What Foresee Biosystems does

Foresee Biosystems S.r.l. is a privately-held Italian biotech instrumentation company incorporated in 2021 as a spin-off of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa. The company develops platforms for predicting the toxicological outcomes of drugs and chemicals on cellular models, with a current focus on in-vitro cardiotoxicity assessment for pharmaceutical and academic research customers.

The core product, IntraCell, is a laser-based platform that combines Foresee's patented optoporation technology with Multi Channel Systems (MCS) microelectrode array (MEA) hardware. Optoporation uses laser-induced optoacoustic waves to create localized nanopores in cell membranes, enabling transition from extracellular to intracellular recording without compromising cellular viability. The platform records action potentials from thousands of cardiomyocytes simultaneously over periods up to approximately 45 days, making it the first electrophysiological tool designed specifically for chronic cardiotoxicity assessment. Software add-ons include FB_Alps 1.0 (automated assay setup, optical visualization, laser auto-focus and auto-alignment) and the Action Potential Profiler (automated extraction of electrophysiological parameters), launched in 2024.

Commercially, Foresee operates a hybrid revenue model: capital equipment sales (IntraCell hardware plus software), trial and measurement services where customers send compounds to the Genoa laboratories, and non-dilutive European research grants. Global distribution is delivered through a partnership with Harvard Bioscience covering Europe, Africa, Asia, and the USA, with direct sales from the Genoa headquarters for the Italian market. Target segments are pharmaceutical and biotech drug-safety teams, academic and research institutions (with named users including the Universities of Parma, Verona, and La Sapienza), and contract research organizations, supported by publications in journals such as Nature Nanotechnology, Science Advances, and Archives of Toxicology. The company is led by co-founder and Chairman-CEO Michele Dipalo and CTO Giulia Bruno, with a scientific advisory board that includes co-founders of MCS GmbH.

Name

Foresee Biosystems

Legal name

Foresee Biosystems S.r.l.

Website

https://foreseebiosystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Foresee Biosystems is an Italian IIT spin-off that sells laser-based optoporation instruments and software for chronic in-vitro cardiotoxicity electrophysiology assessment, serving pharmaceutical, academic, and CRO customers via its IntraCell platform and Harvard Bioscience distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Safety Testing Equipment

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Imaging & Cardiac Safety Core Labs (ECOG/EEG/ECG) (HLAGAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organoids & Organ-on-Chip (regenerative models) (HLAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Cardiotoxicity assessment
• Electrophysiology platforms
• Drug safety testing
• Microelectrode arrays
• Laser optoporation

Headquarters

HQ city

Genova

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. IntraCell Hardware System Sales: Sale of IntraCell laser-based systems for electrophysiological recording, including system hardware and associated software packages.
2. Trial and Testing Services: Offering trial services to test the system and demonstrate capabilities in detecting acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. Customers send compounds to company laboratories for measurement services.
3. European Research Grants: Non-dilutive funding from European Innovation Council grants for specific research projects including SiMulTox, TwistedNano, and Chronos.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Foresee Biosystems develops and manufactures the IntraCell platform, a laser-based optoporation system integrated with multi-electrode array (MEA) technology for chronic in-vitro cardiotoxicity assessment. The platform enables pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and CRO customers to perform long-term cardiac electrophysiology testing on the same cell samples non-invasively, addressing a critical preclinical drug safety evaluation need.

Product overview

Foresee Biosystems is a biotech startup developing innovative solutions for in-vitro cardiotoxicity assessment based on a patented LASER-based technology. The product portfolio consists of IntraCell as the core hardware platform, supplemented by two software add-ons: FB_Alps 1.0 for automated assay setup, optical visualization, and laser control, and Action Potential Profiler for automated action potential data analysis. Together, these products enable simultaneous recordings of action potentials from thousands of cardiomyocytes, with the ability to record from the same cells for up to one month, representing the first electrophysiological tool for chronic cardiotoxicity assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IntraCell: Laser-based platform for in-vitro cardiac electrophysiology enabling long-term action potential recordings from cardiomyocytes for acute and chronic cardiotoxicity assessment.
• FB_Alps
• Action Potential Profiler (APP)

