What IOCB TECH does

IOCB Tech s.r.o. is a private Czech technology transfer company founded in 2009 as the commercial arm of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague). It identifies scientifically robust, de-risked research projects emerging from IOCB Prague's 50+ scientific groups and more than 1,000 researchers, and commercializes them through IP protection, licensing, co-development, incubation, and venture building. The company operates an integrated group comprising i&i Prague (bio-innovation and incubation, est. 2017), i&i Bio (venture capital fund with the European Investment Fund, est. 2021), PharmTheon (translational research center, est. May 2024), and the IOCB Foundation (philanthropy, est. 2022).

The portfolio combines approved therapeutics originating from IOCB research — including Viread and Truvada (Gilead Sciences), Hepsera, Cidofovir/Vistide, Desmopressin, and Oxytocin/Carbetocin/Terlipressin (Ferring) — with a preclinical-to-advanced-preclinical pipeline spanning Lipophosphonoxins (anti-infectives), Neurosteroids (epilepsy and neuropathic pain), an α-Synuclein aggregation inhibitor (Parkinson's disease), PNP inhibitors (T-cell malignancies), CDK9 inhibitors (oncology), and a C5 Convertase inhibitor (complement-mediated disorders). Platform technologies include CHEESE (AI-powered chemical similarity search), iBodies (synthetic antibody conjugates), and MZmine (open-source mass spectrometry software with 2,200+ citations).

IOCB Tech monetizes primarily through licensing agreements, royalty streams from approved drugs, milestone payments on development deals, and equity participation in spin-offs. Revenue is episodic and tied to licensing and partnership events with global pharmaceutical companies (Gilead, Merck, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, SHINE Technologies, Beckman Coulter, SPARC) and selected biotech firms. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise engagement at international partnering conferences (BIO Europe, BIO International, Bio Japan, BioVaria, MATWIN, BioEquity Europe) and on the integrated subsidiary ecosystem. The company has 1–10 direct employees and operates from Prague, with a U.S. presence opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2024.

Name

IOCB TECH

Legal name

IOCB Tech s.r.o.

Website

https://iocbtech.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IOCB Tech is the technology transfer arm of IOCB Prague, commercializing 60+ years of academic chemistry research through licensing, co-development, incubation, and venture building. It serves global pharmaceutical and biotech companies with a pipeline spanning approved antivirals, peptides, and preclinical programs in anti-infectives, CNS, oncology, and immunology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Technology Transfer

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB), Neurology & Psychiatry (CNS) Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAF), Immunology & Autoimmune Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAB)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical technology transfer
• Drug discovery licensing
• Biotech intellectual property
• Academic spin-off incubation
• Medicinal chemistry research

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Licensing Agreements: Technology transfer licensing deals with global pharmaceutical companies for compounds developed at IOCB Prague. Includes ongoing nucleotide platform licensing with Gilead Sciences and others.
2. Co-development and Strategic Partnerships: Collaborative research agreements with pharma and biotech partners such as Novo Nordisk for peptide research and AstraZeneca for drug discovery.
3. Translational Research Services: PharmTheon conducts translational research using organic chemistry, molecular biology, and AI-driven modalities, potentially generating revenue through contracted R&D services.
4. Incubation and Venture Building: i&i Prague supports early-stage spin-offs via incubation, strategy, mentoring, and capital — generating returns through equity and successful spin-off exits.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IOCB Tech is the technology transfer office and commercialization arm of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague). It licenses IOCB-originated pharmaceutical compounds, platform technologies and research tools to global pharmaceutical and biotech partners; operates incubation and venture-building activities (i&i Prague, i&i Bio); and runs translational research services (PharmTheon). The portfolio spans approved antivirals (Tenofovir/Viread, Truvada, Hepsera), peptide drugs (Desmopressin, Carbetocin, Terlipressin), an active pipeline in anti-infectives, CNS/pain, oncology and immunology, and research platforms including the CHEESE AI chemical search engine, iBodies synthetic antibodies and the MZmine open-source mass spectrometry tool.

