Five Questions for BioThrust

Millions of people live with diseases that are still considered incurable, such as type 1 diabetes or Parkinson’s disease. Innovative cell therapies developed worldwide are offering new hope. Aachen-based start-up BioThrust has developed a bioreactor that will substantially reduce the cost of producing these therapies. In this interview, co-founder and WHU alumnus Konstantin Kurz (BSc 2016/MSc 2018) explains how BioThrust aims to achieve this—and how, as a business graduate, he found his way into the world of biotechnology deep tech.

Konstantin, for readers with no background in biotechnology: what exactly does BioThrust do?

BioThrust develops next-generation bioreactors—systems that cultivate cells to produce pharmaceuticals or vaccines. The core innovation lies in how gases are supplied inside the reactor. Put simply, these cells need oxygen and release carbon dioxide much like humans do. Traditionally, oxygen is introduced via gas bubbles, which creates two  key problems: first, the cells are exposed to mechanical stress, and second, foam forms, occupying valuable space and reducing production capacity. BioThrust has developed the world’s first bubble-free aeration technology that still delivers sufficient oxygen to the reactor. This innovative approach allows cells to be cultivated far more gently and efficiently—a real game changer—especially for the production of sensitive stem and immune cells.

Why is this technology so groundbreaking?

From a biotech perspective, we are at the beginning of a new era of cell therapies. Many diseases that are currently considered incurable—such as type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, or certain cancers—could one day be treated or even cured using cultivated cells. However, this requires enormous quantities of high-quality cells. Our technology enables the production of these cells more gently and efficiently, and therefore at a much lower cost than before. This is crucial for commercial success because today’s cell therapies are extremely expensive and thus accessible to only a minimal number of patients. Some immunotherapies currently cost hundreds of thousands of euros per dose.

How did you come up with the idea for this technology?

My co-founders were conducting research in chemical process engineering at RWTH Aachen University, where they developed bubble-free bioreactor aeration technology. We met through a co-founder matching initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately realized we were a great fit. I wanted to build a company with real impact—not just the next delivery start-up. Together, we applied for an EXIST Research Transfer grant: I was responsible for the commercial side, while my co-founders focused on the technical aspects. We were successful, and once the funding was approved, things moved very quickly. The project started in 2022, we founded the company that same year, secured seed funding in 2024, and today we have around 30 employees.

You studied at WHU. How did you familiarize yourself with the highly complex field of biotechnology?

It was definitely challenging. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at WHU and I knew early on that I wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial path. After graduating, I spent some time in consulting at Oliver Wyman and then pursued a PhD in entrepreneurship at TU Darmstadt to get closer to technology-driven start-up topics. While I had completed an internship at Merck, most of my immersion into biotechnology—and especially bioprocess engineering—was very much learning by doing. In effect, I spent three years studying process engineering and medicine in parallel. I read extensively, spoke with many scientists, and attended numerous trade fairs and conferences. Entrepreneurial expertise is crucial for technology-based companies like ours, which is why the three of us as founders complement each other so well.

What is your vision for the future of BioThrust?

In the coming years, we want to bring our bioreactors into widespread clinical and industrial use. We develop and manufacture our bioreactors entirely in Aachen. In just a few years, cell therapies produced using BioThrust bioreactors could reach the market, and thanks to these efficient production processes, be applied broadly in clinical practice. Perhaps a treatment for type 1 diabetes will one day become standard,manufactured using our systems. Looking ahead, we also plan to scale up and offer significantly larger reactors. At present, we are developing a complete technology platform, including in-house manufacturing, proprietary bioprocess protocols, and an S1 laboratory for testing stem and immune cells.

Our vision is to make cell therapies accessible to millions of people—not just to those who can afford extremely expensive treatments.

Thank you for the interview, and continued success.

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