Eascra Biotech lands $8M NASA grant to make medicine in space

What's the deal? Worcester, Massachusetts startup Eascra BiotechDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has secured an $8 million grant from NASADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to commercialise its microscopic medicine-delivery vehicles, known as Janus Base Nano-materials, in space.

What's the endgame? The company is developing tiny vehicles designed to deliver medicine inside the body. The NASA funding will help move that technology toward commercial production.

Why space? The microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station offers conditions difficult to replicate on Earth, making it a testing ground for manufacturing these nano-materials.

The signal: At $8 million, the grant ranks in the 95th percentile among grant rounds for US nanotech companies — a standout in a sample of 543 deals. It reflects growing interest in space-based manufacturing as a route to producing next-generation medicine.

Image credit: Eascra Biotech