Danish biotech startup Alcolase has announced plans to initially enter the Singapore market after raising 1.5 million euros (around $1.7 million) in its latest funding round.
The startup is developing an enzyme-based technology targeting alcohol intolerance, a condition common across East Asia.
The funding round was backed by Ada Ventures, Delphinus Venture Capital, Antler, Manigoff Invest, and a group of business angels, per the announcement.
The fresh capital will fund in vivo studies, further technology development, intellectual property work, and early commercial partnerships in target markets, the company said.
Alcolase has also established a UK therapeutic subsidiary, with Ada Ventures supporting its expansion into the UK life sciences ecosystem.
The technology that Alcolase is developing is designed to break down alcohol in the stomach before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Its first product is aimed at people with ALDH2 deficiency, a genetic variant that makes it difficult for the body to process alcohol and can cause flushing, nausea, and discomfort.
The company said the condition affects about 540 million people globally, particularly in East Asia. It plans to launch first in Singapore before expanding to South Korea, where alcohol intolerance is also common.
Alcolase uses liposomal encapsulation to protect enzymes from stomach acid and keep them active in the stomach, allowing them to act before alcohol enters the bloodstream.
Chief Executive and co-founder Mikkel Precht said the startup began during the coronavirus pandemic as a student dorm discussion among founders looking to apply biotechnology to everyday health problems.
Precht said the issue was not about people wanting to drink more, but about those with alcohol intolerance being excluded from dinners, work events, and family gatherings because of a genetic difference. “We want to give people a real choice they are currently denied,” Precht said.
