Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based Founder operating in the Therapeutics space. If you think a Founder is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Siro Perez
Co-Founder & CEO of Molecular Warehouse
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About IP Group, Kira Biotech, Molecular Warehouse: Molecular Warehouse is creating a world where most diseases are prevented, by giving people the power of molecular diagnostics and mHealth.
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Nikita Alexandrov
Co-Founder of Molecular Warehouse
Nikita brings advanced expertise in instrumentation and high throughput research techniques. Prior to MW, he founded Permanetix Corporation, developing technology in the field of Fusion energy. Previously, he was the first employee in the aerospace materials testing start-up XEEL Corp, where he developed tools and techniques for high energy testing of space flight hardware for NASA. Nikita graduated from Auburn University (USA) in 2012, with a degree in chemistry, focusing on analytical chemistry, where he received his own lab to conduct chemical plasma reactor research and development. Nikita has an MBA from the University of Alabama (USA).
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About Molecular Warehouse: Molecular Warehouse is creating a world where most diseases are prevented, by giving people the power of molecular diagnostics and mHealth.
Peter Hames
Co-Founder & CEO of Big Health
Peter Hames is CEO of Big Health, a digital medicine company he co-founded with clinical psychologist Prof Colin Espie (University of Oxford). Big Health creates automated behavioral medicine programs fuelled by tracked data, and was inspired by Peter’s difficulty in getting access to evidence-based non-drug solutions to his own insomnia. Big Health’s first product, Sleepio, is a digital sleep improvement program featuring personalized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, delivered by virtual animated sleep expert The Prof and his narcoleptic dog Pavlov. In the world’s first placebo-controlled randomised trial for an intervention of its kind, Sleepio was shown to be comparable in effectiveness to face-to-face therapy.
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About Big Health, Lucky Voice, NHS England, Sleepio: Big Health is a digital therapeutics company operating a healthcare portal to offer behavioral programs for mental health issues.
Amit Nathwani
Founder & Chief Scientific Officer of Freeline
Amit is renowned for his pioneering work on gene therapy for haemophilia B, and was first to show successful correction of bleeding diathesis in patients with severe haemophilia B. Amit is the Director of the Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia Centre at the Royal Free Hospital, and a Senior NIHR Investigator. He is also Professor of Haematology at UCL. He graduated in Medicine from the University of Aberdeen in 1984. In 1997 he moved to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, USA, to work with Dr Arthur Nienhuis on adeno-associated virus mediated gene transfer. Here he started his pioneering work on gene therapy for haemophilia B. In 2001 he returned to University College London as a Senior Lecturer in Haematology and a Consultant to the National Blood Services in the UK. He was the first to show successful correction of bleeding diathesis in patients with severe haemophilia B, using a distinct gene transfer approach developed in collaboration with Dr’s Davidoff and Nienhuis at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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About Freeline: Freeline Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing liver directed gene therapies for a range of diseases.
James Field
CEO & Founder of LabGenius
James is founder and CEO of LabGenius. James completed his PhD studies at Imperial College London where his research was focused on re-engineering protein nanocages for biotechnological applications. Prior to his PhD, James completed a BSc in Biology with Microbiology and an MRes in Systems and Synthetic Biology, at Imperial College London. James is an active member of the synthetic biology community having participated in the iGEM competition both as an undergraduate (2009), advisor (2011) and judge (2016). In 2017, James was awarded the BBSRC Innovator of the Year award for early career impact. James is also a fellow of the prestigious Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program (LEAP).
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About LabGenius: LabGenius is a biopharmaceutical company developing protein therapeutics using a machine learning-driven evolution engine.
