Apini's Therapeutic Advances Attract £1.8 Million Investment from Northern Gritstone
Deal News | Jul 20, 2025 | Syncona
Northern Gritstone has announced a £1.8 million investment in Apini, a spinout from the University of Manchester, aimed at treating chronic inflammatory diseases through small molecule drug development. This investment is made in collaboration with Syncona's accelerator Slingshot Therapeutics. Apini is focused on developing a novel approach targeting the enzyme eNAMPT, with the potential to treat inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis. The programme is based on research by Professor Sam Butterworth, known for creating the anti-cancer drug Tagrisso. The investment will be distributed in tranches contingent on company milestones. Northern Gritstone's involvement underscores its commitment to life sciences and deep-tech ventures, particularly those emerging from the UK’s North. Meanwhile, Syncona's Slingshot continues to support academic-driven innovations by providing necessary resources for biotech advancements.
Sectors
- Biotechnology
- Life Sciences
- Investment
Geography
- United Kingdom – Northern Gritstone, Apini, and Syncona's Slingshot Therapeutics are all based in the UK, reflecting the geographic focus on UK-based entrepreneurial and academic initiatives.
Industry
- Biotechnology – The focus of the article is on the development of small molecule drugs for treating chronic diseases, a subfield of biotechnology.
- Life Sciences – Relates to the advancement of therapies to address chronic inflammatory diseases, characteristic of the life sciences sector.
- Investment – Northern Gritstone's financial commitment to Apini places the article within the investment sector, highlighting venture capital activities aimed at biotech firms.
Financials
- £1.8 million – Investment from Northern Gritstone into Apini.
- £12.5 million – Initial commitment by Syncona to establish Slingshot Therapeutics.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apini | Target | Company | A biotech spinout from the University of Manchester focusing on treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases. |
| Northern Gritstone | Investor | Company | An investment firm dedicated to advancing science and technology businesses in the North of England. |
| Syncona | Investor | Company | A leading healthcare company providing investment through its accelerator, Slingshot Therapeutics. |
| Slingshot Therapeutics | Accelerator | Company | An accelerator by Syncona designed to advance de-risked therapeutic programmes from academic research. |
| Professor Sam Butterworth | Founder and Scientist | Person | The founding scientist of Apini, known for his work on Tagrisso, a significant anti-cancer drug. |