This Capsule Could End Injections: Inside Biograil’s $22M Raise

Jan de Vries · 2026-11-04

Imagine swallowing a pill instead of getting a shot. That's the future Biograil is building. The Copenhagen-based biotech just closed a €20 million ($22 million) funding round to push its oral drug delivery device toward clinical trials. It's a big bet on making biologics—drugs that typically require injection—available in a capsule you can swallow. The round was backed by Verve Ventures and Megatrend Invest, with HTGF participating through its Opportunity growth fund. HTGF has been on board since 2019, when it led the seed round. "We first invested in Biograil in 2019 because we saw the potential of its approach to oral drug delivery," said Anke Cassing, Principal at HTGF. "Our participation through the HTGF Opportunity reflects our continued conviction in that potential as the company prepares for clinical development." ### How the BIONDD Device Works Biograil's proprietary BIONDD technology packs a tiny device into a standard-size capsule—think double-zero or single-zero—that's easy to swallow. Once the capsule dissolves in the stomach, it releases a device with a spring-loaded grabbing mechanism. The device attaches safely to the stomach wall and releases medication into the tissue for systemic distribution. After delivery, the bio-compostable device passes safely through the GI tract. The device is manufactured using injection molding, a novel approach for this type of technology. It's designed to deliver biologics directly into the stomach wall, potentially opening doors for new combination products that weren't feasible before. ### What the Funding Will Do Biograil plans to use the capital to support ongoing activities for a planned Phase 1 clinical trial of BIONDD. Key milestones include non-clinical GLP studies and establishing a GMP manufacturing process. All of this is aimed at preparing for a larger financing round in 2027. CEO Karsten Lindhardt is optimistic: "Excellent to see such strong support from existing internal investors and involve the HTGF Opportunity growth fund in the round. This, in combination with non-diluting funding from partnerships, will enable Biograil to continue to move our BIONDD technology toward Phase 1 clinical studies." He adds that the technology could "allow oral delivery of large market compounds for better convenience and medical benefit and, in addition, create development opportunities for new innovative combination products which may never have been feasible or attractive as conventional injectable or oral products." ### A Team That Knows Its Stuff The Biograil team combines seasoned entrepreneurs with experience building successful biotech companies and R&D executives behind the world's first injection-molded oral tablet approved by the FDA. Their investor syndicate includes heavy hitters like Eli Lilly and Co., Evonik Venture Capital, and Roquette Ventures. If Biograil succeeds, it could transform how we take our medicine. No more needles for biologics—just a pill. That's a future worth watching.