Belgian protein biomarker firm Pronota has raised €3.7 million ($4.9 million) a Series C financing round that it will use to complete protein biomarker validation studies for its pre-eclampsia, ovarian cancer, sepsis, and cardio-renal programs.
Participants in the round included LSP, Gimv, Biotech Fund Flanders, KBC Private Equity, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, VIB, MP Healthcare and MedSciences Capital, and a company founder.
Pronota's biomarker system consists of its discovery platform Masstermind and verification platform Massterclass. According to the company, the Masstermind system streamlines biomarker development by selecting for analysis only the N-terminal tryptic peptides of each protein, thereby reducing sample complexity. The Massterclass verification platform then uses multiple-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry to do targeted analysis of putative biomarkers.
Pronota also announced that Nick McCooke is stepping down as CEO and member of the company's board and will be replaced by Katleen Verleysen, formerly Pronota's chief operating officer. Board member John Berriman is also leaving. He will be replaced by Rudy Dekeyser, managing director of VIB.
With the close of this round, Pronota has now raised €26.1 million since it began fundraising with its Series A round in 2006.