2025: Biotech Funding, Innovation and Community at Jumar Bioincubator

With more than $61M raised, 200+ biotech professionals on site, and 800+ attendees across Jumar events and workshops, 2025 marked a milestone year for Melbourne’s biotech community.

Jumar has pushed Melbourne’s biotech and medtech innovation forward in a big way this year. Our residents delivered breakthrough science, secured major grants, expanded manufacturing, and advanced clinical pipelines, all from within Jumar's walls.

Tessara Therapeutics announces a strategic partnership with InSphero, unveiled at the International MPS Society (iMPSS) meeting in Brussels.

Biotech breakthroughs: Funding, clinical trials and partnerships from Jumar Startup Residents in 2025

• Tessara Therapeutics entered into a global distribution agreement with InSphero, a leading provider of scalable 3D in vitro systems, to support the distribution of its RealBrain® technology.
• RAGE Biotech raised $29M, marking a major step toward translating RNA-based therapeutics for chronic inflammatory disease into the clinic.
• Nutromics raised $7.5M to advance the world’s first Lab-on-a-Patch® - a continuous, multiplex molecular monitoring platform that delivers real-time insights through a single wearable device.
• Proxima Bio set up their labs at Jumar, grew their team to 11, and produced promising human sample data showing the potential of their cell-surface degrader technology to build better, more targeted medicines for patients with autoimmune diseases.
• Denteric completed a Phase I safety trial in healthy volunteers for their oral health immunotherapies and secured $2.5M in CUREator+ Dementia funding to support a Phase I safety trial in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Arovella Therapeutics announced that a US patent will be granted for their iNKT Cell Therapy Platform.
• Remagine Labs awarded a $3M CRC-P grant to advance their wearable, electronically controlled platform for precise, adjustable transdermal drug delivery.
• Misti established local manufacturing of MedMisti®’s core transducer in Victoria with support from LaunchVic. MedMisti® is the world’s first super-sonic smart inhaler that delivers hospital-grade therapeutics at home.

• SKYDD Biotechnology successfully completed the third human clinical trial for its natural virus prevention spray.

• H3D secured $5.8M Series A Funding to expand its AI manufacturing technology across dental and hearing care.
  
  

Drug Discovery Symposium, delivered by Jumar Bioincubator and BioCurate.

Events that shaped the year: Drug discovery, BrainTech, Tech23 and Jumar's Annual Showcase

This year, we also ran 24 events and workshops, attracting over 800 attendees — from researchers and academics to investors and government representatives. Highlights included a drug discovery symposium in partnership with BioCurate, BrainTech 2025, the Cicada x Tech23 Victoria roadshow, and the Annual Jumar Showcase. These events provided startups with invaluable insights, industry connections, and opportunities for collaboration across the biotech and medtech ecosystem.

The Jumar Masterclass series continued to draw strong interest, covering essential topics such as clinical trials, intellectual property, and scaling a biotech startup. Each session delivered practical tips and actionable strategies to support startups at every stage of their commercialisation journey.

The success of Jumar in 2025 is built on collaboration. Our partners — CSL, WEHI, the University of Melbourne, Breakthrough Victoria, and our operator Cicada Innovations — have provided guidance, resources, and networks that help startups turn bold ideas into real-world impact. Their continued support strengthens Melbourne’s biotech ecosystem and ensures our residents have the connections they need to grow and succeed.

The Jumar team behind the science

Equally important is the team driving Jumar every day. Katja Beitat, Camille Shanahan, Michael Temopoulos, Ashley Liew, Andreas Maraskovsky, Eithne McLaughlin, and our newest team member, Anna Figueiredo work behind the scenes to support startups at every stage.

With more startups joining, groundbreaking discoveries emerging, and new opportunities across Melbourne’s biotech ecosystem, 2025 was just the beginning. Jumar is more than a space — it’s a launchpad for innovation, growth, and transformative science.

To our founders, residents, program participants, alumni, partners, mentors, and staff: thank you for making 2025 a truly memorable and impactful year. We can’t wait to see what we will achieve together in 2026.

About Jumar Bioincubator
Jumar Bioincubator serves as a ‘first home’ for 30+ biotech ventures in Australia, providing affordable lab and office space alongside practical support to advance early scientific discoveries. Residents gain access to world-class facilities, a dedicated support team, and curated entrepreneurial training and events. Established by CSL, WEHI and the University of Melbourne, and backed by Breakthrough Victoria with Cicada Innovations as operator, Jumar’s mission is to connect early-stage and scaling biotech ventures with the support needed to translate discoveries into real-world therapies and build a community of scientists equipped to lead successful biomedical ventures.