Key Investor Signals
International patent application covering the core detection molecules
Utrecht University Holding filed the application, with both co-founders named as inventors.
Won €200,000 from the Dutch national Biotech Booster program
The program selected the Detecting Parkinson project in 2025. The funding supports validation of FibrilRuler using patient samples.
Co-founded by Utrecht University's head of chemistry
Stefan Rüdiger is Professor of Protein Chemistry of Disease and has led his own research group since 2004. FibrilPaint emerged from that research.
Other Positive Signals
- Validated FibrilPaint on patient-derived brain tissue in a peer-reviewed PNAS paper published in 2025.
- Published a second peer-reviewed paper describing an expanded family of FibrilPaint molecules in August 2026.
- Received a Dutch Research Council Take-off grant to assess FibrilPaint for the clinical evaluation of Parkinson's disease.
- Co-founder Françoise Dekker was selected for a two-year Faculty of Impact fellowship in 2025.
- Completed UtrechtInc's eight-month Life Science Validation Program.
Team
Françoise Dekker
Co-founder
- Earned a doctorate from Utrecht University for research focused on the FibrilPaint molecules.
- Co-authored the PNAS paper introducing the measurement method and first-authored two related preprints.
- Named inventor on the international patent application covering the detection molecules.
Stefan Rüdiger
Co-founder
- Professor of Protein Chemistry of Disease and head of Utrecht University's chemistry department.
- Has led a protein chemistry research group since 2004, where the FibrilPaint technology was developed.
- Recipient of Marie Curie Excellence Team Leader and Dutch Research Council VIDI grants.
Product
NeuroTidal Diagnostics is developing FibrilRuler to detect and size misfolded protein clumps in blood or spinal fluid. Its FibrilPaint molecules bind to aggregated proteins and make them fluorescent while leaving healthy individual proteins largely untouched. The measurement is intended to give neurologists and drug developers a quantitative marker of disease burden.
Published work has shown that the method can measure fibrils across a wide size range using under one microliter of sample. The next step is validating FibrilRuler in Parkinson's patient samples, including whether fibril size tracks disease stage and whether the test performs reliably in blood. The €200,000 Biotech Booster grant supports this translational work.
From detection to measurement
Most biomarker tests report whether abnormal protein clumps are present. FibrilRuler is designed to measure their size, creating a potential readout for staging Parkinson's disease and tracking changes over time.
Less than one microliter of sample
The published measurement method requires under one microliter, approximately one-fiftieth of a drop. NeuroTidal plans to develop the test for blood and spinal fluid.
Parkinson's first, with broader potential
FibrilPaint has bound protein clumps associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases in laboratory studies. It has also been tested on patient-derived brain material from three forms of dementia, supporting potential applications beyond Parkinson's if disease-specific validation succeeds.
Market Overview
Parkinson's disease is still diagnosed primarily from symptoms and a neurological examination. A meta-analysis comparing clinical diagnosis with post-mortem confirmation found an accuracy rate of 80.6%, with early disease particularly difficult to distinguish. DaTscan can support diagnosis by imaging dopamine nerve endings, while protein-based tests usually provide a yes-or-no result rather than measuring disease burden.
Seed-amplification assays can detect abnormal alpha-synuclein, typically using spinal fluid collected through a lumbar puncture. A minimally invasive test that both detects the disease and measures its progression could support treatment decisions and provide a quantitative endpoint for drug trials. The FDA's 2025 clearance of the first Alzheimer's blood test provides recent evidence that blood-based neurodegeneration diagnostics can reach clinical use.
Worldwide in 2021, with the population projected to reach 25.2 million by 2050.
The average loss measured in patients scanned within one year of diagnosis.
Demonstrates established clinical demand for an objective diagnostic aid when Parkinsonian syndromes are suspected.
Projected global market growth from 2026 to 2033, equivalent to 13.1% annually.
Comparable Outcomes
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals developed florbetapir, an injected agent that allows brain scans to reveal the amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Before the technology, these deposits could only be confirmed after death. The transaction provides a precedent for making neurodegenerative disease biology measurable in living patients. Eli Lilly completed the acquisition in December 2010 for $300 million upfront, with up to $500 million tied to development and regulatory milestones.
ADx NeuroSciences
ADx NeuroSciences built antibodies and diagnostic assays that measure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's biomarkers in spinal fluid and blood plasma. Fujirebio acquired ADx NeuroSciences in June 2022 for €40M.
Olink Holding
Olink created a platform that measures thousands of proteins from small blood samples for pharmaceutical companies and research institutions. It offers a broader precedent for turning blood-based protein measurement into a valuable research and diagnostics platform. The company listed publicly in March 2021. Thermo Fisher completed its acquisition in July 2024 at an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion.
Interested in More Startups Like NeuroTidal Diagnostics?
Get a curated pipeline of healthcare and life sciences startups aligned with your investment thesis.
Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.