Swedish Professor Mathias Uhlén is investing in Stockholm-based medtech startup Capitainer. The well-renowned scientist will be joining the advisory board of the company. The startup develops a microsystem-based technology that offers a solution for near-patient blood sampling e.g. at home. Patients can themselves conveniently leave blood samples (as dried blood spots) and send them by mail to a laboratory for analysis.
Capitainer AB was founded in 2016. It develops and sells intelligent solutions for self-sampling blood, plasma, and urine. The startup has developed a unique technology for collecting an exact amount of fluid and then allowing it to dry. The sample card can be sent with regular mail to laboratories with no need for refrigerated transports or special packaging. The precision and accuracy in Capitainer’s samples are market-leading and perform on the same level as established pipetting methods.
Mathias Uhlén is a biotechnologist, entrepreneur, and Professor of Microbiology at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and is widely known for his work in large-scale quantitative analysis of proteins and leadership of the Human Protein Atlas project. He was also the Founding Director of the Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab, 2010–2015. Mathias Uhlén’s research interests cover antibody engineering, proteomics, and precision medicine.
“We are more than delighted to have Mathias Uhlén on board. His grit, knowledge, and experience of breaking new ground is an invaluable asset for Capitainer as we are taking a leap into the world of proteomics assays,” says Christopher Aulin, CEO of Capitainer.
Mathias Uhlén’s research has led to over 750 publications in scientific journals. His work has been translated by several companies ranging from early start-ups to large international companies, developing industrial applications of his research. He has founded 20 companies and has more than 70 international patent applications.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Capitainer advisory board, and I see great potential in the technologies Capitainer provides. Capitainer’s products, delivering high precision accuracy blood and plasma sampling, are the missing link to enable a broader implementation of personalised medicine, proteomics, and clinical monitoring in today’s healthcare, says Mathias Uhlén.
Already in collaboration with Mathias Uhlén and researchers at SciLifeLab, Capitainer is developing new specialised solutions for personalised medicine. The work is based on Capitainer’s products and analysis using proteomics assays developed by research and infrastructure groups at the Department of Protein Science, KTH.
“Through these joint efforts using our technologies, we have a unique possibility to play a crucial role in the commercialisation of large-scale screenings and personalised medicine diagnostics,” says Christopher Aulin.
Professor Mathias Uhlén is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science, IVA, the Royal Swedish Academy of Science, KVA, the European Molecular Biology Organization, EMBO, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA). He was the President of the European Federation of Biotechnology between 2015 and 2020.
He is also a former member of the board of directors of listed companies, including Prevas, Skanditek, Alligator Bioscience, Amersham, Novozymes, Bure and Biotage.
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