# BioInnovation Institute

founded in 2018 by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, BII's 12-month Venture Lab program gives each startup a €500,000 convertible loan plus lab space and mentorship; its March 2026 cohort backed 11 startups (seven human health, three planetary health, one quantum),…

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/bioinnovation-institute/
Updated: 2026-08-15

- Country: Denmark

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | Independent commercial foundation supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation | https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/the-novo-nordisk-foundation-establishes-bioinnovation-institute-as-an-independent-foundation-to-provide-long-term-and-ambitious-support-for-innovation-in-life-sciences/, https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/projects/bioinnovation-institute/ |
| Research focus | Life sciences (therapeutics, health tech, bioindustrials), quantum, AI, and Power-to-X technologies | https://bii.dk/media/2wtbyvke/bii_impact_report_2025_digital-compressed.pdf, https://bii.dk/media/o1npxoy0/guidelines-for-applicants_venture-lab_april2026.pdf, https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/novo-nordisk-foundation-grants-dkk-5-5-billion-to-elevate-innovation-in-denmark-and-europe/ |
| Facility | The BII Building located in Innovation District Copenhagen, including offices, shared laboratories, and a deep tech accelerator space | https://bii.dk/media/2wtbyvke/bii_impact_report_2025_digital-compressed.pdf, https://bii.dk/media/a5jdscwc/impact_report_2024_final_web.pdf, https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/novo-nordisk-foundation-grants-dkk-5-5-billion-to-elevate-innovation-in-denmark-and-europe/ |
| Grant | Awards include grants and convertible loans of up to €2.15M for Bio Studio and up to €1.8M-€2M for Venture Lab startups; €185M distributed 2018-2025 | https://bii.dk/media/2wtbyvke/bii_impact_report_2025_digital-compressed.pdf, https://bii.dk/media/a5jdscwc/impact_report_2024_final_web.pdf, https://bii.dk/media/o1npxoy0/guidelines-for-applicants_venture-lab_april2026.pdf, https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/the-novo-nordisk-foundation-establishes-bioinnovation-institute-as-an-independent-foundation-to-provide-long-term-and-ambitious-support-for-innovation-in-life-sciences/ |
| Publications | CEO Jens Nielsen has published more than 850 scientific articles | https://people.equilar.com/bio/org/bioinnovation-institute/5590933 |
| Principal staff | Jens Nielsen (CEO), Pui Ling Lau (COO), Trine Bartholdy (CBO, Life Science), Markus J. Herrgård (CTO), Sofie Lorentzen (Chief People Officer) | https://bii.dk/about/employees/, https://people.equilar.com/bio/org/bioinnovation-institute/5590933, https://theorg.com/org/bioinnovation-institute/teams/leadership-team |

Independent sources: bii.dk, novonordiskfonden.dk, people.equilar.com, theorg.com

## Technologies

- [Venture studios & biotech incubators](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/venture-studios-biotech-incubators/)