Dr. Elliot Thouvenot, i-PhD winner for the Kyma Biotech project: toward a new start-up from Institut Curie

Dr. Elliot Thouvenot, postdoctoral researcher in the Physics of Cells and Cancer¹ unit at Institut Curie, is the winner of the 6th edition of the i-PhD innovation competition for “Kyma Biotech,” a company creation project born from research carried out at Institut Curie. This is the first i-PhD award ever won by the institute. Organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space and Bpifrance, the competition is part of France’s national innovation contests, alongside i-Lab² and i-Nov³. These programs support the creation of companies stemming from public research and promote French scientific excellence.

Kyma Biotech, a project that has been supported for over a year by Institut Curie's start-up support program, is led by a quartet of co-founders with complementary expertise, all members of the Macromolecules and Microsystems in Biology and Medicine (MMBM)⁴ team:
 

• Dr. Elliot Thouvenot, doctor-engineer in biophysics and bioproduction;
• Dr. Giacomo Gropplero, doctor and research engineer in fluid mechanics, mechatronics, and electronics;
• Dr. Jose Efrain Perez, doctor in cell biology and biotechnology, expert in stem cell manipulation;
• Dr. Claire Wilhelm, CNRS research director, recognized expert in biophysics and a leading authority on extracellular vesicle production.

Cutting-edge bioreactors to accelerate extracellular vesicle-based therapies

Extracellular vesicles are a new class of particularly promising therapies, especially in regenerative medicine when derived from stem cells. However, their development remains largely hampered by the lack of bioreactors capable of meeting clinical standards for yield, efficiency, and reproducibility. 

In this edition of the i-PhD competition, Dr. Elliot Thouvenot impressed the jury with the Kyma Biotech project, which aims to overcome these obstacles by designing an innovative bioproduction platform tailored to meet academic and industrial requirements. Optimized for cell sources with high therapeutic value (such as stem cells), this technology could accelerate the growth of extracellular vesicle-based therapies.

Dr. Elliot Thouvenot, alongside the winners of the i-PhD competition, at the awards ceremony on October 14, 2025.

Receiving the i-PhD label will allow Dr. Thouvenot to benefit from a 12-month support program, combining mentoring sessions with individual and group coaching. He will also gain increased visibility for his project, privileged access to the deeptech ecosystem, and easier entry into funding opportunities.
 

“Beyond recognizing the quality of our project, this prestigious award marks a key milestone in transforming our research into a true entrepreneurial venture. It will provide complementary support to the one provided at Institut Curie. We are thus taking another step toward the large-scale deployment of extracellular vesicles as the therapies of tomorrow,” says Dr. Elliot Thouvenot, co-founder of Kyma.

Institut Curie, a hub of award-winning innovation

Since 2017, seven start-ups spun out from Institut Curie have been recognized by the i-Lab innovation competition, and one by the i-Nov competition. This new i-PhD label once again highlights the creativity and expertise of Institut Curie’s researchers, who are leading projects with strong socio-economic impact.

Supported by an ambitious strategy to foster start-up creation, Institut Curie’s start-up support program has helped launch 32 companies with diverse technologies since 2002, accelerating the arrival of breakthrough innovations on the market and improving patient care.

“We are delighted with this first i-PhD label, which adds to the eight awards already obtained. These distinctions, true symbols of French innovation, attest to the excellence of the research conducted at Institut Curie and to the relevance of our start-up support program, backed by the Carnot Curie Cancer label. The i-PhD award will be a major asset in accelerating the creation of Kyma Biotech, embodying new hope for the emergence of innovative technologies that benefit patients,” said Dr. Cécile Campagne, Director of Institut Curie’s Technology transfer office and deputy director of Carnot Curie Cancer.

[1](CNRS / Institut Curie / Sorbonne Université)

[2] The i-Lab innovation competition aims to identify innovative technology-based business creation projects and to support the best among them through financial assistance and tailored guidance.

[3] The i-Nov Innovation Competition seeks to select high-potential innovation projects that can make a significant impact on the French economy. It provides support to projects led by start-ups and SMEs.

[4] Physics of Cells and Cancer unit (CNRS UMR 168 / Institut Curie / Sorbonne Université)