Leipzig-based biotech start-up Primogene GmbH has secured €4.1 million in funding to bring complex bioactive molecules to market at scale. Using proprietary enzymatic platform technology, the company produces biomolecules that are identical to their natural counterparts, sustainably, cost-efficiently, and at industrial scale. Primogene serves diverse markets from infant nutrition and adult health to pharmaceutical raw materials and personal care.
The seed round is led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) with additional investors including Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS), better ventures, Sächsische Beteiligungsgesellschaft (SBG), Golzern Holding GmbH, FS Life Science Investment GmbH, and Dr. Marc Struhalla (founder and CEO of c-LEcta GmbH). The new capital will be used to expand the IP portfolio, strategic partnerships, and production capacities.
The Starting Point: Human Milk as a Blueprint
Around 13 million infants are born prematurely worldwide each year. Breast milk — refined through millions of years of evolution — is the gold standard for infant nutrition, supporting immune system development, cognitive growth, and microbiome establishment.
However, the nutritional needs for premature infants are more acute: clinical evidence has demonstrated the critical role of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), in particular disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT), a structurally complex HMO with significant clinical benefits for premature infants.
Primogene’s enzymatic platform solves the problem of producing these molecules at scale by addressing the inherent limits of established fermentation-based approaches, which require significant capital investment, are operationally cost-intensive, and face biological constraints on the complexity of molecules that can be efficiently produced. Enzymatic processes overcome these constraints, enabling the production of structurally complex molecules at scale, identical to their natural equivalents. Primogene has developed scalable processes for DSLNT and a family of fucosylated lacto-N-tetraose molecules, including difucosyllacto-N-tetraose I (LNDFH I), the HMO with the second-highest concentration in breast milk.
The commercial momentum is compelling: the global HMO market is growing at approximately 18 – 20% annually, and over 65% of newly launched infant formula products in 2023 featured one or more HMOs.
A Platform Technology With Applications Across the Human Lifespan
The application of Primogene’s technology extends well beyond infant nutrition. Many of the bioactive molecules produced by the company play important roles across different stages of life: supporting gut health in adults, enhancing cognitive function in seniors, and serving as functional ingredients in personal care products.
Primogene also supplies high-quality raw materials for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, contributing to supply chain resilience through domestic European production in one of the most critical sectors.
The entire production process — from enzyme development and production through biotransformation and downstream processing — is managed at Primogene’s facility in Leipzig, Germany. The technology and process are underpinned by a strong IP portfolio spanning multiple product categories.
Commercial Traction and Research Collaborations
Primogene has established commercial partnerships in the personal care sector, and its active ingredients are already commercially available. The company’s pharmaceutical raw materials are actively being evaluated by customers, with partnerships in advanced stages of development. Primogene is actively seeking joint development partners among infant formula producers and functional food manufacturers to bring its complex HMOs, including DSLNT, to market at scale.
In partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) in Leipzig, Primogene is exploring the potential of its ingredients for the prevention of infectious diseases. In parallel, the company is collaborating with neonatal intensive care units to monitor HMO concentrations in breast milk of mothers who have given preterm birth, helping define clinically relevant dosing and application in neonatal care.
Scaling in Leipzig
Primogene was founded in Leipzig in 2023 by Dr.-Ing. Reza Mahour, Valerian Grote, and Linda Karger. With the new funding, Primogene aims to scale its vision to produce bioactive ingredients that support human health across all stages of life.
The capital will enable the company to expand its production capacity in Leipzig, strengthen its IP portfolio, and grow its team. Primogene plans to broaden its customer base and establish additional strategic partnerships. The company is actively seeking partners in the field of infant nutrition.
“Primogene combines deep scientific excellence with strong industrial relevance. They address a core challenge: the inefficient, expensive, and technically limited production of complex biomolecules using chemical or traditional fermentation methods. Their multi-enzyme platform unlocks complex biomolecules which were previously too costly or difficult to produce at scale. The team executes fast, listens to customer feedback, and already shows great traction. We are very happy about the financing round and look forward to the next steps” says Dr. Stephan Ruck, Investment Analyst at HTGF.
“Enzymatic synthesis is the key to unlocking the next generation of complex bioactive molecules and Primogene has developed concepts to efficiently produce several high-potential products. This is why I am excited to be part of this journey and to contribute to Primogene’s success.” says Dr. Marc Struhalla, founder and CEO of c-LEcta GmbH.
“The capital will enable us to build the next phase of Primogene by scaling production, growing the team, and accelerating the industrial launch of our products.” says Dr.-Ing. Reza Mahour, CEO and Co-founder of Primogene. “Our goal is to make complex ingredients accessible at scale and thereby support human health at every age," adds Linda Karger, COO and Co-Founder of Primogene.