A radically new biological approach for cancer patients: CollimateHealth targets immune responses through microbeam radiation therapy – €6 million seed round oversubscribed

• CollimateHealth is developing the first clinically scalable microbeam radiation therapy for oncology treatments.
• What this means for patients: new approaches to curing previously incurable tumours by activating the body’s own immune system, alongside significantly reduced side effects.
• At €6 million, the seed financing round was significantly oversubscribed and backed by a consortium of leading European early-stage life sciences investors, including VP Venture Partners, Positron, XISTA Science Ventures, HTGF and caesar.
• The company plans to treat its first patients within three years, opening up new pathways in radiation therapy as well as in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

CollimateHealth GmbH, a pioneering life sciences start-up for next-generation radiation therapy, today announced the close of its €6 million seed financing round. The round was significantly oversubscribed and supported by renowned life sciences investors including VP Venture Partners, Positron, XISTA Science Ventures, High-Tech

Gründerfonds (HTGF) and caesar. The company expects to use its technology in patients for the first time within the next three years.

Microbeam radiation therapy – a radically new biological approach to cancer treatment

CollimateHealth has developed a clinically scalable microbeam radiation therapy designed to revolutionise the way cancer is treated. Current radiation therapy typically relies on broad, low-dose beams and causes significant side effects. By contrast, microbeam radiation therapy uses bundled, extremely narrow beams in the micrometre range at a much higher dose.

Tumours treated with microbeams undergo an especially intense form of cell death that increases antigen presentation and thereby triggers an immune response against cancer cells – even beyond the primarily irradiated area. In addition, the temporary channels created by microbeam radiation therapy improve the delivery of therapeutics into tumour tissue, creating synergies with both chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Dr Hans Maria Heÿn, co-founder and CEO of CollimateHealth: “What Stefan Bartzsch, Johanna Winter and the interdisciplinary team have achieved through years of academic research is truly exceptional. Shrinking the medical beamline of a synchrotron into a system with a footprint of less than 10 square metres is a genuine deep-tech moonshot with the potential to fundamentally change cancer treatment.”

The €6 million seed financing will be used to build the first clinical prototype and generate preclinical data intended to pave the way through future regulatory approval processes. The company’s goal is to begin treating its first patients with microbeam radiation therapy by the end of 2028.

CollimateHealth – an example of the disruptive power of outstanding science

CollimateHealth was launched as a venture-build project by VP Venture Partners and co-founded by Prof. Dr Stefan Bartzsch, Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Johanna Winter, Chief Technology Officer, and Dr Hans Maria Heÿn, Chief Executive Officer. Bartzsch, Winter and the technical team have spent almost a decade developing the company’s core technology, microbeam radiation therapy. Heÿn brings many years of entrepreneurial experience in building and leading deep-tech life sciences companies. A technically experienced team has supported the founders from the outset with a focus on bringing the platform into clinical use.

CollimateHealth has been supported by UnternehmerTUM, the TUM Venture Lab Healthcare, BioM, BayStartUP and Medical Valley, and has received numerous innovation awards, including a Falling Walls Award in 2025 and the MedTech Ideator Award at Best of Biotech in Vienna in 2025. The underlying technology was further developed in collaboration with leading academic and clinical institutions, including the Technical University of Munich (TUM), TUM University Hospital rechts der Isar, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Forschungszentrum Jülich, the Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

Dr. Valentin Piëch, Managing Director of VP Venture Partners: “What makes this technology so compelling is not only its potential to redefine radiation oncology, but also the opportunities it may unlock in combination with immunotherapy and other cancer treatments.”

Joseph Peeraer, Founding Partner at Positron: “CollimateHealth demonstrates the disruptive power of outstanding science. We believe this microbeam platform has the potential to become an important future building block in radiation oncology and in the broader fight against cancer.”

Stephan Huber, Venture Partner at XISTA Science Ventures: “CollimateHealth combines world-class, cutting-edge science with the raw ambition needed to scale a global deep-tech company that dares to take on decades old paradigms in what is a central pillar of cancer treatment. Their technology has the potential to move the needle for millions of very sick patients worldwide.”

Dr. Jan Engels, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF: “CollimateHealth is exactly the kind of deep-tech venture HTGF was founded to support: a world-class scientific team translating years of rigorous research into a technology that could genuinely change outcomes for cancer patients. What excites us most is not just the physics — it’s the clinical ambition. The team has a clear path to first-patient use, and we are proud to back them on that journey.”

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About VP Venture Partners
VP Venture Partners is a private, Zurich-based venture capital firm supporting early-stage life sciences companies across Europe. We focus on human life sciences, investing in medical innovations and technologies across Medical Devices, Diagnostics, and Digital Health. We invest in companies addressing high unmet medical needs and delivering meaningful impact on patients’ lives. Our approach is driven by strong scientific content and data. We actively support our portfolio companies, working closely alongside entrepreneurs to set them up for success. https://www.vpventurepartners.com/

About Positron
Positron is an early-stage venture fund for scientists and technical founders who want to turn bold ideas into real companies. They work closely with teams grounded in deep scientific expertise and are drawn to ambitious solutions for some of the most important challenges facing human and planetary health. https://positron.ventures/

About XISTA Science Ventures
XISTA Science Ventures (XSV) is an Austria-based venture fund investing in early-stage life science and deeptech startups across Europe. With a deep understanding of both scientific and investor perspectives, XSV is an active partner to its portfolio companies, providing support for founders in realizing deep-tech ideas and scaling enterprises. The fund’s diverse portfolio spans the full breadth of science, in fields such as biotechnology, medtech, materials science, and software. XSV is embedded in the innovation system around the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). www.xista.vc

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds
Germany and Europe need a new economic miracle – and we are laying the foundation. We are Germany’s most active VC investor, financing the deep-tech, life sciences and digital-tech companies that secure technological sovereignty and create industrial substance. From the first idea to international scaling, we support bold founders as a multi-stage VC platform – seamlessly, reliably and for the long term. 350 active start-ups. More than 200 exits, including 4 unicorns. More than €10 billion in follow-on financing mobilised. Together with the DTCF, we combine more than €3 billion in fund volume – turning German and European innovation into global tech champions.

About caesar.
caesar. is a German early-stage venture capital fund backing exceptional teams with conviction earned through unusually deep founder diligence. Sector-agnostic by design, we frequently (co-)lead first rounds and build ownership before market consensus forms. We invest where technology strengthens Europe’s real economy. https://www.caesar.vc