DeepEn secures seven-figure seed financing and EIC transition funding

The Jena-based start-up DeepEn has received a seven-figure seed investment and 2.5 million euros from the EIC Transition Program. The capital will be used to develop high-precision holographic endoscopes.

Jena, February 18, 2025 - DeepEn GmbH, a pioneer in the field of holographic endoscopy, has successfully completed a seven-figure seed financing round with investors bm|t, MBG Thüringen and Sparkasse Jena-Saale-Holzland. The fresh capital is intended to drive forward the development and commercialization of the world's thinnest microscopy instruments, which will open up new opportunities in neuroscience and biomedical research in particular.

In addition, the company will receive funding of 2.5 million euros for the NEUROGATE research project as part of the EIC Transition Program of the European Innovation Agency (EIC). In collaboration with three European institutes, DeepEn aims to make the minimally invasive technology usable for other areas of application.

Investment in neurophotonic innovations

DeepEn's endoscopes are based on innovative algorithms and holographic techniques that direct laser light through a single optical fiber. When the fiber is inserted into an organ - such as the brain - the light beam is bundled into a precise focal point, enabling high-resolution laser scanning microscopy even in previously inaccessible deep tissue layers. This groundbreaking technology was honored with the Life Sciences Award of the European Microscopy Society in 2024.

We warmly welcome our new investment partners and thank them for their trust in DeepEn's team and technology. Together we aim to enable innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for neurological diseases with our powerful imaging systems.

Dr. Sergey Turtaev, CEO DeepEN

The first prototypes of the microscopy devices have already successfully visualized neurons and cancer cells in animal models. With the seed funding, the team led by CEO Dr. Sergey Turtaev plans to bring the first commercial product, the NeuroDeep® in vivo microscopy system, to market maturity. At the same time, the next generation of holographic endoscopes is being developed to open up further fields of application.

bm|t, MBG Thüringen and Sparkasse Jena-Saale-Holzland are not only providing capital, but also valuable expertise in the field of optical technologies in Central Germany.

From basic research to market maturity

The foundations for DeepEns technology were laid back in 2011 by Prof. Dr. Tomas Čižmár at the Universities of St. Andrews and Dundee in Scotland. In 2016, Sergey Turtaev joined the research team during his doctorate. In 2017, the group moved to the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena, where the research was continued with an ERC Consolidator Grant (LIFEGATE).

DeepEn is an example of how top-class research can be quickly transformed into market-ready products.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Popp, Scientific Director of the Leibniz IPHT

Commercialization finally began in 2020 with the support of the EXIST research transfer from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. DeepEn was spun off as an independent company in early 2024. In fall 2024, DeepEn was awarded the Falling Walls Venture Cup and received the Thuringian Innovation Award for Young Companies.

European cooperation for technology transfer

DeepEn's technology has also received great recognition at European level: The NEUROGATE consortium was awarded €2.5 million in funding from the EIC Transition program under Horizon Europe in January 2025. The aim of the project is to translate the latest scientific findings into practical solutions for neural imaging. "This project enables us to observe neuronal activity under natural conditions with unprecedented precision," explains Prof. Čižmár.

In addition to Leibniz IPHT and DeepEn, two international partners are involved in NEUROGATE: the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI) in Brno and the Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF) in Belgium.

NERF is an interdisciplinary research center for neurotechnology supported by imec, the Life Sciences Institute VIB and the KU Leuven. "We are looking forward to contributing our expertise in neurotechnology to better understand the brain and develop new therapeutic approaches for neurological diseases," says Sebastian Haesler from NERF.