NEMA HEALTH, a biotechnology company specializing in personalized immunotherapies for cancer treatment, has closed its first seed funding round, the first formal investment stage that a startup receives to launch its business.

The company, a spin-off from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) and the University of Lleida (UdL), emerged from the technology transfer program “The Collider” run by Mobile World Capital Barcelona.

The transaction totals €1.06 million, including a €730,000 capital increase and a €335,000 grant awarded through the NEOTEC program of the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI) in the 2025 call.

Participants in the round include BCN PEPTIDES, a leading manufacturer of bioactive peptides with more than 30 years of experience in the field; investors from the business angel networks EconomistesBan (College of Economists of Catalonia) and MedAngels (College of Physicians of Barcelona); as well as individuals close to the founders’ network.

Boost for the Onconeovac immunotherapy

This capital injection will allow NEMA HEALTH to accelerate the preclinical development of Onconeovac, its personalized immunotherapy for solid tumors, which combines tumor neoantigens with DIF peptides, immunostimulatory peptides protected by patents in several territories.

The project is currently focused on the treatment of advanced-stage melanoma, with the aim of being used in combination with other therapies. It is estimated that 330,000 new melanoma cases are diagnosed worldwide each year and that around 60,000 people die from the disease.

Around 15–20% of melanomas are diagnosed at stage III or IV, meaning advanced regional or metastatic disease. Survival rates in these cases vary considerably depending on subtype, metastasis location and available treatments, but indicative ranges place five-year survival at around 25%.

The main challenges that Nema Health aims to address with Onconeovac include resistance and lack of response to immunotherapy, treatment toxicity and the management of the high risk of relapse. Results obtained in animal studies indicate that Onconeovac could prevent tumor development and reduce tumor growth to a similar extent as anti-PD1, one of the most widely used immunotherapies in metastatic melanoma, and up to four times more when administered together with anti-PD1, potentially providing a valuable solution for oncologists.

The funds raised in this round will also be used to explore the application of this technology in other tumor types and in the veterinary field.

According to Olga Rué, CEO of NEMA HEALTH, “In addition to thanking the new investors for their trust in the project we are developing, I would like to highlight the strategic importance of BCN Peptides joining as an industrial partner. Their expertise in peptide manufacturing ensures the scalability required to produce Onconeovac with the highest quality standards. The investment received, together with the support from CDTI, allows us to focus all our efforts on developing an immunotherapy that aims to make an impact by improving the treatment of metastatic melanoma and offering new hope to patients, while not ruling out that the technology could be applied to many other types of cancer with limited therapeutic options.”

Jordi Barquinero, head of the Gene and Cell Therapy group at VHIR and scientific advisor at NEMA HEALTH: “We thank the investors for the trust placed in NEMA-Health, which represents a decisive boost for our project. This contribution will allow us to consolidate our technological platform and advance in the development of new cancer vaccines, reinforcing our commitment to translating research into real benefit for patients. We will continue to work with rigor, ambition and transparency to generate innovative solutions in the field of oncology.”

With the closing of this round, the company is professionalizing its structure with the creation of a new Board of Directors composed of Olga Rué (CEO and Executive Director), Marta Corral (CSO), Anna Parente (representing BCN Peptides) and Luis Ruiz as independent board member.