Melbourne, Australia, Monday, 22 September – The CUREator + Dementia and Cognitive Decline BioMedTech Incubator today announced seven companies will receive $15,765,871 in non-dilutive funding.
With funding from the Australian Federal government’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the Medical Research Future Fund, CUREator+ supports the development and commercialisation of medical innovations focused on improving the lives of people impacted by dementia and cognitive decline globally.
Awardees were selected through a competitive process that included an assessment of commercial viability by the CUREator+ Investment Review Committee, with living experience feedback provided via Dementia Australia’s Community Steering Committee.
Professor Tanya Buchanan, Dementia Australia CEO, “It is both essential and encouraging to see the voices of people with living experience of dementia being heard as we shape the future of dementia prevention, treatment and care. The quality of the recipients reflect an exciting step forward to reduce the impact of dementia for all Australians.”
RedenLab will receive $2.5 million to improve the detection and monitoring of cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disease by analysing subtle changes in language, speech and emotion. Using a non-invasive, remote monitoring approach, their clinically informed work aims to develop endpoints to be deployed in health clinics.
Perx Health will receive $1.3 million to advance its digital care management program, which improves treatment adherence and health outcomes across all health conditions. The funding will support a 12-month pilot of a tailored dementia support app, developed with the aged care industry, to assist people living with dementia and their carers. The pilot’s real-world data will help secure sustainable funding to expand access to this technology nationwide.
Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre (SNAC) will receive $2.4 million to advance the development and clinical validation of its brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) analysis tools. This funding will accelerate the global adoption and enhancement of SNAC technologies, which improve the monitoring of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer disease and other dementias.
“By 2030 over 550,000 Australians will be living with dementia. These companies are at the forefront of Australian innovation, developing therapeutics, medical devices and digital and connected health solutions, which have the potential to profoundly improve the lives of people living with dementia and cognitive decline,” said ANDHealth Managing Director, Bronwyn Le Grice.
Synaptra Bio will receive $2.3 million to utilise their cutting-edge AI-assisted drug discovery platform and develop their first-in-class, small molecule drug candidate that blocks tau-dependent central disease processes to memory deficits and prevent the loss of brain cells in dementia patients. They will use their CUREator+ funding to support preclinical development and progression towards clinical trial of an orally bioavailable therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Denteric will receive $2.5 million to advance the clinical development of their vaccine candidate (GPV381) to treat Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) infection. When seeded in the brain from a gum infection, P. gingivalis and its proteases are hypothesised to play a crucial role in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) progression in patients with P.gingivalis infection. Denteric will be running a clinical trial in AD patients to establish clinical safety and proof of mechanism to support the further clinical development of their candidate.
Ceretas will receive $2.4 million to enable delivery of personalised therapeutic ultrasound to enhance connectivity and restore function in brain circuits affected in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The CUREator+ funding will support device optimisation to improve input costs and usability of the Ceretas device aimed to improve symptoms and slow cognitive decline in an upcoming AD clinical trial.
Skin2Neuron received $2.4 million to advance the clinical development of their cell therapy to reverse AD by restoring lost neurons and synapses in the brain. The CUREator+ funding will increase manufacturing capability and support the development of a synaptic PET biomarker. This will accelerate clinical trial completion and establish proof of mechanism of their innovative approach.
Dr Chris Nave, Brandon BioCatalyst Managing Director, “The funding provided by the MRFF is a strategic investment in Australia’s biomedical innovation ecosystem and a clear signal of our national leadership in tackling dementia. The companies selected combine world-class science with commercial potential, positioning Australia to deliver global solutions to one of the most urgent health challenges of our time.”
CUREator + funding is delivered in tranches based on milestone attainment and includes top-up rounds that enable high-performing awardees to apply for additional funds to ensure resources flow to teams demonstrating both scientific excellence and translational potential.
Beyond funding, awardees gain hands-on commercialisation support, including tailored capability coaching and global network introductions to accelerate their path from breakthrough research to real-world therapies.
Further details about the CUREator+ program are available on the websites.
– ENDS –
Media contacts – Australia
Brandon BioCatalyst – Icon Agency – brandoncapital@iconagency.com.au
ANDHealth – Kelly Boxall – GM, Corporate Affairs – kelly@andhealth.com.au
About CUREator
CUREator is a national biotechnology incubator by Brandon BioCatalyst that supports Australian biomedical research and innovation development. Funded by the Medical Research Future Fund and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, CUREator provides grant funding programs for opportunities spanning from discovery to clinical development. Funding is provided like an investor with clear milestone-driven tranches to achieve key value-adding and de-risking development milestones. CUREator works closely with project teams to guide them through the early development phase, offering scientific and commercial expertise and networks to support projects meeting key outcomes.
For more information about CUREator, visit: https://brandonbiocatalyst.com/cureator/
About ANDHealth
ANDHealth is Australia’s only organisation that specialises in commercialising evidence-based digital and connected health technologies. We work with Australian digital health companies to commercialise and scale their clinical-grade technologies through the entire commercialisation pathway, from idea to exit. ANDHealth’s investment readiness program suite and non-dilutive investment programs prepare companies for institutional investment and global enterprise customers and have been proven to positively impact both the number and maturity of companies in the Australian evidence-based digital and connected health sector. Since 2018, ANDHealth has supported over 1,100 high-growth-potential digital and connected health companies across Australia and delivered over 3,600 hours of direct programming to over 4,600 participants.
About Dementia Australia
Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated more than 433,300 Australians living with dementia, and the more than 1.7 million people involved in their care. We advocate for positive change and support vital research. We are here to support people impacted by dementia, and to enable them to live as well as possible. No matter how you are impacted by dementia or who you are, we are here for you.
For support, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 or visit http://www.dementia.org.au/helpline for live chat and email. An interpreter service is available. The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.
About Brandon BioCatalyst and Brandon Capital
Brandon Capital is Australasia’s leading life science venture capital firm, with a solid global presence supported by key partnerships and team members across the US and UK. Brandon Capital supports life science companies from early-stage seed investment to expansion capital from proof-of-concept to commercialisation.
Managed by Brandon Capital, Brandon BioCatalyst is a unique collaboration of over 50 leading medical research institutes, investors, and government united by a single purpose: progressing the next generation of medical therapies and technology that improve health and save lives.
www.brandoncapital.vc | www.brandonbiocatalyst.com
| Company | State | Total CUREator Funding to date | Partner | Description |
| Synaptra Bio | NSW | $2,288,000 | CUREator | Developing a disease modifying oral therapy to block a central disease process to prevent the loss of brain cells in AD patients. |
| Denteric | VIC | $2,493,456 | CUREator | Developing a vaccine to reduce P. gingivalis infection and explore its role in AD patients. |
| Ceretas | QLD | $2,390,000 | CUREator | Developing a therapeutic ultrasound device to slow cognitive decline in people with AD. |
| Skin2Neuron | NSW | $2,438,450 | CUREator | Developing the first neurorestorative cell therapy to reverse AD by restoring lost neurons and connections in the brain. |
| Neuroimaging Analysis Centre | NSW | $2,406,215 | ANDHealth | Developing an AI-powered technology to enhance the precision of neuroimaging for the detection and monitoring of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. |
| Perx Health | NSW | $1,285,000 | ANDHealth | Developing a tailored app version supporting People Living with Dementia and their carers to improve medication adherence and health outcomes. |
| RedenLab | VIC | $2,464,750 | ANDHealth | Developing speech biomarkers for dementia and cognitive decline diseases to enable early screening and better monitoring of disease progression. |
