Key Investor Signals
Secured a $3M CARB-X vaccine-development grant
CARB-X awarded Baxiva $3M in August 2025 to advance a multivalent vaccine against extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, adding specialist antibacterial-development support.
Won CHF 150,000 in Venture Kick startup support
Baxiva secured CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick in February 2026 to strengthen operations and governance, refine its financing strategy and advance vaccine partnering.
Won CHF 150,000 through the Swiss InnoBooster program
Gebert Rüf Stiftung awarded a CHF 150,000 InnoBooster grant for the April 2026–March 2027 project translating Baxiva’s E. coli vaccine-production platform.
Team
Tim Keys
CEO and Co-founder
- Led a research group in ETH Zurich’s Mucosal Immunology lab from 2020, studying microbial glycans and protein biochemistry.
- Worked at Australia’s Institute for Glycomics and Hannover Medical School before joining ETH Zurich’s microbiology institute.
- Researched enzyme engineering and microbial glycan biosynthesis, combining biochemical and synthetic-biology methods.
Christoph Rutschmann
Head of R&D and Co-founder
- Built research and industry experience in glycobiology, including the development of early-stage glycoprotein prototypes.
- Specialized in advancing glycoprotein-based prototypes into preclinical development, connecting laboratory work with candidate testing.
- Developed expertise in producing, purifying and characterizing proteins and polysaccharides, including E. coli O and K antigens.
Giorgia Greter
Co-founder
- Earned the ETH medal for doctoral research in quantitative microbial ecology, investigating E. coli interactions in the gut.
- Led three interdisciplinary research projects spanning microbiology, analytical chemistry and physiology during her doctorate.
- Developed quantitative gut-microbiota analysis using microscopy, image analysis and statistical models to study microbial ecology.
Product
Baxiva combines bacterial surface sugars with immune-stimulating protein carriers to develop preventive vaccines. Its linker chemistry is designed to assemble multiple E. coli antigens into a vaccine that trains the immune system to recognize harmful strains before infection.
Bacterial surface targeting
The lead program targets surface polysaccharides on E. coli strains associated with urinary tract and invasive infections. Capsule and O antigens provide molecular targets for immune recognition.
Sugar–protein conjugation
A chemical linker joins bacterial sugars to immunogenic protein nanoparticles. This assembly is designed to make complex bacterial surface structures recognizable to the immune system.
Multivalent vaccine design
Several bacterial serotypes are targeted within one vaccine program to broaden strain coverage. The platform supports preclinical development of the lead E. coli vaccine and additional Gram-negative vaccine candidates.
Market Overview
Preventive bacterial vaccines are purchased through public immunization programs, private healthcare channels and pooled procurement agencies. Clinical need is driven by infections that cause severe complications and by resistance that reduces the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment.
The vaccine market combines concentrated manufacturing with country-specific procurement and pricing. Established manufacturers develop broad portfolios and work with specialist biotechnology companies on new candidates. Adult and high-risk-population vaccines extend demand beyond routine childhood immunization.
Global vaccine purchasing had an estimated financial value of $66.5B in 2024.
Countries and procurement agencies purchased an estimated 7.2B vaccine doses worldwide in 2024.
Self-procuring high-income countries accounted for 67% of global vaccine financial value in 2024.
The ten largest manufacturers accounted for about 84% of global vaccine financial value in 2024.
Comparable Outcomes
GlycoVaxyn
GlycoVaxyn developed a biological conjugation platform and bacterial vaccine candidates targeting infections including pneumonia and shigellosis. GSK paid $190M in cash for the remaining shares in February 2015, after holding a minority stake through an earlier scientific collaboration.
Affinivax
Affinivax developed multivalent pneumococcal vaccines using a platform that combines bacterial polysaccharides with proteins to stimulate immune responses. GSK completed the acquisition in August 2022, adding a Phase II 24-valent vaccine candidate. The additional $1.2B depended on pediatric development milestones.
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Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.