Medtech Startup Jellagen Nabs Funding for Wound Care Product

Jellagen has received a $152,000 grant from Innovate UK to develop a wound care product using jellyfish collagen.

The money will be used to assess the product’s biological activity in healing chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, the Pembrokeshire, Wales, startup said Wednesday. The company’s work is focused on a novel method using jellyfish collagen to reduce infection and maintain blood flow to the injury site.

Collagen in wound care products is typically sourced from mammals. The jellyfish collagen offers a nonmammalian, bovine spongiform encephalopathy- and disease vector-free alternative, Jellagen says.

The two-year-old firm currently makes and sells a highly pure collagen sourced from jellyfish for cell culture research uses. Jellagen also hopes to partner with Collagen Solutions to produce GMP-certified jellyfish collagen for use in making medical devices. — Meg Bryant