ALLEGRO

The biomedical nanotechnology startup, based at BlueChem, is developing hydrogels to treat osteoarthritis, a chronic, progressive and degenerative condition in which bone and cartilage damage occurs. Their aim is to relieve joint stress through an innovative injectable hydrogel based on renewable components. These are injected and make the joint's mechanics work again. With this hydrogel, they bring a solution that addresses the cause of the condition and will have lots of potential applications.

The hydrogel consists of different ingredients. Allegro wanted to produce one specific raw material in a sustainabe way. The city supported figuring out an efficient method to produce their own bacterial cellulose from glucose waste streams and renewable resources. The production of that bacterial cellulose had to be applicable in their lab, with satisfactory returns.

Allegro, founded by Lucas Decuypere and Jorg Schelfhout in April 2021, raised €5.5 million in growth capital for a final breakthrough of their innovative approach.