Cambridge, UK
o2h Ventures is pleased to announce its latest tax-efficient SEIS investment into Sansanima, a University of Sheffield spinout developing new technology to reduce the need for animal testing in the production of vital medicines, including vaccines for tetanus and botulinum toxin-based products.
Sansanima has created a breakthrough testing method using human cells, offering an ethical and more efficient alternative to traditional animal-based testing. This breakthrough comes as the US FDA announced plans to phase out animal testing requirements for new medicines, highlighting global demand for modern solutions.
With patents secured across the US, EU, South Korea, and Japan, and early validation from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Sansanima is working with international vaccine producers to bring its platform to market.
This investment through the o2h Human Health SEIS Fund underlines the opportunity for UK investors to back companies delivering both positive impact for human health and attractive tax reliefs under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
Sunil Shah, CEO of o2h Ventures, said:
“We are very excited to back Sansamina along with Sheffield Angels. The team has already shown the value of the technology with a clear path to early revenues. Its an exciting team with a clear path to commercialisation.”
Ciara Doran, CEO of Sansanima, said:
“We’re delighted to have Sheffield Angels and o2h Ventures join us on our journey. Their support not only validates the scientific and ethical impact of our platform but also strengthens our ability to bring humane, cutting-edge testing solutions to global pharmaceutical partners. It’s especially meaningful to have the backing of investors who understand both the regional innovation landscape and the broader international opportunity.”
About Sansanima
Sansanima is a University of Sheffield spinout developing next-generation safety testing platforms that reduce reliance on animal models. Its human cell-based assays deliver more accurate, efficient, and ethical results, with global applicability in regulatory and commercial pharmaceutical testing.
About o2h Ventures
The o2h Ventures ‘Human Health’ SEIS and EIS funds make tax-efficient investments in pre-seed and seed-stage companies that address human disease: we fund the development of novel therapeutic treatments; we help build new services and tools offerings throughout the biotech ecosystem, and we spur the creation of software & artificial intelligence that will change healthcare.
The o2h team are leaders in the biotech community and have been actively involved as investors, holding various board/industry positions as well as being engaged in grassroots scientific activity for over 20 years. o2h Ventures operates from their proprietary 2.7 acre Mill SciTech Park where they are developing a unique model for incubating small life science companies.
For more information or to invest in the fund, please visit www.o2hventures.com
