Biointelect receives $32.9m grant to help early-stage companies innovate against infectious disease

Sydney-based life sciences commercialisation firm Biointelect will set up a nationwide virtual incubator for early-stage startups to launch vaccine and immune-related therapies after receiving a $32.9 million grant from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

With new flu and COVID strains emerging each year, and diseases like HIV, TB and bacterial infections becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, Biointelect recognises that not only is it essential to find novel ways to prevent and combat infections, but such developments must also be nurtured through commercialisation if they are to impact people's lives.

"Thank you to the Australian Government for entrusting Biointelect to support our scientists to bring advancements in vaccines, vaccine-related technologies, and immunotherapies to benefit the health of all Australians,” says Biointelect CEO Leah Goodman.

"The value in a local incubator is that essential support to researchers will be provided here, in Australia, which means the innovation stays and doesn’t go offshore to commercialise, therefore maximising the value to this nation."

Biointelect will establish its incubator, the Biointelect Venturer, which it hopes will play an important role in helping researchers and SMEs with high potential early-stage research to thrive, despite the barriers they will face to become investment-ready.

"This grant demonstrates the importance of translating science into tangible solutions. Australian researchers are globally recognised for groundbreaking early-stage research, however attracting investment to bring them to market and ultimately deliver solutions to patients remains challenging," Goodman adds.

Last year Biointelect held Australia’s first Vaccine Value Chain Conference where participants unanimously called for a national product development network to accelerate innovation.

"The conference outcome demonstrated that overcoming challenges in vaccine development and commercialisation in Australia requires deeper collaboration between industry and academic research," says Biointelect executive director Jennifer Herz, who founded the firm with Karl Herz in 2012 to leverage their 20-year pharmaceutical careers, bridging a gap between ‘big pharma’ and niche biopharma needs.

"The Biointelect Venturer will serve as the catalyst for this change, nurturing research into investment-ready solutions to improve the health of all Australians."

Biointelect has appointed Leanne Hobbs, a former vaccine biotech CEO and multinational senior executive with GSK, as general manager to quickly establish the incubator. Hobbs has extensive experience in developing practical strategies to accelerate scientific translation and development locally and internationally.

"We are pleased to welcome Leanne Hobbs to the Biointelect team. Leanne will lead the new incubator and collaborate closely with SMEs research organisations and institutions, as well as community-based entities already working to prevent and reduce impact of disease," says Goodman.

"Through these relationships Leanne will support Australian SMEs and foster local and international collaborations and investment."

The Biointelect Venturer will launch in early 2026, following extensive stakeholder and community engagement, to make sure it aligns to public health priorities and delivers in the areas of highest unmet need.

To date, Biointelect has delivered more than 500 projects globally for more than 170 clients across a wide range of therapeutic areas and regulatory jurisdictions.