On June 26th, we had the honor of participating as a success story in the national online workshop organized by CDTI and FECYT on the EIC Transition program — one of Europe’s most competitive calls for scaling disruptive technologies from the lab to the market.
Our co-founder and Scientific Advisor, Dr. Pablo Pelegrín Vivancos, delivered a first-hand account of our journey. His presentation served as a detailed and accessible guide for research teams considering applying to this highly selective program.
Professor of Immunology at the University of Murcia, Deputy Scientific Director of IMIB, and internationally recognized for his contributions to the field of inflammasomes and immune response, Dr. Pelegrín shared the ethos behind his involvement in Viva In Vitro:
“Real translation requires impeccable science — and the courage to challenge established dogmas.”
Six Key Takeaways to Secure the EIC Transition. Transcript of Dr. Pablo Pelegrín’s Talk
Scientific Advisor to the Management Board and Co-founder of Viva In Vitro Diagnostics
Deputy Scientific Director of IMIB and Professor of Immunology, University of Murcia
“Thank you for organizing this seminar. I will share a brief presentation to guide my remarks. My name is Pablo Pelegrín, and as mentioned earlier, our success story is a bit different — perhaps useful to illustrate the various paths to the EIC Transition.
We applied as a single-beneficiary spin-off, Viva In Vitro Diagnostics. While I’m also affiliated with the University of Murcia and the IMIB, our company spearheaded the application.
It took three applications to win. We reached the interview stage in two out of three attempts — a story of persistence.
The project builds on an ERC Consolidator Grant I received, followed by an ERC Proof of Concept. During that project, we discovered a novel biomarker for sepsis, secured a patent before publication, and then published the findings. With national and regional support (Carlos III Health Institute, Fundación Séneca), we developed early business plans and market studies.
At that point, I met Joaquín Gómez, who was assessing research groups with tech transfer potential. Based on his insights, we decided the best path forward was to create a company — Viva In Vitro Diagnostics was founded in 2021.
As scientists, launching a spin-off was complex. We lacked business experience but benefited greatly from Joaquín’s continuous advice and involvement.
In 2022, we closed a first round of private investment. We applied to the EIC Transition, made it to the interview, but failed. The jury’s first question: “Why is the university leading the project instead of the spin-off?” A key mistake.
In 2023, we tried again and were rejected — but managed a second, larger investment round and received a NEOTEC grant, which allowed us to lease and equip a lab at the Murcia Science Park and hire our own team.
By 2024, we raised a third round (€1.3 million) and submitted a stronger EIC Transition application with a higher TRL, signed clinical agreements, a defined regulatory pathway, and solid IP. This time, we were awarded the grant.
We brought five company members to the interview, all with financial stakes. What convinced the jury was that we were ready to scale and go to market.
Six Key Learnings
Advanced TRL: The EIC Transition should bring your solution close to market (TRL 8). You must clearly show that funding is essential to reach that point.
- Technical and Business Milestones: Both must be clearly defined. It’s not just about the science.
- Clear Need for Funding: If the jury believes you can fund the project elsewhere, they’ll see the EIC as unnecessary. Make the case for why the grant is vital.
- Well-Defined Problem: In our case, sepsis — 49 million cases/year, 11 million deaths, €28.4 billion in EU healthcare costs.
- Innovative Solution: Must surpass the current state of the art and be scalable. We proposed an immunological biomarker (NLRP3) not addressed by current clinical tools.
- Know Your Market and Competitors: Never claim you have no competition. Show awareness, differentiation, and barriers to entry. Competitors may become partners.
About the Interview
Five of us attended:
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Joaquín Gómez and Toni Vilaplana covered business topics
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Verónica Cánovas addressed the scientific-technical side
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Pablo González explained quality and regulatory issues
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I covered scientific rationale and clinical impact
We also emphasized gender balance and team diversity — Verónica led the technical section and handled key questions.
One major question: “How will you gain hospital adoption? What do physicians need? How does this benefit clinicians?”
Summary:
- Show that EIC funding is essential to reach the market
- Clearly define the clinical problem
- Offer a truly differentiated solution
- Be an operating company with traction
- Demonstrate full market and competitive awareness
- Present a sound business model
- And above all, convey total ownership and confidence in your project. “It’s your project — you must know it better than anyone else.”
Many thanks to CDTI for the invitation and to the Viva team for making this possible.
A Workshop Featuring Expert Voices
The session also included:
- Luis Guerra (CDTI) – key program concepts
- Marta Marín Barba (FECYT) – excellence and implementation
- Marta Herrero (CDTI) – impact and interview guidance
- Juan D. Tardós (University of Zaragoza) – success case of the EndoCartoScope project
At Viva In Vitro, we deeply appreciate the guidance and support from CDTI and FECYT throughout this process. This workshop offers not just technical information, but practical case studies and real-world learnings for future applicants.
Visit our section on EIC Transition to explore our goals. Our VIVA-ELISA® project, funded by the EIC Transition, delivers an innovative and much-needed clinical functionality: early detection of immunosuppressed septic patients with NLRP3 inflammasome dysfunction, enabling more personalized, timely, and effective interventions.
This technology builds upon work developed under the ERC SPEDI-TEST project, enabling quantification of NLRP3 activation in myeloid cells via ASC speck detection by flow cytometry. It involves stimulating a small blood sample ex vivo with reagents mimicking secondary infection, and then analyzing the patient’s immune response.
A breakthrough with the potential to not only improve clinical outcomes but also reduce overall healthcare system costs.