Strathclyde takes equity in diagnostics firm Biomarx's £700,000 pre-seed
What's the deal? The University of Strathclyde has taken an equity stake in medical diagnostics company BiomarxDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → as part of the startup's £700,000 (≈$929,317) pre-seed round, led by SFC CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The round closed in January 2026, with Clarendon Fund ManagersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Techstart VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and angel investors also backing it.
What does Biomarx do? Based in Glasgow and Belfast, Biomarx is developing liquid-biopsy technology to simplify advanced genetic testing. Its first test kit targets non-small-cell lung cancer, using circulating tumour DNA to enable earlier detection and support treatment decisions.
What's the money for? The funding takes Biomarx from proof of concept to a minimum viable product, funds ISO 13485 accreditation, and supports a preliminary lab-based clinical study. It is not yet a clinically validated product.
Why the equity model? Rather than a traditional spinout, Strathclyde received equity in return for access to research facilities, intellectual property support and backing for a doctoral programme tied to Biomarx's technology. Any intellectual property from that research belongs to Biomarx.
Catherine Breslin, Strathclyde's head of industry engagement and commercialisation, said the approach "could work well for other early-stage companies looking to bring research-intensive products to market."
What's the endgame? Founder and chief executive officer Sean Macfarlane, also a PhD candidate at Strathclyde, wants to lower the technical and cost barriers of next-generation sequencing. "We aim to join this movement, democratising more effective, more affordable and faster cancer care," he said.
The signal: Investor interest spans the liquid-biopsy pipeline — Edinburgh spinout BIOCAPTIVADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → raised £1.58 million in March for blood-sample preparation technology. But Biomarx's early stage and modest raise mark a development milestone, not commercial traction. A seed round is slated for the first quarter of 2027.
Read more: scottishbusinessnews.net
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
