Liverpool city region biotech firm Entropix secures new investment from the LYVA Labs Health and Life Sciences Fund. Tony McDonough reports

From left, Dr Rob Rule and Prof David Hornby (Entropix), with Rachel Lawless and Akshay Bhatnagar of LYVA Labs

Biotech firm Entropix has secured new funding to scale up its business and commercialise its technology.

In October 2023, Entropix relocated from Sci-Tech Daresbury to The Heath Business and Technical Park in Runcorn. It develops Enzymes for the manufacture of products including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, detergents and food.

Now it has secured fresh backing from the LYVA Labs Health and Life Sciences Fund. This has been set up to support young technology companies based in Liverpool city region. Entropix has declined to reveal the value of the investment.

Co-founder Dr Rob Rule said: “The move to The Heath has been an essential part of the development and growth of our business. The facilities we operate from at The Heath were a crucial element that enabled us to secure investment from LYVA Labs. 

“This investment provides us with the breathing space to focus on further developing our enzymes technology and to finalise important commercial partnerships that we are currently negotiating.”

Dr Rule, who founded Entropix in 2021 with his associate Professor David Hornby, says The Heath is one of the few places in the UK, outside of universities, that has specialist laboratory facilities suitable for cutting-edge Biotech research and development.

“Finding a place like The Heath with the infrastructure and technical support network already in place is massively helpful and this is instrumental in our efforts to commercialise our operation,” he added. 

LYVA Labs was established with £11m from Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority with the aim of driving innovation and economic growth by turning great ideas into high-growth business  and creating partnerships to attract investment.