivatives, a substance also used in glues that can cause contraindications and generate inflammatory responses in the skin. To revolutionize this field and develop a biocompatible and toxin-free material for skin protection, chemists Verónica de la Fuente, Amadeu Bonet, and Angelica Balanta founded Synkotech Biocompatible Materials in 2017.
The origin of this biopharmaceutical startup is the result of a long research process by these three scientists, who met during their doctorate at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and who, after seven years on different professional paths ---linked to the chemical industry or academia---, decided to reunite with this common goal. In 2020, they launched their first wound healing product to the market, made from malonates, a unique application in the world of these biocompatible compounds. To do so, they also managed to close financing rounds with the participation of the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) and Banco Sabadell.
Five years later, they have already incorporated this molecule into wipes, gels, or aerosols to treat and heal wounds, which can be found in countries like the United States or Portugal. Thus, they have developed different lines of products for wound healing, such as materials for professional use, within hospital centers, primary care centers, or residences, which is the range of products where they have focused the company's maximum efforts.
On the other hand, they also have a range for consumers that is sold directly in pharmacies, for which they have recently obtained the corresponding approvals, and a third branch for veterinary use, designed for pets and farm animals. Synkotech Biocompatible Materials is now focused on the development of a "completely transformative new line, a qualitative leap that no company can offer, which is the application of these molecules to heal surgeries and internal wounds, either as a sealant or as a sticker to replace stitches," explains its co-founder and CTO, Amadeu Bonet.
"It is within the company's DNA to innovate and continue researching to improve people's lives," Bonet defended. With this purpose, the startup has inaugurated a new production plant in Reus, as its previous laboratories had become too small to meet an ever-growing demand. These new facilities have a total area of 1,350 square meters, with which they hope to quickly multiply their production capacity. If they currently managed to manufacture more than 25,000 units per month, with this plant they aspire to reach 400,000 units in a year, when they estimate that the plant will be at full capacity and they will have incorporated all the necessary machinery to automate processes.
With this escalation in production, from the startup Synkotech they also plan to triple their turnover, reaching 4.5 million euros by 2025, after closing their previous fiscal year with a turnover of one and a half million. On the other hand, they also plan to hire up to a dozen workers to reinforce their current team, made up of 20 employees. For the construction of these facilities, they have also received a grant of 1.5 million euros granted by Acció.
Although they are committed to producing from Catalonia, conversely it is in foreign markets where they have found more opportunities to grow. Currently, they have a presence in the United States, Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, as well as Latin American countries such as Peru or Brazil, and in the case of Europe in Portugal, the Czech Republic or Slovakia. "We have followed an inverse spiral strategy, from outside in, but it is true that we would also like to position ourselves in our territory, to be aligned with our commitment to produce everything from Catalonia," acknowledges the CEO, Verónica de la Fuente.
Even so, they acknowledge that, for now, regulatory processes and tenders make it difficult for their products to be distributed in Catalan hospitals. "Tenders for a small company represent a very great effort to prepare to present themselves to the different tenders of each autonomous community," laments de la Fuente.