Susan Greenfield
Founder & CEO of Neuro-Bio
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About Neuro-Bio: Neuro-Bio is a British pharmaceutical company
Baroness Susan Greenfield
CEO & Founder of Neuro-Bio
Susan Greenfield is a neuroscientist, writer, and broadcaster. She has been awarded 30 Honorary Degrees from British and foreign universities and heads a multi-disciplinary research group exploring novel brain mechanisms linked to neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Lincoln College, Oxford and has currently co-founded a biotech company developing a novel approach to neurodegenerative disorders (Neuro-Bio Ltd). In addition, she has published a neuroscientific theory of consciousness,’The Private Life of the Brain’ (2003) and developed a keen interest in the impact of modern technologies on how young people think and feel. This was discussed in her book, ‘ID: The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century’ (2008). In 1998 she received the Michael Faraday Medal from the Royal Society, was awarded a CBE in the Millennium New Year’s Honours List and was granted a non-political Life Peerage in 2001. In 2000 she was elected to an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and in 2007 to an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She was appointed Chancellor of Heriot Watt University in 2005. Further recognition of her work includes L’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur from the French Government, and the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, both received in 2003. Susan was also awarded the Australian Medical Research Society Medal in 2010. In 2011, Susan joined the Advisory Board of the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences at the Indian Institute for Technology, Delhi. In 2012, Susan was offered the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Risk Management and also became a Vice Patron of POWER International. Further on in 2012, Susan was selected to serve as the Parliamentary Patron of the Westminster Higher Education Forum, alongside of continuing to be a Parliamentary Patron of the Westminster Education Forum. Continuing through 2012, Susan bacame a Governor of The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and also started to suport the IAB (the International Advisory Board). In January 2014, she was included in the Debrett’s 500, “a recognition of the most influential and inspiring 500 people in Britain.”. Most recently, in July 2014, Susan was awarded as an Honorary Doctorate at Middlesex University.
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About Neuro-Bio: Neuro-Bio is a British pharmaceutical company
Guido Franzoso
Scientific Founder of Kesios Therapeutics
Franzoso joined Imperial College London in June 2007 and is Head of the Centre for Cell Signalling and Inflammation and Professor and Chair of Signal transduction and Inflammation. He was previously at the University of Chicago for 10 years. Franzoso, is the principal founder of Kesios Therapeutics, a spin-out from Imperial College London founded in 2012. Franzoso’s work is highly regarded by the scientific community, as evidenced by numerous high-impact publications in journals, such as, Nature, Science, Cell, Immunity, Nature Cell Biology and Cancer Cell and he has been awarded substantial funding to pursue his research. Recognising the need to translate this research into healthcare benefit, Franzoso was able to raise £3.7M from the MRC for a multi-centre Phase I/IIa trial of DTP3 in multiple myeloma and he has also successfully achieved substantial project funding for both basic and clinical research from the MRC, CRUK and NIH (US). Franzoso owns several patents on intellectual property related to his research. Franzoso holds a medical degree from the University of Padua medical school, Italy and a Ph.D. in microbiological sciences from the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Padua.
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About Imperial College London, Kesios Therapeutics: Kesios Therapeutics, a London, UK-based oncology drug discovery company
George Frodsham
Founder & CEO of MediSieve
George Frodsham founded MediSieve after being awarded his PhD in biochemical engineering from University College London (UCL), during which he developed the magnetic blood filter. As well as being a physicist and engineer, George is an entrepreneur. George was awarded a BBSRC Enterprise Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2014. Since 1996, only 180 individuals have benefited from this highly competitive and prestigious programme. George has also completed the Entrepreneurship Summer School programme at the London Business School. This equipped him to research target markets and industries and turn his visions into viable businesses.
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About MediSieve: MediSieve is a therapeutics company developing a platform technology for the treatment of blood-borne diseases.
Sergio Quezada
Founder of Achilles Therapeutics
Sergio Quezada is a Professorial Research Fellow and a Group Leader of the Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Laboratory at University College London Cancer Institute. He is an expert in basic and translational research relating to cancer immunology with a focus on T cell immunobiology, immune-regulation, and the interplay between cancerous and immune cells within the tumour microenvironment. He has made seminal contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the in vivo activity of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), particularly on the mechanisms of action of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Sergio has been the recipient of Dartmouth’s John W. Strohbern Medal for excellence in biomedical research, a CRUK Career Development Fellowship and the Cancer Research Institute investigator Award. Most recently he was awarded with a Cancer Research UK Senior Cancer Research Fellowship. Sergio holds a Ph.D. from Dartmouth Medical School. From 2004 to 2010 he held a post-doctoral position in the laboratory of Dr. James Allison at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
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About Achilles Therapeutics, Achilles Therapeutics, UCL Cancer Institute: Achilles Therapeutics is a developer of immunotherapies intended to offer next-generation, patient-specific therapies to treat cancer.
Anna Perdrix Rosell
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Sixfold Bioscience
Anna Perdrix Rosell is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Sixfold Bioscience.
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About Sixfold Bioscience: Sixfold Bioscience develops and researches on biotechnology advances for RNA therapies.
