MNS

What MNS does

MNS (Microneedle Solutions Ltd) is a UK-based medical technology company founded in 2021 and headquartered at the Nexus building, University of Leeds. The company is developing Miracus, a proprietary needle-free drug delivery platform consisting of dissolvable microneedle patches that bypass nerve endings to enable painless, self-administered delivery of medicines and vaccines. The patches are thermally stable, eliminating cold chain storage requirements, and are produced via a proprietary manufacturing process called PhaseShift that the company describes as novel and ground-breaking.

The business model is dual-track: MNS plans to sell Miracus patch products directly to healthcare systems (notably the NHS) and governments, and separately intends to license its platform technology to pharmaceutical partners for delivery of their own drug formulations. Initial applications focus on vaccines, with broader applicability claimed across biologics and therapeutics. The company is currently pre-revenue and pre-commercial, advancing toward first-in-human clinical trials planned for January 2026 in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility. Additional go-to-market positioning includes ministerial-level government engagement, regulatory proximity to MHRA's new Digital Innovation Hub in Leeds, and international market exploration via Innovate UK's Singapore trade mission.

The company has assembled a board and advisory bench combining co-founder operational leadership (Henry Dunne, CEO; Ian Bartenev, CTO), institutional life sciences experience (Dr Glenn Crocker of Pioneer Group), former NHS clinical perspective (Dr David Pearce), and academic depth from University of Leeds in RNA biology and molecular virology. Funding to date consists of a 2023 seed round (SFC Capital) and a January 2026 oversubscribed seed extension led by Pioneer Group with participation from SFC Capital, Cambridge Angels, Southern Angel Investor Club, and Sheffield Angels. Customer outcomes cited include potential NHS savings of hundreds of millions to billions of pounds through national roll-out, elimination of cold-chain costs, and enabling mass immunisation campaigns within days rather than weeks or months.

Name

MNS

Legal name

Microneedle Solutions Ltd

Website

https://microneedlesolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MNS is a UK medtech company developing Miracus, a needle-free microneedle patch platform for painless, self-administered drug and vaccine delivery without cold chain storage. The company targets healthcare systems (notably the NHS), pharmaceutical licensing partners, and remote or underserved communities, and is advancing into first-in-human clinical trials in 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Delivery Devices

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Needle-Free Injection Systems (Jet Injectors/Microneedle Patches) (HLAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vaccine Delivery & Administration Systems (needle-free, microneedle patches, intranasal/oral) (HLAAAEAF)

Keywords

• Needle-free drug delivery
• Microneedle patch platform
• Vaccine delivery technology
• Dissolvable microneedle patches
• Self-administered therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Vaccines and Therapeutics): MNS plans to generate revenue through sale of its Miracus microneedle patch products for vaccine and therapeutic delivery. The company is currently pre-revenue as it advances through first-in-human clinical trials, with commercial launch anticipated after regulatory approval.
2. Technology Licensing: The proprietary Miracus technology platform and PhaseShift manufacturing process may be licensed to pharmaceutical partners for delivery of their own drug formulations, creating potential licensing and royalty revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MNS develops the Miracus™ platform, a dissolvable microneedle patch that enables painless, self-administered delivery of medicines and vaccines without cold chain storage. The patches are manufactured using a proprietary PhaseShift process that ensures thermal stability and are designed to bypass nerve endings for completely painless administration. The technology targets replacement of traditional hypodermic needle injections across vaccines and broader therapeutics.

Product overview

MNS offers a single unified product platform called Miracus™, a needle-free drug delivery system. The platform consists of dissolvable microneedle patches that deliver medications painlessly through the skin without requiring refrigeration. The technology is designed for self-administration at home, eliminating the need for healthcare providers and cold chain logistics. Initial applications focus on vaccines, with potential for broader pharmaceutical delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Miracus™ Platform A proprietary dissolvable microneedle patch technology that enables painless, self-administered delivery of medicines and vaccines without cold chain storage, designed to replace traditional hypodermic needle delivery for healthcare systems, pharmaceutical partners, and remote/underserved populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential NHS savings of hundreds of millions to billions of pounds through national roll-out
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NHS Trust partnering with MNS to conduct first-in-human clinical trials for the Miracus platform. This partnership enables clinical validation of the technology in real-world NHS settings.
• NIHR Leeds Clinical Research FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) facility providing clinical research infrastructure for MNS's first-in-human studies planned for January 2026.
• Innovate UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MNS was selected for Innovate UK's Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) to Singapore, representing UK medtech companies. The programme facilitated meetings with British High Commissioner, local hospitals, innovation agencies, accelerators, investors, and manufacturers in Southeast Asia.
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MHRA has established its new Digital Innovation Hub in Leeds, with proximity to MNS enabling early regulatory engagement and shaping approval pathways for novel health technologies.
• University of Leeds / NexuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MNS was founded at University of Leeds and is headquartered at the Nexus innovation building. The Nexus facility provides lab space and connects MNS with the broader health tech innovation ecosystem in Leeds.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vaxess Technologies: Clinical-stage company developing sustained-release microneedle patch technology for vaccines and therapeutics — a direct microneedle platform peer targeting the same painless, self-administered delivery value proposition.
• PharmaJet: Developer of needle-free jet injection devices for vaccine and therapeutic delivery — a directly comparable needle-free injection alternative targeting the same customers (public health, pharma) with similar painless, cold-chain-reducing value propositions.
• Vaxxas: Australia-based developer of high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) technology for vaccine delivery — directly comparable as a clinical-stage microneedle patch platform with pharmaceutical partner engagements.
• Portal Instruments: Developer of needle-free jet injector platforms for drug and vaccine delivery — directly comparable as a needle-free delivery alternative pursuing self-administered, painless administration for chronic and biologic therapies.
• Micron Biomedical: US-based clinical-stage developer of dissolvable microneedle patches for vaccines and therapeutics — directly comparable as a microneedle patch platform competitor pursuing the same vaccine delivery applications as MNS.

Emerging players

• Zosano Pharma: Clinical-stage company developing intracutaneous microneedle patch systems for therapeutics — comparable as a microneedle delivery specialist with clinical-stage assets, though focused on therapeutics rather than vaccines.
• TSRL (Therapeutic Systems Research Laboratories): University of Michigan spin-out developing microneedle patch technology for vaccine and drug delivery — an emerging academic-originated peer with overlapping microneedle platform ambitions and early-stage clinical positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Corium (transdermal drug delivery): Commercial-stage transdermal drug delivery company with patch-based products on market — a broader incumbent in skin-based drug delivery whose commercialised patch platform provides a useful comparand for MNS's manufacturing and scale-up pathway.
• Debiotech (needle-free injectors): Swiss developer of needle-free jet injection and microneedle-based drug delivery systems — a broader incumbent in needle-free drug delivery technology serving pharma and medical device markets globally.
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage DNA medicines company developing CELLECTRA intradermal electroporation needle-free delivery devices — comparable as a broader needle-free delivery platform pursuing vaccines and therapeutics with established pharma partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microneedle-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

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 MNS