Biotech
5 Early-Stage Infectious Disease Startups to Watch in 2026
DealBio tracks early-stage infectious disease startups across Europe and North America. Here are 5 worth watching in 2026, spanning prevention, targeted treatment and faster diagnosis across bacterial and viral infections.
- Infectious Disease
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- Diagnostics
- Therapeutics
- Vaccines
Infectious disease innovation is increasingly being shaped by two linked pressures: persistent infections that remain difficult to treat and antimicrobial resistance, the ability of microbes to survive medicines that once controlled them. That creates room for products that prevent infection, add new treatment mechanisms or help clinicians choose therapy sooner.
The five startups below approach that opportunity from different points in the care pathway. Vaccines and antibodies aim to reduce or clear serious bacterial infections, host-directed antivirals target cellular pathways used by viruses, and diagnostic platforms are moving pathogen detection and treatment guidance closer to the patient.
At a Glance
- BaxivaSwitzerland2025Preventive E. coli vaccines
- Aventera AntibodiesSweden2025Antibody therapy for invasive Group A strep
- Astremiha TherapeuticsFrance2024Host-directed antivirals
- En Carta DiagnosticsFrance2022Point-of-need molecular diagnostics
- CCI PhotonicsUnited Kingdom2023Rapid infrared infection testing
01
Baxiva
Developing vaccines to prevent E. coli urinary tract and invasive infections.
- Country
Switzerland- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
- Tim Keys
- Christoph Rutschmann
- Giorgia Greter
Why Baxiva stands out
Baxiva is building around prevention at a time when antibiotic resistance is making serious bacterial infections harder to manage. The startup secured a $3 million CARB-X grant in 2025 to advance a multivalent vaccine against extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, adding specialist antibacterial-development support to the program.
It also received CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick and CHF 150,000 through the Swiss InnoBooster program. The founding team combines microbial-glycan, glycobiology and E. coli research experience, linking the startup closely to the biology and production methods behind its vaccine platform.
What Baxiva is building
Baxiva combines bacterial surface sugars with immune-stimulating protein carriers to develop preventive vaccines. Its linker chemistry joins bacterial sugars to immunogenic protein nanoparticles, helping the immune system recognize structures found on harmful E. coli strains.
The lead program is multivalent, meaning it targets several bacterial serotypes within one vaccine to broaden strain coverage. The same platform is designed to support additional vaccine candidates against Gram-negative bacteria.
Developing an engineered antibody for severe invasive Group A strep infections.
- Country
Sweden- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
- Arman Izadi
- Pontus Nordenfelt
Why Aventera Antibodies stands out
Aventera Antibodies is developing a targeted treatment for invasive Group A streptococcal infection, a fast-moving bacterial disease that can spread into blood, muscle or other normally sterile tissue. The startup raised SEK 14.5 million in a round led by LU Ventures and reports animal proof of concept with a lead antibody active across several bacterial strains.
The core science is closely tied to the founders. Pontus Nordenfelt is named on the M-protein antibody patent family, while Nordenfelt and Arman Izadi are inventors on a second family covering antibody hinge engineering, modification of the flexible joint between an antibody's binding arms and immune-active tail.
What Aventera Antibodies is building
Aventera Antibodies is developing AV01, a monoclonal antibody, a laboratory-made antibody produced in identical copies to bind one target, for severe invasive Group A strep infections. The candidate is based on a human antibody isolated from someone who recovered from severe disease and has been engineered to improve immune-mediated bacterial clearance.
AV01 targets M protein, a major bacterial surface protein that helps Group A strep evade immune clearance. The antibody is designed to leave its immune-active tail exposed so immune cells can recognize and engulf the bacterium, with intravenous use alongside antibiotics in the hospital treatment window.
Advancing broad-spectrum antivirals for HIV, Long COVID, and viral infections.
- Country
France- Founded
- 2024
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
- Mireille Laforge
- Pierre Gressens
- Raphaël de Saint-Exupéry
Why Astremiha Therapeutics stands out
Astremiha Therapeutics is commercializing antiviral compounds developed through around 15 years of academic research. Co-founder Mireille Laforge is a named inventor on therapeutic intellectual property originating from CNRS, INSERM and Université Paris Cité, connecting the startup directly to the research behind its platform.
The startup has filed three patents around next-generation antiviral compounds and received €500,000 in early financing from investors and Bpifrance. Its initial programs focus on HIV and Long COVID, two settings where viral persistence and immune dysfunction are central development questions.