Sophia Karagiannis
Scientific Founder of Epsilogen
Sophia is a Reader in translational cancer immunology at KCL and a globally-recognised expert on the use of IgE antibodies to fight cancer. She co-founded and Chairs the Task Force on AllergoOncology and her group collaborates closely with the CRUK Centre for Drug Development. She holds a PhD from King’s College London.
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About Epsilogen: Epsilogen is a developer of an immuno-oncology company intended to develop immunoglobulin antibodies to treat cancer.
Malcolm Weir
Founder & CEO of Heptares Therapeutics
Former Visiting Professor of Biochemistry at Imperial College, London. Former Head of the Molecular Sciences Division of Glaxo Wellcome Inc. (present Glaxo Smithkline plc.) Former CEO of Inpharmatica Ltd.（present Galapagos NV). Founder and CEO of Heptares Therapeutics Ltd.
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About Heptares Therapeutics, Sosei Group: Heptares Therapeutics develops novel, small-molecule drugs for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
Herbert Oakes
Founder & CEO of NOXSUDOR THERAPEUTICS LIMITED
Herbert Oakes, non-executive director, is an investment banker and builder of high technology life sciences companies. He is currently a Managing Director of Oakes, Lyman & Co. Limited an investment banking firm specialising in high-tech healthcare; a Managing director of Hycroft Advisors, a global investment banking firm specialising in arranging capital for private equity partnerships; and CEO of NoxSudor Therapeutics Limited, a start-up medical business developing a therapy for hot flashes and night sweats for menopausal women. He is an advisor of Wilton Corporate Finance Limited.
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About NOXSUDOR THERAPEUTICS LIMITED: First prescription medical device to control sweating
Allison Jeynes-Ellis
Co-Founder & CEO of Avillion
Over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Significant global drug development experience and successful EU and US drug approvals across a range of therapeutic areas. Leadership of global clinical development teams for Phase 3, including CRO selection and management. Strong networks within the pharma industry and relevant regulatory bodies
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About Avillion: Avillion LLP, a London, UK-based company that focuses on clinical co-development of therapeutics.
Vincenzo Cerundolo
Founder of iOx Therapeutics Ltd.
Professor Cerundolo is Professor of Immunology at the University of Oxford and Director of the MRC Human Immunology Unit at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. He was the first to show the mechanism of ligand binding of lipids to CD1d molecules and their subsequent presentation to lymphocytes. In addition, He was able to demonstrate the importance of iNKT cells in enhancing antigen specific T and B cell responses and their ability to abolish the immuno-suppressive activity of myeloid derived suppressor cells. This work led to the development of the engineered iNKT agonists being developed by iOx as potential immunotherapy candidates. He discovered the technology that is the basis for iOx Therapeutics and acts as scientific advisor to iOx.
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About iOx Therapeutics Ltd.: iOx Therapeutics Ltd. operates as an immuno-oncology company.
Benedikt Reinke
Co-Founder & Managing Director of Sympatient
Benedikt Reinke is the Co-Founder & Managing Director at Sympatient GmbH
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About Sympatient: Sympatient is building the first digital anxiety clinic.
Jen Hyatt
Founder and Chief Executive of Big White Wall
Widely recognised for achievements in the fields of social entrepreneurship and digital technology. Has founded or co-created over 30 organizations worldwide, ranging from the National Telephone Helplines Association in the UK to a major grant-making foundation in the Balkans. 2007, founded Big White Wall, recognizing stigma and poor access were preventing millions from getting mental health support; guides strategic growth while launching new enterprises focused on using technology to improve access to legal advice and a digital approach to the improved social, physical and psychological health of teenagers. 2013, created the Collaborative on Health and Technology (ChaT) to help evidence-based digital healthcare companies achieve scale in the UK. Public speaker. Named: one of top 50 innovators in healthcare, Health Service Journal; Schwab Foundation Global Social Entrepreneur (2015); WCIT Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2015); Red Magazine’s Digital Woman of the Year (2015). Recipient, NatWest Everywoman Iris Award (2015). In 2015, Jen was invited to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts as well as sit on the Strategy Committee of the Guy’s and St Thomas Charity.
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About Big White Wall: Big White Wall is a digital mental health and well-being service supporting members through contracts in healthcare and other markets.
Davidson Ateh
Co-Founder & CEO of BioMoti
Davidson is an entrepreneur operating in the life sciences. He has an interdisciplinary scientific background in bioengineering and was a past recipient of the prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh/BBSRC Enterprise Fellowship. Davidson has significant technology translation experience including proof-of-concept studies, IP protection, non-dilutive grant applications, partnering, licensing and raising investment. He has won awards for his scientific and commercial activities. Davidson is a co-inventor of the Oncojan™ drug delivery platform, co-founder of BioMoti and leads product and business development activities.
