This article presents the full interview with Toni Vilaplana, Managing Director of Viva in Vitro Diagnostics, conducted on the occasion of the company’s inclusion among APTE’s TOP 100 startups in Spain, a recognition awarded for the second consecutive year.
The interview offers a perspective on the consolidation of our project, progress in our go-to-market strategy, the challenges facing the biotechnology sector, and the opportunities for companies focused on immunological medicine and clinical guidance towards more effective personalised medicine.
Toni Vilaplana, Viva in Vitro: profile and context
Toni Vilaplana is Managing Director of Viva in Vitro Diagnostics, a biomedical company specialised in immunological medicine and in the development of diagnostic solutions based on the functional activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
With an executive background linked to growth, transformation and business consolidation processes, his role at Viva in Vitro Diagnostics focuses on connecting research, clinical validation and business strategy, together with a strong commitment to ensuring that technology and solutions ultimately reach patients and the market—a critical balance in the biotechnology sector.
The full questionnaire: science, business and ecosystem
Below, we reproduce in full the responses provided by Toni Vilaplana to the questionnaire prepared by La Verdad, with the aim of offering additional depth and context to messages that could only be partially reflected in the original publication.
Who is Viva in Vitro Diagnostics?
We are a biomedical company specialising in immunological medicine, founded in 2021 as a spin-off of IMIB, under the leadership of Dr Pablo Pelegrín, one of our founders. Today, Viva in Vitro Diagnostics is one of the leading players in NLRP3 inflammasome research as a cornerstone of personalised medicine in the fight against sepsis and other inflammation-related conditions.
We are developing VIVA-ELISA®, a technology based on the functional activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, designed not only for the early identification, stratification and rapid screening of critically ill septic patients, but also to support healthcare professionals in medical decision-making through a better understanding of the patient’s immunological status.
This technology has high potential value for clinical practice, biomedical research and the development of innovative solutions by pharmaceutical companies. Its application extends beyond sepsis, opening new avenues in therapeutic areas such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, respiratory conditions, ageing, cardiovascular and renal diseases, and other complex inflammatory disorders.
What is collaboration like with major institutions such as Vall d’Hebron?
Thanks to the disruptive nature of our innovations, we are already collaborating with some of the leading hospitals, research centres and public health systems in Spain, including Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), as well as the Murcian Health Service and the Andalusian Health Service. These collaborations involve hospitals such as Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca (Murcia), Hospital Virgen de la Victoria (Málaga) and Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), with the participation of FFIS, FIMABIS and FCADIZ, alongside research institutions including IMIB, IBIMA and INIBICA.
In addition, we were selected in 2024 as one of the 40 companies chosen by the EIC Transition programme (Horizon Europe) as among the most disruptive in Europe, receiving €2.5 million in non-dilutive funding to further develop our VIVA-ELISA® technology.
What does being part of APTE’s TOP 100 mean for Viva in Vitro Diagnostics?
Spain needs to strengthen its position as a European reference in innovation, with biotechnology being one of the most strategic sectors. Being included for the second consecutive year among APTE’s TOP 100 startups places us among the most robust companies within Spain’s scientific and technological ecosystem.
Our country has enormous talent and a strong capacity to generate knowledge in fields such as biomedicine, healthcare, artificial intelligence and agri-tech. However, the main challenge remains transforming that talent into scalable and internationally competitive companies—with go-to-market being, once again, a key priority.
APTE’s selection confirms that Spain has a solid base of projects and talent capable of competing on equal terms internationally, in our case also carrying the Murcia brand as an international hallmark.
A country’s productive capacity is also measured by its long-term vision: its ability to build lasting pillars, foster ecosystems that attract expatriate talent, encourage investment and position itself as a relevant player on the global stage.
APTE acts as a necessary and highly positive amplifier for Spanish startups. For this reason, we are particularly grateful for Viva in Vitro Diagnostics’ inclusion as a representative of the value proposition of thousands of companies and professionals who strive every day to deliver their very best.
Where is the project today?
We are currently immersed in the clinical validation of our VIVA-ELISA® technology, a line of research that has the potential to save millions of lives worldwide. Each year, nearly 13 million people die from sepsis, with more than 50 million cases globally—a truly alarming figure.
Our challenge is to accelerate, in collaboration with national and international partners, a clinical study focused on the functional detection of the NLRP3 inflammasome as a biomarker, aimed at improving prognosis, immunological stratification and the active monitoring of patients with sepsis.
What is the potential impact of this technology on industry and patients?
This biomarker could be key to the early identification of immune system dysfunction in septic patients, improving prognostic capability and enabling stratification that supports personalised therapeutic decisions based on the patient’s immunological phenotype.
Healthcare systems also need strong responses to address another major challenge associated with sepsis: long-term sequelae. Up to 50% of survivors develop physical or cognitive impairments, reinfections or other serious complications, particularly among patients with weakened immune systems (older adults, children, oncology patients, etc.).
What role does Europe play in Viva in Vitro Diagnostics’ strategy?
Collaboration through the EIC Transition programme (Horizon Europe) is fundamental. We continue to advance the development of precision medicine solutions based on inflammasomes for complex inflammatory diseases such as sepsis, neurodegenerative and respiratory conditions, among others.
We are preparing to offer more precise, faster and clinically useful immunological diagnostic tools for daily clinical practice in the near future.
Leading from science towards growth
The trajectory of Viva in Vitro Diagnostics reflects one of the major challenges facing the biotechnology sector: transforming excellent science and research into clinical and business impact, without losing rigour, effectiveness or long-term market vision.
This approach directly connects with Viva in Vitro Diagnostics’ recent recognition among APTE’s TOP 100 startups in Spain, and with the responsibility of continuing to contribute to an ecosystem where innovation, business and healthcare progress together.