Nanoligent, an IR Sant Pau Spin-Off, Recognized as a Catalonia Exponential Leader 2026

Nanoligent, a spin-off of the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), has been recognized as a Catalonia Exponential Leader 2026. The distinction is awarded by ACCIÓ, the Catalan Government’s agency for business competitiveness. The company was selected as one of the 10 most innovative and disruptive Catalan companies of the year for its distinctive value proposition, its ability to transform its field and its growth potential.

The distinction was announced during Exponential Day 2026, held on July 8. Each year, the Catalonia Exponential Leaders initiative identifies companies developing technologies, products or business models capable of generating new opportunities and driving significant change in their industries. The selection focuses on businesses with a solid foundation in innovation and the ability to generate economic and social impact.

Founded in 2017, Nanoligent is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of targeted nanomedicines for cancer treatment. The company is working to create more selective treatments that act specifically on tumor cells while limiting the exposure of healthy tissues to drugs.

Its technology platform combines protein engineering and nanotechnology to build nanoparticles capable of transporting therapeutic molecules to specific targets found in tumors. This approach aims to increase drug concentrations in cancer cells, improve treatment efficacy and reduce the adverse effects associated with less selective therapies.

Nanoligent’s technology originated from research conducted by the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drug Group at IR Sant Pau, led by Dr. Ramon Mangues, in collaboration with the Nanobiotechnology Group at the UAB, led by Dr. Antonio Villaverde. The company’s creation made it possible to translate this scientific knowledge into a business project focused on developing new therapeutic options in oncology.

One of Nanoligent’s main areas of research focuses on tumors that overexpress the CXCR4 receptor, a protein involved in processes such as tumor growth, cancer cell dissemination and treatment resistance. This receptor is overexpressed in more than 20 types of cancer, making it a promising target for the development of targeted therapies.

Through its platform, the company aims to leverage this characteristic to selectively recognize tumor cells and deliver therapeutic payloads directly to them. The goal is to advance toward more precise treatments that could expand the options available to patients with difficult-to-treat tumors.

Recognition as a Catalonia Exponential Leader 2026 strengthens Nanoligent’s position within the Catalan biotechnology ecosystem and highlights its evolution from academic research to the development of solutions with clinical potential. It also underscores the importance of collaboration among research centers, universities and companies in promoting knowledge transfer.

For IR Sant Pau, this distinction demonstrates the ability of research conducted at the Institute to give rise to science-based companies and transform advances generated in the laboratory into projects designed to address unmet medical needs. Nanoligent therefore represents an example of how biomedical innovation can lead to new therapeutic solutions with the potential to reach patients.