UNIIQ backs four high-potential startups with €1.4 million investment in health, deeptech and data
UNIIQ, the proof-of-concept investment fund for the province of Zuid-Holland, is investing a total of €1.4 million in four promising startups. The announcement was made during InnovationQuarter’s annual event on June 16. These Zuid-Holland-based startups are working on breakthrough technologies with the potential for major societal impact. With this strategic injection, UNIIQ is boosting both the startups themselves and the broader regional innovation ecosystem.
LYLA: digital quality control for cancer medication
Delft-based startup LYLA, founded in 2025, is developing a digital solution to control the quality of radioactive cancer medication. Until now, these quality checks have been carried out manually. Their revolutionary method paves the way for more targeted, efficient, and safer cancer treatments in the future.
LYLA will use the UNIIQ investment to expand its team and bring its first product to market. And that’s just the beginning.
“With UNIIQ’s experience and network, we believe they can help us grow and scale.”
– Co-founder Ernst van der Wal
GenLumina: light-activated cancer therapy
GenLumina, a Leiden-based startup launched in 2024, is also working to improve cancer care. The company is developing a compound that’s activated by light to destroy cancer cells — without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. This breakthrough approach aims to make cancer treatment safer, more effective, and more affordable, with better recovery outcomes.
The startup plans to use the seed funding to set up an experimental lab and attract strategic partners.
“UNIIQ’s input has been instrumental in sharpening our positioning. We’ve already raised over €1 million in follow-on funding.”
– Co-founder Donny de Bruin
Secuped: preventing foot amputations in diabetes patients
Since its founding in 2023, Leiden-based Secuped has been developing home monitoring devices that detect inflammation in the feet of diabetes patients. This technology enables patients and care providers to act early in the case of diabetic foot ulcers — a common and serious condition that can lead to amputations.
Thanks to the UNIIQ investment, the company can now develop and evaluate a working prototype.
“Going through the investment process with UNIIQ has already brought new insights, valuable contacts, and unexpected funding opportunities.”
– Founder & CEO Martijn van de Giessen
QHarbor: smarter data management for physics labs
Safely storing complex physics data and making it searchable, structured, and accessible right from your laptop — that’s the mission of Delft-based QHarbor, founded in 2024. Their innovation helps physics research labs work faster, smarter, and more securely with their experimental data, including quantum computing experiments.
With two pilots completed, the startup is now ready to scale up.
“With UNIIQ’s seed capital, we can bring our technology to market and evolve our platform into the go-to standard for data storage in physics research.”
– Co-founder Stephan Philips
Finance for the Future
UNIIQ believes in the power of Zuid-Holland’s startup community and supports founders in bringing their proof-of-concept to market. With this latest investment round, the fund is once again giving a strong push to the region’s innovation ecosystem.
“These four startups show how science, guts, and entrepreneurship come together in Zuid-Holland. With this investment, we aim to accelerate not just technology — but the real-world impact these companies can deliver in health, deeptech, and data innovation.”
– Jasper Geselschap, Fund Manager UNIIQ
Beyond capital, UNIIQ provides hands-on strategic support — from positioning and fundraising to brokering partnerships with companies and research institutes at home and abroad. Startups value this early-stage guidance. Having a partner who thinks along, opens doors, and truly believes in bold ideas, vision, and impact — that’s what makes the difference.
Use the InnovationQuarter Quickscan to discover which of our funds can make your ideas flourish
About UNIIQ
UNIIQ is a €50 million proof-of-concept fund that helps entrepreneurs in Zuid-Holland bring unique innovations to market. The fund provides academic spin-offs and innovative startups with the seed capital and strategic coaching needed to bridge the riskiest phase — from concept to promising company. Over 60% of UNIIQ-backed startups have already secured follow-on funding, collectively raising over €275 million.
UNIIQ is made possible by Erasmus MC, TU Delft, Leiden University, Erasmus University, InnovationQuarter, the European Union, the Province of Zuid-Holland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), TNO, and the municipalities of Rotterdam, The Hague, and Leiden. InnovationQuarter acts as the fund manager of UNIIQ.