Products and services

• IntraCell IntraCell is a laser-based optoporation platform integrated with Multi Channel Systems microelectrode array (MEA) technology, designed for chronic in-vitro cardiotoxicity assessment. It enables pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and CRO customers to perform non-invasive, repeated electrophysiology measurements on the same cardiac cell samples over extended periods, addressing a critical gap in preclinical drug safety testing.
• Trial and Testing Services Service-based offering where Foresee Biosystems performs trial and testing engagements using the IntraCell platform on behalf of pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and CRO customers. Provides an entry point for customers evaluating the technology before purchasing the full hardware system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Action potential recordings from same cells up to 45 days (chronic cardiotoxicity assessment)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Foresee Biosystems originated as a spinout from IIT in 2021. The company's foundational technology was developed through IIT research programs including NEURO-PLASMONIC (Ideas-ERC project, 2014-2018) and MAREP (2019).
• Harvard BiosciencecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHarvard Bioscience serves as the primary distribution partner for Foresee Biosystems, covering Europe & Africa (contact: Jörgen Nööjd, Senior Director) and USA (contact: Ryan Gilbert, Sales Manager) markets, as well as Asia distribution.
• Multi Channel Systems (MCS) GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationMCS provides the microelectrode array (MEA) hardware platforms (60, 120, 256 electrodes single and multiwell systems) that Foresee Biosystems integrates its laser technology with for the IntraCell system.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is a major preclinical CRO with extensive cardiac safety assessment services. It represents the incumbent outsourced alternative that Foresee's pharma customers may use instead of, or alongside, in-house IntraCell-based workflows.
• Multi Channel Systems (MCS): MCS is Foresee's hardware platform partner and the established incumbent in MEA recording systems. It is comparable because customers evaluating IntraCell are typically already MCS MEA users, and any vertical integration by MCS would directly overlap Foresee's integrated value proposition.
• Eurofins Discovery: Eurofins Discovery offers broad in vitro safety and cardiac safety pharmacology services to pharma, including cardiotoxicity panels. It is comparable as an established commercial alternative for outsourced cardiac safety testing that Foresee positions against.

Emerging players

• TissUse: TissUse develops multi-organ-chip and microphysiological systems for toxicology testing, including cardiac applications. It is comparable as an emerging organ-on-chip player whose chronic and multi-organ toxicity workflows overlap with Foresee's longer-term safety thesis.
• CN Bio Innovations: CN Bio offers single- and multi-organ organ-on-chip platforms, including cardiac applications, for drug safety and efficacy testing. It is comparable as a higher-throughput in vitro safety technology that competes for the same pharma in vitro safety budgets.
• Emulate Inc. Emulate's organ-on-chip platform is used for cardiac and other organ toxicity testing. It is comparable as an emerging in vitro alternative for preclinical safety, and overlaps with Foresee's cardiac organoid / organ-on-chip use cases at academic customers.

Direct peers

• Nanion Technologies: Nanion supplies automated patch clamp and electrophysiology instrumentation (e.g., Port-a-Patch, SyncroPatch) used in cardiac safety and CiPA workflows. It competes for the same pharma safety budgets with complementary rather than identical technology.
• Axion Biosystems: Axion sells MEA-based platforms (Maestro) for electrophysiology and cardiotoxicity screening. It competes with Foresee in the MEA electrophysiology workflow used by pharma and academic cardiac safety labs, and is the most direct platform peer for the recording hardware layer.
• Ncardia: Ncardia develops iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and offers cardiac safety/cardiotoxicity assay services to pharma. It is the closest commercial analogue to Foresee because it targets the same pharmaceutical buyer with predictive in vitro cardiac safety data, even though it sells cellular models and services rather than hardware.
• Sophion Bioscience: Sophion (now part of B'SYS / Sophion group) provides automated patch clamp platforms for cardiac ion channel safety screening. It targets the same pharmaceutical cardiac safety use cases that Foresee's chronic cardiotoxicity platform addresses, with overlapping customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForeseeSrl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foresee-biosystems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foresee Biosystems