VISCHER advises Epiterna with Prima Materia investment

Epiterna, a Swiss longevity company founded in 2022 by Alejandro Ocampo and Kevin Perez as a spin-off from Alejandro Ocampo’s laboratory at the University of Lausanne, has raised EUR 10 million from Prima Materia, an investment firm founded by Spotify founder Daniel Ek and investor and early Spotify backer Shakil Khan. The funds will allow Epiterna to fund its growth and accelerate its development.

Science has demonstrated the possibility of slowing the ageing process and extending animals’ lives in the laboratory. The Longevity startup currently develops products that evaluate the impact of medicines on ageing using drugs and compounds that have already been approved to treat specific diseases in humans, dogs, and cats. Epiterna’s innovative high-throughput drug screening platform evaluates medicines that act at the molecular and cellular level in gold-standard animal models of ageing research. The use of small-molecule drugs makes these products more affordable and accessible to a broader audience. The startup is developing affordable products that can safely slow the ageing process to prevent age-related disease, delay functional decline, and extend life.

VISCHER advises Epiterna on all legal issues related to the investment and the spin-off from University of Lausanne. The team includes partner Christian Wyss (pictured left) and managing associate Vincent S. Reardon (pictured right; both corporate/m&a), associates Alessandro L. Meyer and Michael Maurer as well as junior associate Oerjan Wickart (all corporate/m&a).