What Astremiha Therapeutics is building
Astremiha Therapeutics is developing host-directed antivirals, medicines designed to act on human-cell pathways that viruses depend on rather than only targeting a viral protein. Its compounds are designed to block viral replication while also modulating the immune response.
The approach also targets viral reservoirs, cells or tissues where a virus can persist despite treatment. By acting on host biology, Astremiha Therapeutics is building the platform for use across more than one viral infection while reducing reliance on a virus-specific target.
Building rapid point-of-need molecular diagnostics for early Lyme disease detection.
- Country
- France
- Founded
- 2022
- Sector
- Diagnostics
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
- Guillaume Horreard
- Margot Karlikow, PhD
Why En Carta Diagnostics stands out
En Carta Diagnostics has moved its early Lyme test into a defined regulatory and financing path. EC Pocket Lyme received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and the startup secured a €5 million financing first close, including €3 million in equity led by Blue Forest Ventures and €2 million in non-dilutive funding from Bpifrance and other partners.
The platform also has a commercialization route beyond Lyme disease. AAZ-LMB partnered with En Carta Diagnostics to co-develop and commercialize rapid molecular tests and self-tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening in Europe.
What En Carta Diagnostics is building
En Carta Diagnostics is developing EC Pocket Lyme, a portable molecular diagnostic for early Lyme disease. Molecular diagnostics detect genetic or other molecular material associated with disease; here, the test is designed to detect Borrelia bacteria directly rather than waiting for the patient's antibody response.
A microneedle-based sampler collects interstitial fluid, the fluid surrounding cells in tissue, near a tick bite or erythema migrans rash. The assay is being developed in a portable single-use cassette for point-of-need testing, meaning testing performed close to the patient rather than in a centralized laboratory.
Developing rapid infrared tests to guide antibiotic prescribing.
- Country
United Kingdom- Founded
- 2023
- Sector
- Diagnostics
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
- Carlos Alejandro Meza Ramírez
- Craig Williams
- Ihtesham ur Rehman
Why CCI Photonics stands out
CCI Photonics is targeting the delay between suspected bacterial infection and laboratory results. An iiCON-supported pilot evaluated 739 biological samples, and a classifier tested on hundreds of clinical urine samples distinguished urosepsis samples from clean samples with near-80% accuracy.
The startup also received £200,000 from the PraeSeed/NPIF II programme and holds an exclusive licence to Lancaster-developed technology covering machine learning applied to vibrational spectra for microbial discrimination. That combines early clinical-sample evidence with protected founding technology.
What CCI Photonics is building
CCI Photonics is developing InfectiScan, a compact device that measures the infrared signature of a biological sample and applies machine-learning classifiers to distinguish infection-related patterns. Infrared spectroscopy measures how a sample interacts with infrared light, producing a chemical signature that can be analysed for biological differences.
Its first application is urinary infection testing, with a stated 15-minute testing goal for pharmacies and clinics. The longer-term aim includes antimicrobial susceptibility testing, testing that determines which antibiotics a microorganism is sensitive or resistant to, so treatment choice can be guided closer to the point of care.
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Investment Perspective
The five startups reflect a broader shift in infectious disease innovation toward more targeted intervention across the care pathway. Rather than relying on a single therapeutic model, this group spans prevention, pathogen-specific treatment, host-directed approaches and faster diagnostics that could support more precise prescribing.
From an investment perspective, the strongest signals are the ones that reduce scientific or commercial uncertainty early. Baxiva has specialist non-dilutive backing for vaccine development, Aventera Antibodies combines patented antibody engineering with animal proof of concept, Astremiha Therapeutics carries academic research and inventor continuity into the startup, En Carta Diagnostics has regulatory progress and financing behind its lead test, and CCI Photonics has early clinical-sample evidence alongside licensed technology.
The opportunity is therefore not simply exposure to infectious disease. It is exposure to startups building differentiated products around clearer validation points, defensible technology and routes into established clinical workflows.
Methodology
DealBio selected these startups from its database of early-stage health and longevity startups, focusing on businesses addressing infectious disease through materially different approaches. The selection spans preventive vaccines, antibacterial antibodies, host-directed antivirals, molecular diagnostics and rapid infection testing, with all five currently at seed stage or earlier. DealBio builds its Startup Briefs using publicly available startup materials, ecosystem sources, market references and professional profiles.