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Biocellis, the deep-tech and diagnostics company pioneering bioluminescence-based immunoassay technology, today announces that Pertinence Invest 3 and FRAI funds, managed by UI Investissement, have joined the company as institutional shareholders.
This marks a decisive step forward along the growth trajectory of Biocellis, as the company
transitions into a fully structured industrial group.
Paris, France, June 2026
” Biocellis is transitioning in 2026 to an industrial group with the ambition to serve clinicians, researchers, as well as the veterinary industry and biodefense sector.” says Vincent Poher, CEO of Biocellis.
A decade of research, now entering industrial stage
Born out of more than a decade of fundamental research at the Institut Pasteur and CNRS, Biocellis (www.biocellis.com) has developed a proprietary immunoassay platform that harnesses bioluminescence — nature’s own light-emitting mechanism — to detect biological targets with unparalleled sensitivity and speed. Where conventional diagnostic methods require hours and often sacrifice precision for throughput, Biocellis delivers ultra-sensitive, ultra-fast results in a compact and
versatile format.
The technology addresses critical unmet needs across multiple application fields: the ability to reliably detect trace quantities of pathogens, biomarkers or threat agents in real time, at low cost, and with minimal infrastructure requirements. This versatility positions Biocellis uniquely across life science research, clinical and veterinary in vitro diagnostics (IVD), it also allows the company to serve national biodefense programs.
PI3 and FRAI funds to finance Biocellis and get to Commercial Scale
The entry of Pertinence Invest 3 and FRAI funds, as new shareholders, brings new financing at a critical moment for the company, as it helps Biocellis accelerate the development of innovative solutions, strengthen its commercial capabilities across Europe and internationally, also build the infrastructure required to serve several end-markets simultaneously.
“This new financing reflects the strength of our technology and the scale of the market opportunity ahead of us,” said Vincent Poher, CEO of Biocellis. “With the financial commitment brought by UI, we plan to move decisively from scientific proof of concept to a broader industrial infrastructure and commercial deployment.”
“We are thrilled to support Biocellis’ vision and help Vincent transition towards commercialization stage, with potential great impact across the biodefense, healthcare and industrial sectors.” said Emilie Richard, Senior Director at UI Investissement.
The emergence of an Industrial Group with 3 Strategic Business Units
As part of its expansion strategy, Biocellis is formalizing its commercial structure around 3 Strategic Business Units, each addressing a distinct segment with tailored products, regulatory pathways and go-to-market approach :
| BIODEFENSE | IN VITRO DIAGNOSTICS | LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH |
| NATO member states & defense agencies |
Clinical & Veterinary in vitro diagnostics |
Laboratories, academic & industrial research |
Biodefense
Biocellis owns a unique platform, LuliFlash, transforming immunoassay diagnostic with truly unique features: results in under 60 seconds, with picogram-level sensitivity and minimal sample preparation. Biocellis has therefore been selected to participate in the 2026 DIANA program, to develop specific applications for NATO member states. This represents a landmark recognition of the strategic potential of Biocellis’ technology for national security and collective defense.
The ability to rapidly and reliably detect biological threat agents — whether naturally occurring pathogens or potential agents of bioterrorism — is a critical capability gap that NATO and its member states are actively seeking to address. Biocellis’ platform, combining extreme sensitivity, speed and ease of deployment, is uniquely positioned to contribute to the protection of military personnel, civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
In Vitro Diagnostics
Biocellis is currently collaborating with several industrial groups operating within the veterinary sector — a rapidly expanding market driven by growing demand for early disease detection in livestock, companion animals and wildlife health monitoring. The speed and sensitivity of Biocellis technology are particularly well-suited to point-of-care and field diagnostic use cases in veterinary settings.
With the additional equity financing and commitment by institutional investors, Biocellis is posed to expand its diagnostic product offering beyond veterinary use, towards clinical diagnostics in areas such as infectious diseases and emergency care. Biocellis has been selected by IDcluster, a recognized player in the European Infectious Diseases ecosystem, to develop specific clinical diagnostic applications. This collaboration validates the platform’s readiness for regulated IVD
environment and underlines its potential to bring transformative diagnostic performance to patients and healthcare practitioners.
Life Science Research
Through its affiliated company Synthelis (www.synthelis.com), Biocellis offers to academic and industrial research laboratories an exceptionally sensitive detection tool for protein quantification, biomarker discovery, small animal imaging and assay development.
Biocellis’ bioluminescence platform surpasses existing bioluminescence technologies, even in the most demanding applications such as live animal brain imaging, opening new avenues in areas such as discovery of new ligands and high throughput drug discovery.
About Biocellis
Biocellis is a French deep-tech company developing a breakthrough bioluminescence-based immunoassay platform. The technology was developed over more than a decade of research at the Institut Pasteur and CNRS, and delivers ultra-sensitive, ultra-fast biological detection across life science research, in vitro diagnostics and biodefense applications. Biocellis was co-founded in 2024 with the support of Institut Pasteur and General Inception, through its subsidiary Igniter Europe.
For more information, please contact:
Vincent POHER : vincent.poher@biocellis.com
About UI Investissement
As an independent company, UI has been committed and actively involved for over 50 years alongside startup, SME, and mid-cap executives to foster the emergence of differentiated companies with a sustainable growth model. UI Investissement currently manages over €1.7 billion in assets and support more than 300 entrepreneurs in key sectors such as healthcare, agri-business, industry, and services. Its dedicated innovation platform supports Deeptech and healthcare startups from inception stage to later stage of their growth trajectory. Today, UI relies on a team of 80 employees across more than 10 offices in France and Belgium.
Contact at UI Investissement :
Laurent Maillard – 06 60 59 77 07 – laurent.maillard@ui-investissement.fr
More information available at www.ui-investissement.fr
About the FRAI – Fonds Régional Avenir Industrie
Created in November 2023 by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Fonds Régional Avenir Industrie Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes aims to contribute to the financing of innovative startups in the seed phase, industrialization phase, and mature companies in the growth phase based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The fund has an initial capital of €50 million, of which 50% is European, thanks to support from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). It brings together the strengths
of the region, mobilized to support the regional economy and create local, sustainable jobs.