Belgium-based biotech incubator and early-stage investor Biotope by VIB has unveiled its seventh start-up cohort – three ventures from Brazil, the UK, and Belgium developing breakthrough solutions for food resilience and sustainable agriculture.
Each start-up will receive €250K in direct funding, €100K in tailored support, and access to VIB’s scientific and business ecosystem.
Science-driven start-ups with global roots
The selected ventures emerged from a competitive three-week basecamp, where 10 early-stage teams refined their science and business models. The final three – Typcal, BugBiome, and B-COS – stood out for their commercial potential and alignment with Biotope’s mission to advance planetary health.
- Typcal (Brazil) is pioneering scalable mycoprotein production using proprietary fungi strains that grow on diverse feedstocks, offering a flexible platform for sustainable protein and fibre.
- BugBiome (UK) is harnessing microbial ecosystems to protect crops by deterring pests while preserving beneficial insects – an ecological alternative to chemical pesticides.
- B-COS (Belgium) is developing COS-molecules that activate plants’ natural defenses, aiming to replace synthetic pesticides with bio-based, regulatory-friendly solutions.
From lab to market in 18 months
Biotope’s 18-month incubation programme is designed to guide biotech start-ups from proof-of-concept to seed-round readiness. Founders receive hands-on support across IP, regulation, and scale-up, plus access to VIB’s research infrastructure and expert network.
Annick Verween, Head of Biotope, said: “This cohort reflects what Biotope was built to do – support ambitious teams applying breakthrough science to solve urgent food and agriculture challenges. Each of these start-ups has the potential to reshape their field, and we’re proud to help them lay the right foundations.”
The programme also emphasizes founder diversity, with two of the three ventures led by women.
Chiara Guidi, future CEO of Ghent-based B-COS, said: “The Biotope programme gives us a clear path from academic innovation to market-ready product.”
Alicia Showering, co-founder of BugBiome, added: “Biotope offers a unique environment to grow our science into a scalable crop protection business with real-world impact.”
Applications open for cohort 8
Biotope’s next basecamp runs from December 2–18, 2025, in Belgium and online. Applications are open until October 16 via https://biotope-incubator.com/apply-now/
