BioSapien, the UAE and US-based healthtech company developing a 3D-printed drug delivery platform for localised cancer treatment, has extended its pre-Series A round to over $8 million. The new tranche adds Globivest, MENA’s first women-led, gender lens VC firm, to an investor base that already includes Global Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, and Dara Holdings.
Founded in 2018 by Dr. Khatija Ali, BioSapien’s flagship product is MediChip™, a 3D-printed, bioabsorbable platform designed to deliver drugs directly to tissue with minimal systemic side effects. The company says MediChip™ can be attached to nearly any tissue site, enabling slow, localised release of therapeutics to reduce side effects and improve efficacy, particularly in cancer treatment.
The extended raise will be used to scale R&D and support global expansion, with BioSapien making 12 new executive and operational hires across the US and UAE. Among the key appointments are Joseph Borrello, PhD, as Chief Technology Officer; Sonia Ramamoorthy, MD, MBA, FACS, as Head of Medical Affairs; and Agnes Westelinck, PharmD, and Dirk Richter, MD, FACS, as Heads of Regulatory Affairs for the US and UAE, respectively.
Dr. Khatija Ali, CEO of BioSapien, said the new funding and talent will help the company lay a strong operational foundation. “Two of the greatest challenges for young, fast-growing companies are establishing a strong balance sheet and attracting high-quality talent,” she said. “As a female-led healthcare fund in the MENA region and backed by EU pharma, we are proud to have Globivest as an investor and strategic partner.”
Globivest is known for its focus on early-stage healthtech ventures that align with the WHO’s One Health approach, combining capital returns with social and environmental impact. Its investment in BioSapien follows a growing trend of MENA-based VCs backing science-led healthtech platforms with international ambitions.
Additional hires include roles in manufacturing, clinical development, compliance, and pharmacology.
