Bildnachweis: Pirche, VC Magazin, Pixabay.
Pirche develops AI-powered tools that personalise immunosuppression in transplantation medicine. Managing Director Tobias Klein explains how the platform is gaining clinical traction, why crowdfunding made strategic sense, and what role venture capital, partnerships and a potential IPO play in scaling globally.
VC Magazin: Pirche develops AI-supported algorithms to predict immunological risks in transplantation. In your opinion, how great is the medical need for this type of solution – and how is your technology being received in clinical practice?
Klein: Inadequate control of immunosuppression in organ transplant patients leads to significant adverse outcomes. Under-suppression can cause acute rejection and potential graft loss in up to 20% of patients within the first year. Conversely, over-suppression increases vulnerability to serious infections, affecting approximately one-third of patients in the early post-transplant period. Pirche’s AI-powered TxPredictor platform helps mitigate these risks between donor and recipient. It provides patient-specific immunology scores to guide clinicians in developing optimised, individualised treatment strategies both before and after transplantation. Currently, over 80% of clinics in our core markets use the platform for research purposes, and we are now converting this extensive user base into commercial contracts. A medical director at a US transplant centre recently described Pirche as a ‘dating app for transplants’ – a humorous but surprisingly apt characterisation.
VC Magazin: What specific steps is Pirche taking to achieve commercial breakthrough? In which markets and with which partners do you see the greatest potential for broader product adoption?
Klein: To drive commercial success, Pirche is investing in scientific evidence to highlight the value of our platform in guiding immunosuppression strategies. Our primary commercial focus is on the United States and Europe, where we have recently expanded our sales teams. We also see considerable potential in other global markets and plan to broaden our commercial reach in the near future. Currently, we collaborate directly with leading transplant clinics to improve decision-making for organ selection and to optimise immunosuppression treatments through our TxPredictor platform. Furthermore, we have established partnerships with companies in the post-transplant monitoring space, as Pirche can help identify patients at higher risk of immunological events who may benefit from more frequent biomarker monitoring.
VC Magazin: In 2024, you successfully conducted a crowdfunding campaign via Invesdor. Beyond raising capital, what strategic goals were you pursuing with this initiative?
Klein: Following the entry into force of the European Crowdfunding Regulation in November 2021, it was high time to trial this financing tool in Germany within our sector, which depends on cutting-edge technology and complex business models. Our campaign was an extension of an equity financing round with family offices, some of which are well known in our industry. Our aim was twofold: firstly, to increase the total capital raised, and secondly, to demonstrate that crowdfunding can be a viable option even for advanced technologies and digital products in the healthcare sector. It was essential to choose the right service provider to conduct the campaign. Our experience has been very positive and should serve as encouragement for other advanced start-ups.
VC Magazin: What options are you exploring to sustainably meet your capital requirements for further internationalisation and product development?
Klein: Pirche is currently experiencing rapid growth, particularly in the US and European
markets. At the same time, we are refining our exclusive technology and platform, which is
protected by patents until 2043, and are gradually expanding into the field of immunotherapy. To finance this growth phase, we are in discussions with strategic partners as well as venture capital and private equity funds. The next step could be an IPO, enabling us to establish our unique, groundbreaking digital technology and product independently and in full.
VC Magazin: Thank you very much.
About the interview partner:
Thomas Klein has over 25 years of experience and expertise as an entrepreneur in biotech and software. He is the founder of Pirche and was the co-founder and former CEO of Noxxon Pharma (EPA: ALNOX). In 2004, he was co-founder of Arcway and served as its chairman until it was sold in 2010. From 2006 to 2020 he was the legal representative for clinical trials in Europe of ‘Pluristem’ (Nasdaq: PSTI).