Product overview

IOCB Tech is the leading Czech technology transfer office and subsidiary of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague). The organization serves as the credible gateway to Central European biotech, connecting science and business through technology transfer, IP protection, project management, business development, incubation, and venture building. The portfolio includes approved therapeutics originating from IOCB research (VIREAD™, TRUVADA™, HEPSERA™, Desmopressin), an active pipeline of research-stage programs in anti-infectives, CNS/pain, oncology, and immunology (Lipophosphonoxins, Neurosteroids, PNP Inhibitors, C5 Convertase Inhibitor), and platform technologies including CHEESE (AI-powered chemical search), iBodies® (synthetic antibody conjugates), and MZmine (open-source mass spectrometry software). The IOCB Tech Group encompasses IOCB Tech (technology transfer), PharmTheon (translational research), i&i Prague (bio-innovation and incubation), i&i Bio (venture capital), and the IOCB Foundation (philanthropy).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VIREAD (Tenofovir disoproxil) Nucleotide analog antiviral developed at IOCB Prague by Antonín Holý and licensed to Gilead Sciences; blockbuster HIV/HBV treatment backbone of global antiretroviral therapy.
• TRUVADA (Emtricitabine/Tenofovir) First once-daily single-tablet HIV regimen co-developed with Gilead Sciences; transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable chronic condition and a foundation of PrEP.
• HEPSERA (Adefovir dipivoxil) Broad-spectrum antiviral for chronic hepatitis B commercialized as part of the Holý-De Clercq collaboration; expanded IOCB's therapeutic reach beyond HIV.
• Desmopressin (DDAVP) Synthetic vasopressin analog developed at IOCB Prague and licensed to Ferring AB in the late 1960s; universally accepted treatment for diabetes insipidus, nocturnal enuresis and haemophilia-related bleeding disorders.
• Oxytocin, Carbetocin & Terlipressin Synthetic peptide drugs developed by Prof. Rudinger, Dr. Zaoral and Dr. Jost at IOCB Prague; Oxytocin is standard in obstetric gynecology, Carbetocin (Duratocin) is a more stable analogue registered by Ferring, Terlipressin (Glypressin) is used for variceal bleeding.
• Lipophosphonoxins (LPPOs) Novel broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents designed to overcome bacterial resistance by disrupting bacterial membranes through a mechanism that makes resistance development extremely difficult; lead optimization phase with in vivo proof of concept completed.
• Neurosteroids for Epilepsy Synthetic neurosteroid analogs modulating inhibitory GABA-A receptors through allosteric mechanisms to treat pharmacoresistant seizure disorders; advanced preclinical development with efficacy demonstrated in multiple seizure models.
• Neurosteroids for Neuropathic Pain Allosteric neurosteroid modulators for chronic neuropathic pain relief; milder allosteric approach with fewer side effects than current channel blockers and opioids.
• α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitor Small-molecule inhibitor of α-synuclein fibril formation for Parkinson's disease; targets the core pathological mechanism where no disease-modifying therapy exists today.
• PNP Inhibitors for T-Cell Malignancies Novel purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors for aggressive T-cell cancers; limited treatment options exist for relapsed T-cell lymphoma where median survival is approximately 6 months.
• C5 Convertase Inhibitor Selective alternative pathway complement inhibitor for immune hyperactivation disorders; targets complement dysregulation while preserving classical and lectin pathway immunity.
• CHEESE (Chemical Embeddings Search Engine) AI-powered ultra-fast similarity search across very large chemical spaces; orders of magnitude faster than traditional fingerprint methods, trainable and extensible to multiple similarity dimensions; web-accessible platform accelerating hit identification and library design.
• iBodies (Synthetic Antibody Conjugates) Polymer-based synthetic antibody mimics combining targeting, detection and isolation functions on a single synthetic scaffold; eliminates batch variability and cold-chain dependency of biological antibodies; used in diagnostics, research and early therapeutic exploration.
• MZmine (Open-Source Mass Spectrometry) Widely adopted open-source platform for processing and visualising mass spectrometry data; over 2,200 academic citations globally, one of the most cited analytical chemistry tools.
• PharmTheon Translational Research Services Translational research center near Prague offering expertise in organic chemistry, molecular biology and AI-driven modalities for innovative drug development; provides contracted R&D capabilities to pharma and biotech partners.
• i&i Prague Bio-Innovation & Incubation Bio-innovation center and IOCB Tech subsidiary focused on transferring promising technologies into practice; supports creation of spin-offs and sale of licenses in drug development, diagnostics and medical devices.
• i&i Bio Venture Capital Fund Venture capital firm investing in innovative European life-science companies; created through cooperation of i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund; provides equity capital and operational support to entrepreneurs in life sciences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 global blockbuster antivirals (Viread, Truvada) transformed HIV from death sentence to manageable condition
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered key, notable, flagship and core.

• AstraZenecakeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Strategic drug discovery collaboration accessing IOCB medicinal chemistry capabilities. Demonstrates that leading global pharma views IOCB as credible source of differentiated chemistry.
• SPARCnotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2021License agreement with SPARC for IOCB-developed compounds. Adds international pharma partner to growing roster of IOCB Tech licensees.
• Beckman CoulternotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2020Two successive license agreements for IOCB-developed diagnostic technology. Extends commercial impact beyond therapeutics into diagnostics sector.
• SHINE TechnologieskeyOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2019License for Lu-177 separation technology developed by Dr. Miloslav Polášek at IOCB Prague. Enables high-purity production for targeted cancer therapy. SHINE facility in Janesville, Wisconsin with capacity for 300,000 doses/year.
• DRACEN PharmaceuticalsnotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2018License agreement for IOCB-originated compounds. Demonstrates commercial interest in IOCB chemistry beyond large pharma, extending into specialized biotech.
• DIANA BiotechnotableOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2018License agreement for IOCB-developed technology. Broadens portfolio of commercial partnerships across biotech sector.
• Novo NordiskkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborative research agreement leveraging IOCB peptide expertise for next-generation therapeutic candidates. Connects IOCB to global leader in peptide therapeutics, building on Institute's deep tradition in peptide chemistry.
• MerckkeyOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2016License agreement for IOCB-developed compounds. Extends reach of IOCB chemistry to another major global pharmaceutical company.
• Gilead SciencesflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2013Ongoing nucleotide platform licensing for new-generation antiviral compounds, continuation of the Holý legacy. Validates enduring commercial relevance of IOCB chemistry and sustains multi-decade partnership with world's largest antiviral company.
• Charles University PraguenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for development of nanoLPPO nanofibrous wound dressing material to prevent S. aureus-induced wound infection.
• Technical University of LiberecnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on development of nanofibrous material with controlled LPPO release for wound dressing applications.
• MBI (Microbiology Institute)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Libor Krásný at MBI on Lipophosphonoxins research.
• Palacký University OlomoucnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Milan Kolář at UPOL on antimicrobial research.
• Technical University of LiberecnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with David Lukáš at TUL on antimicrobial research.
• Charles University (3rd Faculty of Medicine)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Peter Gál and Radovan Fišer at LF3 UK on LPPO research.
• GE HealthcarenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn January 2020, SHINE and GE Healthcare announced first Lu-177 doses using IOCB-originated technology, passing internationally recognised radionuclide purity standards.
• i&i PraguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOCB Tech subsidiary — bio-innovation center focusing on transferring promising technologies into practice, supporting creation of spin-offs and sale of licenses in drug development, diagnostics, and medical devices. Established 2017.
• PharmTheoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOCB Tech subsidiary — translational research center launched May 2024 near Prague city centre with cutting-edge laboratories in organic chemistry, molecular biology, and AI-driven modalities.
• IOCB Tech FoundationcoreOthersFoundation established in 2022 (now renamed IOCB Foundation) to take over and develop philanthropic activities systematically. Distributed CZK 87 million to scientific and educational institutions, projects, and researchers over 4 years.
• Prague.bionotableGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for positioning Central European biotech ecosystem. IOCB Tech serves as key local partner for international conferences including BioEquity Europe 2026.
• MATWINnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench open-innovation platform in oncology bringing together academia, major pharmaceutical companies, and clinical research institutions. IOCB Tech presented CDK9 inhibitor project.
• BioCentury Inc.notableGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner for hosting BioEquity Europe 2026 in Prague alongside EBD Group.
• EBD GroupnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner for hosting BioEquity Europe 2026 in Prague alongside BioCentury Inc.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evotec SE: European drug discovery CRO and platform company that partners with pharma on shared R&D and earns milestone/royalty economics. Comparable as an externalized drug discovery engine with co-development and licensing revenue streams similar to IOCB Tech's model.

Direct peers

• Cambridge Enterprise: Technology transfer arm of the University of Cambridge, handling IP protection, licensing, and spin-out equity for one of Europe's strongest chemistry/life-science research bases — directly comparable in mission and revenue model to IOCB Tech.
• Oxford University Innovation: Technology transfer office of the University of Oxford, monetizing academic research through licensing, spin-out formation, and consulting — the closest direct analog to IOCB Tech's institutional tech-transfer model.
• Institut Curie — Curie & Compagnie / Carnot Curie: Technology transfer and industry partnership arm of Institut Curie, focused on oncology and rare disease assets derived from academic research. Comparable as a public-research TTO commercializing biomedical IP via licensing and spin-offs.
• Ascenion GmbH: German technology transfer company serving life-science institutes including Helmholtz and Leibniz associations. Comparable as a European public-sector TTO operating in drug discovery, diagnostics, and medical devices.
• EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer (EMBLEM): Technology transfer arm of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), commercializing molecular biology innovations via licensing and spin-offs — a European public-sector peer operating in the same life-science TTO niche.
• Karolinska Institutet Innovations / Karolinska Institutet Technology Transfer Office: Sweden-based academic technology transfer office commercializing life-science research from the Karolinska Institute. Comparable as a Northern European research TTO with similar licensing, spin-off, and incubation functions.
• Max Planck Innovation: Technology transfer office of the Max Planck Society, focused on licensing life-science and chemistry inventions from Max Planck Institutes to global pharma. Closely mirrors IOCB Tech's combination of patent prosecution, licensing, and spin-off creation around chemistry and biology.

Emerging players

• BioNTech SE: Germany-based biotech that originated from academic research and built a global pharma footprint through deep platform science and licensing. Comparable as a Central European academic-origin biotech that scaled from TTO-style origins to a global enterprise.

Regional players

• Heidelberg University Innovation / Heidelberg Research Health: German academic tech-transfer vehicle for Heidelberg University and its medical faculty, commercializing life-science inventions via licensing and spin-offs. Comparable as a Continental European public-sector TTO focused on biomedical IP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iocb-tech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 IOCB TECH