Finnish Startup Aims to Create 'Protein PCR' for Disease Detection

ESPOO, Finland – April 16, 2026 – A new Finnish deep-tech company, Proteins.1, has launched with €4.7 million in pre-seed funding to commercialize a technology that could fundamentally change how diseases are detected. The VTT-originated startup is developing a platform that amplifies signals from single protein molecules, aiming to create a "PCR for proteins" and enable the detection of cancers, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases years before symptoms appear.

The Quest for a 'Protein PCR'

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) revolutionized medicine by allowing scientists to amplify tiny amounts of DNA, making early genetic and infectious disease testing possible. For decades, a similar amplification tool for proteins—the workhorse molecules of the body—has remained a holy grail. Proteins often serve as the earliest warning signals for disease, but they are frequently present in concentrations too low for current instruments to detect.

Proteins.1 claims to have solved this challenge. The company, spun out of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has developed a patented, physics-based technology that introduces cyclic signal amplification for proteins. Instead of relying on enzymes, which are prone to variability and background noise, their platform uses a solid-state magnetic cycling mechanism. This system repeatedly reads a single captured protein molecule, accumulating the signal until it is clear and unambiguous. The company claims this method could be up to 1,000 times more sensitive than today's gold-standard platforms.

"For decades, diagnostics has been limited not by biology, but by what our instruments can detect," said Prateek Singh, CEO and co-founder of Proteins.1 and the inventor of the core technology. "The body produces early warning signals long before disease becomes visible. Our mission is to make those signals measurable and actionable, years earlier than today."

The core innovation, first discovered at VTT in 2018, is enzyme-free and compatible with semiconductor-based photonic detection. This allows for both ultra-high sensitivity and high multiplexing, creating the potential to simultaneously measure hundreds of different protein biomarkers from just a few drops of blood.

Shifting Healthcare from Reaction to Prevention

The implications of such a technology extend far beyond the laboratory. By identifying molecular red flags at their nascent stage, Proteins.1 hopes to shift the entire paradigm of healthcare from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. For diseases where early intervention is critical, this could be transformative.

"Early detection dramatically improves survival rates in diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders," Singh explained. "If we can detect disease at the molecular stage rather than the symptomatic stage, we entirely change treatment possibilities."

This capability could extend healthy lifespans and significantly reduce the global burden of chronic illness. Catching the molecular whispers of Alzheimer's disease, for example, before cognitive decline begins, or identifying aggressive cancers when they are just a handful of cells, could open new windows for intervention and dramatically improve patient outcomes. The company's initial focus will be on providing tools for research-use-only (RUO) applications in oncology, neurology, and immunology, helping scientists uncover new biomarkers and disease mechanisms.

Navigating a Competitive Market and Complex Regulations

Proteins.1 enters a global diagnostics market valued at over €100 billion, with fierce competition from established players in the ultra-sensitive protein detection space, such as Olink, SomaLogic, and Quanterix. These companies utilize different advanced techniques, from proximity extension assays to DNA aptamers, to push the limits of sensitivity. Proteins.1 aims to differentiate itself with its physics-based approach, which it claims offers superior sensitivity and "unlimited multiplexing" capabilities.

"What sets Proteins.1 apart is a fundamentally new sensing approach," noted Rene Kromhof from Cloudberry VC, one of the lead investors. "Rather than using enzymes that give you one chance to detect a protein, they use light and thin-film transistors to amplify the signal from a single protein until it rises above the noise."

The company's commercialization path begins with the RUO market, which has a lower regulatory barrier to entry. However, the ultimate goal of entering the clinical diagnostics space presents significant challenges. In Europe, the stringent In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) has created a complex and costly path to market, particularly for startups and small-to-medium enterprises. In the United States, approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires similarly rigorous validation and adherence to quality manufacturing practices. Successfully navigating this regulatory gauntlet will be a critical test for the young company.

A Finnish Deep-Tech Powerhouse

The startup's launch is backed by a €4.7 million pre-seed round led by Lifeline Ventures and Cloudberry Ventures, with additional support from VTT and Business Finland. The investment signals strong confidence not only in the technology but also in the team and the broader Finnish deep-tech ecosystem.

"Proteins.1 represents the kind of deep scientific breakthrough that can redefine an entire industry," said Jyri Engeström at Lifeline Ventures. "The team combines world-class research with proven experience in building and scaling regulated medtech businesses."

That experience is embodied in its founders. CEO Prateek Singh previously founded Finnadvance, a company specializing in organ-on-a-chip microfluidics for drug testing. Co-founder and COO Harri Hallila successfully built and exited Synoste Oy, a regulated medical device company, giving him firsthand experience with the commercial and regulatory journey Proteins.1 is embarking upon.

With its new funding, Proteins.1 plans to expand its engineering and product development teams in Finland over the next two years, aiming to solidify its position as a European leader in next-generation diagnostic technology and turn its revolutionary scientific vision into a clinical reality.