Healing deep burns faster: This startup fixes tissue

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Photo credit: Bioactivx

During a discussion with her immunologist sibling, chemist Dr Peili Teo learned that all implant materials trigger a foreign body reaction to some extent.

She developed a bioactive polymer platform to minimize this immune response while repairing human tissue. Trauma surgeon Dr Woo Yew Lok urged her to commercialize the preclinical results, leading to the creation of Bioactivx.

😟 Problem

Second-degree burn treatments currently require operating theatres and specialized burn units. The standard of care is prone to bacterial infections and often leads to permanent scarring.

Biological tissue substitutes carry high infection risks and short shelf lives. Current synthetic alternatives have long shelf lives but cannot stimulate tissue regeneration.

💡 Solution

Bioactivx engineers synthetic tissue substitutes for skin, bone, and blood vessels. The company designed its flagship product to function in outpatient settings.

Its medical materials offer several key functional capabilities: 

• Accelerates skin regeneration by encouraging the body to repair its own tissue.
• Reduces inflammation quickly at the injury site.
• Resists bacterial binding to lower the risk of infection.

Photo credit: Bioactivx

📊 Market size

The global tissue substitute market is valued at US$3.2 billion. The broader global wound care market represents a US$25 billion opportunity. The company addresses both acute and chronic wounds using the same base material.

🤝 Team

• Peili Teo. Co-founder. She previously spent 15 years as a scientist at A*STAR, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research, where she researched biomaterials.
• Woo Yew Lok. Clinical co-founder. He serves as director of the trauma service at Singapore General Hospital and teaches as a clinical assistant professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

🚀 Traction

• Secured approval from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority for its flagship Bioactiv Matrix product.
• Completed an 11-patient clinical trial at Singapore General Hospital showing faster healing compared to standard care.
• Initiating a 150-patient post-market clinical trial across Singapore and Australia for health economics analysis.
• Pursuing regulatory approvals in Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and the US.

🏆 Competition

💰 Financials

🚩 Risks