NATIONAL INCUBATOR SHIFTS INTO GEAR, ANNOUNCING VACCINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE INNOVATION COHORT Six Australian infectious disease innovations receive $10.48 million to accelerate commercialisation potential
With
Jenny Herz,
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Biointelect
Danielle Shand,
General Manager
Biointelect Venturer
SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | September 2026
Biointelect Venturer is Australia’s national incubator for infectious disease innovation, helping promising Australian scientific innovators accelerate their path from discovery to impact. Funded by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) through the 2024 BioMedTech Incubator grant opportunity, Biointelect Venturer combines catalytic non-dilutive funding with commercialisation expertise, strategic guidance, networks and tailored support to progress early-stage innovations towards commercial and investment readiness. Managed and operated by Biointelect, the incubator builds on Biointelect’s deep expertise and success in supporting early-stage biotech and medtech commercialisation.
Biointelect Venturer has announced six Australian infectious disease innovations will share $10.48 million in the incubator’s first funding round giving the successful research teams the ability to advance their early-stage breakthroughs to commercial and investment readiness.
– AdaptiVax Pty Ltd
– Ebivanta Therapeutics Pty Ltd
– ENA Respiratory Pty Ltd
– Proboxis Biotechnology Pty Ltd
– Saccharide Therapeutics Pty Ltd
– SAMMvax Pty Ltd
The recipients address significant local and global unmet health needs in infectious disease and include three vaccine offerings, a unique nasal antiviral technology and two vaccine platform technologies.
The projects will now enter the Biointelect Venturer incubation program for up to two years and receive non-dilutive funding, tailored commercialisation support, expert mentoring and access to national and international networks to help progress their technologies to secure commercial interest and funding.
Biointelect Venturer was established through a $32.9 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant from the Australian Government’s MRFF Medical Research Commercialisation initiative. It will support two national cohort intakes, this being the first, and a dedicated top-up round for high-potential projects as part of the program.
Biointelect Venturer is helping to build local capability in translational research and commercialisation and supporting the creation and growth of Australian biotech companies developing health technologies across the infectious disease sector. Ultimately the ambition is to strengthen Australia’s position as a global infectious disease innovation hub.
Source: Adapted from Biointelect media release (August 2026)
You Might also like
-
Targeted National Lung Cancer Screening Program commences in 2025
In February 2025, Australian Health Journal spoke with Mark Brooke, Chief Executive Officer of Lung Foundation Australia, at the 10th Australian Lung Cancer Conference in Adelaide, on the upcoming commencement of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP)
-
Bridging the orthodontic knowledge gap
In recent years, the orthodontic sector has been growing rapidly due to success in B2C marketing and companies like Invisalign reaching the consumer, but there has also been a lack of knowledge sharing among general dental practitioners and specialists.
General dentists require mentorship and guidance from orthodontists to feel confident in providing orthodontic treatment to their patients, ultimately improving the quality of care in the community.
-
Patient family develops app for improved adherence and clinical outcomes
Darron Goralsky, a physiotherapist with over 30 years of experience, is the Clinical Director and Founder of Melbourne TMJ and Facial Pain Centre. He leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to treating jaw pain, facial pain, and headaches. Goralsky has observed a rise in musculoskeletal issues among younger populations, largely due to increased screen time and poor posture, trends that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emphasising technology integration and patient responsibility, he believes digital health solutions play a crucial role in improving adherence and outcomes for both patients and caregivers.