Open call for applications: Blood-Brain Barrier Innovations

Unlike traditional granting, which can take months to approve, fast granting speeds up the process so researchers and innovators can get the money they need and make progress on breakthrough solutions as soon as possible.

About

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the central nervous system but also blocks over 98% of small molecule drugs and nearly 100% of large molecule therapeutics from reaching the brain. This biological firewall is one of the most formidable challenges in medicine, leaving hundreds of millions of patients with neurological disorders - Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, brain tumors, ALS, rare pediatric neurological diseases - without effective treatments. Breakthroughs in BBB delivery have the potential to unlock an entirely new era of Central Nervous System (CNS) medicine, transforming outcomes for devastating conditions that currently have no cure.

EQT Foundation is seeking to award €25,000 to €100,000 in catalytic, non-dilutive funding to research projects with high-risk, deeptech approaches with the potential for high impact to crossing or modulating the blood-brain barrier for therapeutic delivery.

We are particularly interested in translational proposals focused on:

• Novel BBB-crossing delivery platforms
  Breakthrough technologies that enable therapeutic cargo to cross or transiently open the blood-brain barrier with precision and safety. Examples include:
  • Engineered vectors, capsids, or nanoparticles with demonstrated BBB
    transcytosis and CNS distribution
  • Receptor-mediated transport systems exploiting transferrin, LRP1, or novel BBB
    receptors with improved specificity and capacity
  • Cell-penetrating peptides, shuttle peptides, or molecular Trojan horses with
    validated brain penetration
  • Subcellular and cell-type-specific targeting strategies that direct therapeutics toneurons, glia, or specific brain regions after BBB crossing
  • Exosome or extracellular vesicle engineering for CNS-targeted delivery
• Physical and device-based BBB modulation
  Technologies that transiently and safely open the BBB to enable therapeutic delivery. Examples include:
  • Focused ultrasound with microbubbles (FUS) innovations - improved targeting,
    real-time monitoring, or expanded therapeutic windows
  • Novel energy-based or mechanical approaches with controlled, reversible BBB
    opening
  • Implantable or minimally invasive devices for localized CNS drug delivery
• Biological and molecular BBB modulation
  Approaches that temporarily and reversibly alter BBB permeability at the molecular level. Examples include:
  • Tight junction modulators with demonstrated safety profiles and reversibility
  • Osmotic or chemical permeabilizers with improved targeting and reduced systemic effects
  • Genetically or pharmacologically induced transient BBB opening with spatiotemporal control
  • Inflammatory or disease-state BBB modulation strategies for therapeutic windows
• CNS-targeted gene therapies and large molecule delivery
  Innovations enabling delivery of genetic medicines, antibodies, and other biologics across the BBB. Examples include:
  • AAV capsid engineering or alternative viral vectors with enhanced CNS tropism and reduced immunogenicity
  • Non-viral gene delivery systems (LNPs, polymeric nanoparticles) with demonstrated brain penetration
  • Bispecific antibodies or antibody-drug conjugates engineered for BBB transcytosis
  • mRNA or siRNA delivery platforms with CNS targeting
• BBB models, biomarkers, and translational tools
  Technologies that accelerate BBB research and de-risk clinical translation. Examples include:
  • Human-relevant in vitro BBB models (iPSC-derived, organ-on-chip, microfluidic systems) that predict clinical outcomes
  • Imaging or biomarker platforms for real-time, non-invasive assessment of BBB integrity and drug penetration
  • Computational or AI-driven tools for predicting BBB permeability and optimizing CNS drug design
  • High-throughput screening platforms for BBB-crossing molecules or formulations

Out-of-scope proposals include, but are not limited to:

• Incremental improvements to existing delivery methods without a step-change in CNS penetration or safety
• Drug discovery programs without a novel BBB delivery component
• Pure basic research on BBB biology without a credible translational pathway
• Peripheral nervous system delivery without CNS application
• Digital health, telemedicine, or wellness applications without direct impact on CNS drug delivery
• Generic AI/ML tools or supply chain solutions not tied to specific BBB delivery outcomes