Leyden Labs
Leyden Labs develops a mucosal protection platform: nasal sprays delivering broadly protective antibodies against influenza and coronaviruses, stopping respiratory viruses before they enter the body.
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Podcast Episode
🎙️ Deep Dive
Almetra, Leyden Labs, Kalipso — manufacturing intelligence, antiviral nasal sprays and operational compliance — Daily News June 25, 2026
Listen to the episodeAbout Leyden Labs
Leyden Labs is a biotech company based in Leiden, the Netherlands, founded in 2020 by Koenraad Wiedhaup. The company is developing a new class of broadly protective nasal sprays designed to deliver antibodies directly to the respiratory mucosa - the area in the nose and mouth where airborne viruses such as influenza and coronaviruses typically enter the body. Its Mucosal Protection Platform aims to provide protection at this first point of contact, rather than relying solely on the systemic protection generated by vaccines or injected antibodies: the antibodies are designed to remain effective even as viruses mutate, since they target entire viral families rather than single strains. This approach could be particularly relevant for immunocompromised people, since it does not require a fully functional immune response. Following its selection for the EIC STEP Scale Up programme, in June 2026 Leyden Labs raised €40M from a group of investors including the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Invest-NL (which contributed €10M), the Gates Foundation Strategic Investment Fund and ClavystBio. The funding will support the company's clinical programme and advance its pipeline targeting influenza, coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses; the Gates Foundation investment is specifically tied to strategies for optimising access to Leyden Labs' products in low- and middle-income countries.
The Story
Founded in 2020 in Leiden by Koenraad Wiedhaup, with the goal of creating a new generation of preventative medicines against known and future respiratory viruses.
How Leyden Labs works
Business Model
Clinical-stage development of biotech products intended for licensing, pharmaceutical partnerships and global public health access programmes.
Revenue Model
Pre-commercial model funded through equity rounds, public grants (EIC) and strategic philanthropic investors; future revenue tied to licensing and access agreements.
Products & Services
Key Products
- Mucosal Protection Platform
- Intranasal antibody sprays
Core Use Cases
- Protezione preventiva contro influenza
- Protezione preventiva contro coronavirus
- Protezione per popolazioni immunocompromesse
- Accesso sanitario in paesi a basso/medio reddito
Market & Clients
Key Customers
Targets public health systems, governments and global health organisations seeking preventative tools against respiratory viruses, with an explicit focus on access in low- and middle-income countries.
Geographic Presence
How Leyden Labs competes
Competitive Advantages
- Broad-spectrum technology against entire viral families, not single variants
- Non-vaccine approach usable even by immunocompromised people
- Backing from high-profile public and philanthropic investors (EIC, Gates Foundation)
- Selection into the EIC STEP Scale Up programme
How Leyden Labs grows
Growth Strategy
Advance the clinical programme on influenza and coronaviruses and scale global access to products, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with support from the Gates Foundation.
Distribution Model
Future distribution through partnerships with public health systems, global access programmes and potential pharmaceutical licensing.
Moat (Defensibility)
Proprietary broad-spectrum mucosal antibody platform, validated by an advanced clinical pathway and a public-philanthropic investor base that is difficult to replicate.
Regulatory Context
Development subject to regulatory approval for pharmaceutical/preventative products in Europe and target markets, with global public health implications.
Key Risks
- Typical biotech clinical development timelines and risk
- Dependence on public and philanthropic funding ahead of the commercial stage
- Need to demonstrate efficacy against evolving viral families
- Regulatory complexity for intranasal preventative products
Strategic Insights
- Mucosal protection aims to close the gap between systemic vaccination and immediate local immunity.
- Public and philanthropic investors (EIC, Gates Foundation) are funding biotech with an explicit global-access agenda, not just financial return.
- A product effective against entire viral families, rather than single variants, reduces the risk of obsolescence from mutation.
Funding & Investors
Funding Rounds
- 2026 - :
Lead: European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund
Key Investors
Founding Team
Founders
Key Executives
- Koenraad Wiedhaup - CEO
Key Metrics
Lessons from Leyden Labs
- Aligning the investor base with a public-access mission (Gates Foundation, EIC) can unlock patient capital unavailable to traditional venture capital.
- A broad technology platform (protection across viral families) is more resilient than a product tied to a single threat.
- Selection into public programmes such as the EIC STEP Scale Up can act as validation that attracts further institutional investors.
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