Patrick Aisher has been investing in science startups for decades and is now focusing on very specific areas of transformation, building a hub for research and startups in Europe. 

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How would you compare the health space to other industries in terms of ‘easiness’ of investment? Are health tech investments riskier because there are a lot more rules, regulations and research that must occur before going to market? 

About half of our portfolio of 125 investments is health tech related. Investing in health tech is often more challenging than other industries due to stringent regulations and the extensive research required before products can go to market. However, these barriers also create a competitive advantage for firms that manage to navigate these hurdles successfully, especially when led by top-tier teams. This is one of the reasons that we co-invest with Calm/Storm in the Digital Health sector. Their team has a breadth of knowledge that is unparalleled in their understanding of what can assist innovations in making it to market.

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What excites you about the biotech and health space? 

The potential impact of biotech and health innovations is profound. I have invested in life science innovation since the late 1990’s, and I am driven by the ability of these advancements to address critical health issues, improve quality of life, and extend life expectancy. The field is constantly evolving with new scientific breakthroughs, which makes it an exciting area to invest in. Danube BioVentures has been created to capitalise on the opportunities we see originating in Austria and the broader European ecosystem.

What kind of innovations are you most interested in right now, and what particular challenges do we need to tackle in the health space?

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Individually I continue to invest into the Swiss medical device innovation and robotics sector, as well as focusing on precision medicine in cancer care. I am also delighted that Danube BioVentures has launched our new fund, DanubeNeuro, which is committed to expanding our investment efforts in combating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 

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Can you tell us more about your plans for DanubeNeuro, and how many startups and projects will be accepted?

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DanubeNeuro is focused on finding new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. These conditions represent not just medical challenges but also personal tragedies affecting millions. As our population ages, the severity of these diseases intensifies, deeply impacting families and communities. Yet, there remains a stark shortage of effective treatments. By focusing DanubeNeuro’s resources on innovative solutions we aim to bring hope and substantially alleviate the healthcare burden, thereby transforming lives and restoring dignity to those affected.

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In collaboration with our partner, the renowned Vienna-based accelerator CEBINA, we plan to select a handful of high-quality projects, emphasising quality over quantity. Our strategy includes commercialising innovations by founding new companies or through out-licensing. If strategically advantageous, we're prepared to finance the development of these projects deep into clinical testing, supporting them up to Phase II with a committed investment of €100 million in the fund. 

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At Danube Labs, you aim to work with universities and researchers to fund therapy and drug innovations. Can you tell us what projects you are working with right now? Are there any launching soon that you can discuss? 

DanubeLabs have provided about €15M of funding to projects that have originated in Universities from the Central and Eastern European regions in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovenia, Poland and Italy. Selecting projects from renowned academic institutions certainly helps ensure superior science and de-risks the investment. We have several promising projects underway. To give a few examples, we recently achieved very encouraging results with an immunomodulator in a cancer model, outperforming the current standard of care in immunotherapy. Our most advanced project successfully targets idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung condition, in a disease model. The mechanism behind this effect is suitable for treating additional conditions and may positively impact health span and ageing as well. Details remain confidential for now, but these projects hold potential for significant breakthroughs.

Both Danube Labs and DanubeNeuro are located in Vienna. Was there a specific reason for choosing Austria?

Vienna is an ideal location for our partner CEBINA, the experienced biotech incubator, accelerator, and product development and research company. The city boasts world-renowned universities and research institutions, providing a rich talent pool. It offers robust support for biotech startups and benefits from a strategic position in the centre of Europe, facilitating cross-country collaborations. Our worldwide project scouting ensures we capture the best innovations globally, while we value having our base in Vienna. We also enjoy the schnitzel!

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