Healthtech Startup Biorce Secures €5M to Speed Up Drug Development Using AI
Biorce, a Barcelona-based healthtech startup, has raised €5 million from Norrsken VC, Europe’s largest impact venture capital firm. This investment follows a successful €3.5 million funding round in November 2024 led by YZR Capital and Mustard Seed Maze. The fresh capital will help Biorce accelerate product development, expand its US sales team, and grow its footprint in the clinical trials sector.
Streamlining Clinical Trials with AI
Clinical trials are a critical step in bringing new treatments to patients but are often slowed by delays and costly errors. About 70% of trials experience startup delays, and nearly 60% require expensive amendments costing between $250,000 and $450,000 each. These setbacks delay patient access to potentially life-saving therapies. Most of these problems stem from flawed trial protocols, miscommunication at trial sites, and logistical errors.
Biorce addresses these issues by applying artificial intelligence to simplify and optimize the clinical trial process. Their AI-native platform, Jarvis, supports everything from patient recruitment to protocol design and site selection. This reduces delays, cuts costs, and improves the likelihood of trial success.
How Jarvis Makes a Difference
Jarvis helps clinical teams make smarter decisions early on by providing data-driven recommendations and predicting which trial sites are most likely to succeed. This reduces time lost to errors and avoids costly mistakes that can set back drug development timelines. The platform is therapeutic-agnostic and currently supports programs across oncology, neurology, and other areas.
The technology has already been adopted by leading pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and contract research organizations (CROs), showing measurable improvements in trial planning and protocol design.
Backing from Industry Leaders
Pedro Coelho, CEO of Biorce, explains the motivation behind the company: “Our solution cuts through complexity, shortens timelines, and improves outcomes for patients. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, we were lucky to find a clinical trial that extended his life by ten months, but that kind of access is far from the norm. Our goal is to make clinical trials faster and cheaper so that we can get those opportunities to all patients.”
Tove Larsson, General Partner at Norrsken VC, commented: “Biorce combines deep sector expertise with AI to solve what truly matters. Their platform has the potential to reduce both the time and cost of bringing new treatments to market, unlocking huge value for pharma and faster access to treatments for patients.”
Markus Feuerecker, Founding Partner at YZR Capital, added: “From day one, we had a strong conviction in the team and the market. The early traction has been outstanding, and it’s been exciting to watch their momentum build.”
Sofia Queiroz, Investment Principal at Mustard Seed Maze, also praised Biorce’s rapid growth and real-world impact, recognizing the company’s ability to address a genuine market need.
Market Potential and Future Plans
The clinical trial market is expected to grow from $84 billion in 2024 to $150 billion by 2034, fueled by rising pharmaceutical R&D budgets. AI-driven solutions like Jarvis could unlock $13 to $25 billion in value for the industry by reducing trial amendments by 30–50% and speeding up protocol improvements by 25%.
Currently operating in Spain, the UK, and the Nordics, Biorce plans to use the new funding to expand into the US market and continue enhancing its platform’s capabilities.
Why This Matters for IT and Development Professionals
- Biorce demonstrates how AI can optimize complex, data-intensive processes in healthcare.
- The Jarvis platform shows practical application of predictive analytics and decision-support AI in a highly regulated industry.
- For developers, healthtech offers opportunities to build AI systems that directly impact patient outcomes and reduce operational costs.
- Investing in AI solutions for clinical trials aligns with growing pharma demand for automation and improved data management.
For IT professionals interested in AI applications in healthcare and drug development, learning more about AI tools and frameworks can provide a competitive edge. Explore practical AI courses and resources at Complete AI Training.
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