Within this environment, Veya Medical and LentiCure illustrate distinct routes from scientific insight to real-world impact.

Veya Medical: shifting cervical cancer prevention

Veya Medical is a MedTech startup developing a hyperthermic therapy to treat high-risk HPV infections of the cervix and prevent cervical cancer. The company originated from a collaboration between Spark design & innovation and Produvation and is led by Louise Rahardjo and Fleur Rikken.

“Every 2 minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, caused by an untreated HPV infection. We believe in early treatment of precancerous cervical conditions that will change the future of women, globally,” says Louise Rahardjo.

The company is developing a treatment for persistent high-risk HPV infections, based on a clinical and user-centered approach focused on earlier intervention.

Current clinical care focuses on treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) once epithelial changes occur. “The approach of Veya Medical is the first to therapeutically target persistent high-risk HPV infections, enabling earlier intervention before epithelial changes occur and reducing the need for invasive treatment later,” says Fleur Rikken.

Unlike excisional or ablative therapies, the treatment is non-invasive, causes no tissue damage, and has no known side effects, offering a potential alternative that is particularly relevant for fertility preservation and longer-term patient wellbeing. “The treatment is designed for home use under medical supervision, allowing for greater autonomy and flexibility for patients without compromising safety,” Fleur says.

“We hope to accelerate our business soon to get closer to our goal: eliminate HPV around the world,” says Louise.

LentiCure: advancing translational innovation

LentiCure is a social enterprise developing and manufacturing gene therapies for rare diseases, with a focus on ensuring accessibility at a socially acceptable price for healthcare systems and patients.

“Its first major goal is to deliver a lentiviral gene therapy that could halt the progression of Pompe disease for life with a single treatment,” says Dirk van Asseldonk, CEO. “Pompe is a severe condition; even with current therapies, patients with the most severe form often live only 15 to 25 years. Like many of the 140 patients in the Netherlands, and thousands worldwide, Tessa [ref to picture] has placed her hopes in this approach.”

Lentiviral gene therapies for other diseases have reached prices of up to €3 million per patient, creating increasing pressure on healthcare systems as more high-cost treatments enter the market globally.

LentiCure is advancing a lentiviral platform developed at Erasmus MC toward clinical application. To support future affordability, development and manufacturing costs must remain as low as possible, while financing costs are minimized.

“Strong support from the innovation ecosystem in and around Erasmus MC is essential to achieving these goals,” says Dirk.

Connecting innovation in Rotterdam

Together, these examples reflect the range of life sciences innovation emerging in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam Square operates at the intersection of academic research, entrepreneurship, and clinical validation, contributing to the city’s position as a growing European hub for Biotech and MedTech innovation.

“We act as entry point into the ecosystem, connecting organizations to relevant partners and infrastructure by events and matchmaking,” says Sharon Mullen of Rotterdam Square.

For collaboration or ecosystem participation, visit rotterdamsquare.nl.