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About BioMoti: BioMoti seeks to transform the treatment of cancer by targeted delivery of therapeutics to the intracellular space of cancer cells
Charles Large
Founder and CEO of Autifony Therapeutics
Charles Large received his first degree and PhD from the University of Bristol and has more than 20 years of experience of drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry. Before founding Autifony, he was Director of Molecular and Cellular Biology within the Neuroscience Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline, and has worked on programs focused on schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and major depression. He is an expert on drugs that modulate voltage gated ion channels and their application to neurological and psychiatric disorders. He has built up a reputation in the field of sodium channel blocking drugs, and has collaborated widely with academic groups. He has authored over 50 papers, book chapters and patents relating to ion channel modulators.
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About Autifony Therapeutics: Autifony Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing medicines to treat hearing disorders such as hearing loss and tinnitus.
Douglas Higgins
Founder & Director of Mujo Mechanics
Douglas Higgins is the Founder & Director at Mujo Mechanics.
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About Mujo Mechanics: Mujo Mechanics provides smart devices and intelligent cloud platform for a data-driven approach to musculoskeletal health.
Adrian Hayday
Co-Founder of GammaDelta Therapeutics
Adrian Hayday was trained in biochemistry at Cambridge, and obtained a PhD in molecular virology from London University. He began studying immunology in 1982 at MIT, where he and his colleagues first described the wholly unanticipated T cell receptor gamma chain genes. Since then Professor Hayday has used many parameters to establish that gamma-delta T cells are clearly distinct from conventional T cells. Those parameters include the cells’ responses to different products of a novel gene family expressed at body surfaces, that Professor Hayday and his colleagues identified. He showed that this unique biology allows gamma-delta T cells to make rapid responses to tissue dysreguation, rather than to specific pathogens, and thereby to monitor tissue integrity. This may explain Professor Hayday’s observation that gamma-delta T cell deficiency is associated with a profound susceptibility to skin carcinogens, findings which were instrumental in promoting his and others’ interest in the cells’ clinical application. In other clinical activities, he directed a team describing the human immune response to vaccination and described the unique properties of human autoantibodies. Additionally, he is the lead-investigator of a Wellcome Trust-supported, multi-centre, high-throughput phenotyping screen identifying novel genetic regulators of the immune system. Professor Hayday has authored over 200 papers, of which he is first, last, or corresponding author on over 120, and of which 150 are original research contributions. He has received many awards, including the William Clyde deVaneMedal, Yale College’s highest honour for scholarship and teaching, an honorary fellowship of King’s College London, and the King’s College Business Award, 2008. He was elected to lead the British Society of Immunology (2005-09) and has organized many scientific meetings including the 2014 Gordon Conference in Immunochemistry and Immunobiology, and the scientific programme for the 2012 European Congress of Immunology. He is an elected fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the Royal Society. He has formally advised many institutions including Institut Pasteur; the Max Planck Institute; Kyoto University, the Wellcome Trust, and Cancer Research UK, whose science committee he chaired for three years. He has participated in many aspects of the biotech/pharmaceutical sector, including membership of the MedImmune SAB, and was a co-founder of ImmunoQure AG before co-founding GammaDelta Therapeutics in 2016.
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About GammaDelta Therapeutics: GammaDelta Therapeutics is developing the potential of gamma delta (γδ) cells
Hakim Yadi
CEO & Co-Founder of Closed Loop Medicine
Hakim Yadi is the CEO and Co-Founder at Closed Loop Medicine.
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About : Developing personalised digital healthcare solutions to improve outcomes for patients and clinicians
Martin Schoel
Founder of ChooseHelp
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About ChooseHelp: ChooseHelp provides private addiction treatment through a network of treatment centers and drug rehabilitation centers.
Isabel Van De Keere
Founder and CEO of Immersive Rehab
Isabel is an experienced innovation strategist & manager, researcher, product designer, experimentalist, and collaborator across disciplines. She is passionate about science, healthcare technologies, digital health, immersive technologies (VR/AR) and its applications in healthcare, using tech for good, social entrepreneurship, and promoting women in tech.
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About Immersive Rehab: IR creates interactive physiotherapy programmes in Virtual Reality that improve the effectiveness of physical & neuro-rehabilitation.
