
Immuone
Human 3D lung models for inhalation safety testing.
Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
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investor | €0.0 | round | |
investor | €0.0 | round | |
investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | £600k Valuation: £10.0m | Seed | |
Total Funding | 000k |
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ImmuONE is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides solutions for inhalation safety assessment, offering an alternative to animal testing. The company develops and utilizes advanced 3D human lung models, which are grown in a laboratory from human lower lung tissue and immune cells to closely mimic lung physiology. This technology allows for more human-relevant, reliable, and reproducible results when testing the safety of new drugs, chemicals, consumer products, and other inhaled substances.
Founded in April 2019 as a spin-out from the University of Hertfordshire, ImmuONE was established by Dr. Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter. The company's core technology originated from Dr. Martin's PhD research, where she developed the first prototype of the 3D lung model under the supervision of Prof. Hutter. Dr. Martin's background in biotechnology and toxicology, combined with Prof. Hutter's extensive experience in in-vitro toxicology and biopharmaceutics, provided the foundation for the company. They identified significant industry demand for their platform through the Innovate UK ICURe program in 2018.
ImmuONE operates on a fee-for-service business model, providing both standard and bespoke testing services to clients across various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, consumer products, agrichemicals, and automotive. Its offerings include the ImmuLUNG™ and ImmuPHAGE™ models, which can be used to assess respiratory safety, long-term effects of inflammation, and alveolar clearance. The company has secured significant funding, including a £2 million round in 2023 and a £600,000 round in March 2025, from investors such as Mercia Ventures, the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, and Pioneer Group. These funds have supported the expansion of its facilities in Milton Keynes and Stevenage, team growth, and further research and development.
Keywords: inhalation toxicology, 3D cell culture, animal testing alternatives, respiratory safety, in-vitro models, contract research organization, lung tissue engineering, preclinical testing, human-relevant assays, epithelial cell culture, alveolar macrophage, immunotoxicology, drug development, chemical safety, cosmetics testing