CollimateHealth, a German startup developing ultra-precise microbeam radiation therapy, has raised €6 million in seed funding to shrink a football-stadium-sized cancer machine down to just 10 square metres. The company's technology uses hair-thin radiation beams instead of the wide beams employed in conventional radiotherapy, aiming to destroy tumors while sparing healthy tissue and even boosting the immune system.
The seed round was led by HTGF and VP Venture Partners, with participation from four additional investors. The funding will accelerate development of CollimateHealth's compact microbeam system, which the company believes can outperform both traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy by reducing side effects and enabling new treatment protocols.
Current radiation therapy technology has seen little innovation over the past 50 years, relying on broad beams that indiscriminately kill both cancerous and healthy tissue. CollimateHealth's approach targets tumors with microscopic precision, potentially shifting the standard of care in oncology. The global radiation therapy market is valued at over $7 billion annually.
If successful, the firm's miniaturised system could democratise access to advanced radiation therapy, moving it from specialised cancer centres to smaller hospitals and clinics. However, the technology remains at an early stage and must clear clinical trials and regulatory hurdles before reaching patients.
Founded by a team of physicists and oncologists, CollimateHealth aims to begin human trials within three years. 'We are making the invisible weapon against cancer portable and precise,' the company stated in its announcement.
A key caveat: microbeam radiation therapy has been studied in academic labs for decades but has never been commercialised at scale. The path from seed funding to FDA or EMA approval typically takes years and carries a high risk of failure, as many promising cancer therapies fail in late-stage trials.