The investment will support the company’s first-in-human clinical trial of its InvivoLPrint-U platform – the world’s first bioprinter designed to reconstruct bladder tissue directly inside the patient’s body during surgery.

Founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), PhosPrint emerged from years of research conducted at the School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences under the supervision of Professor Ioanna Zergioti.

Each year, more than 150,000 patients worldwide are candidates for bladder removal (cystectomy) due to cancer. Current reconstructive procedures rely on intestinal tissue and are frequently associated with serious complications, including infections, adverse events, and significant deterioration in quality of life. PhosPrint’s innovation enables urologists to create a fully functional neobladder without these side effects by printing the patient’s own healthy cells directly onto the tissue during surgery.

A Milestone: The First Clinical Trial

Ioanna Zergioti, co-founder and CEO of PhosPrint, told Capital.gr and Forbes Greece that the investment represents a strong vote of confidence in both the technology and the team. According to her, the funding brings the company closer to completing its first clinical trial—a critical milestone, as demonstrating product safety is a prerequisite for attracting follow-on investment.

The capital will primarily be allocated to cover the substantial costs associated with conducting a first-in-human clinical study. Part of the funding will also support the maintenance and expansion of the company’s patented technology portfolio, a process that is both complex and capital-intensive.

Approval by EMA and EOF

A defining development has been the approval of the first clinical trial by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the National Organization for Medicines (EOF). As Zergioti explained, the evaluation process was particularly demanding because the product is classified as a combination therapy, integrating cell therapy with laser-based medical device technology. Notably, the regulatory submission exceeded 7,000 pages.

The trial will be conducted in collaboration with Laiko General Hospital of Athens and Gennimatas General Hospital of Athens, involving specialized medical teams from leading urology departments. According to Zergioti, this is one of the few Phase I studies currently being implemented in Greece – particularly for such an innovative product – underscoring the significance of the initiative.

Despite Greece’s high scientific standards, Phase I trials remain limited in number, as they require substantial risk-taking, complex coordination, and adequate funding. As she noted, the country is still in the early stages of development in this field.

Future Applications and International Expansion

Strategically, PhosPrint is continuing its research beyond bladder applications, with cartilage regeneration identified as the next clear priority. Other potential applications, including skin tissue, are also under evaluation, though no final decisions have yet been made.

International expansion will be essential for the next funding round. The second and third phases of clinical trials will require collaboration with additional hospitals abroad, as well as access to capital markets outside Greece.

The company estimates that commercial availability of the product could be achieved in approximately four years, provided that all three phases of clinical trials are successfully completed.

Secondary Products and Revenue Diversification

In parallel, PhosPrint is exploring additional revenue streams through secondary products derived from its research activities.

The company’s team currently comprises around 15 members, including external collaborators and advisors. Alongside Ioanna Zergioti, the co-founders include Dr. Apostolos Klinakis (Clinical Director) and Maria Pallidou (CFO).

Source: Forbes Greece

This distinction reflects NTUA’s overall performance across key areas, including quality of education, research activity, international engagement, and the institution’s connection with society and the economy.

The ranking is based on quality criteria grouped into five sections, from which each institution selects three for evaluation:

• continuous improvement of core academic activities,
• research excellence and performance,
• engagement with society, the labor market, and knowledge utilisation,
• internationalisation,
• quality of the university environment.

In all evaluated areas, NTUA not only achieved the highest scores among Greek higher-education institutions but also recorded improvements compared to the previous year, notably in the area of societal engagement and knowledge transfer.

The Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), as a principal research institute of NTUA and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, plays a substantial role in maintaining the University’s consistently high ranking. ICCS’s contribution is evident in the generation of high-quality scientific knowledge, participation in competitive national and international research projects, and technology transfer and innovation activities that benefit society and the economy.

Professor Ioannis K. Chatzigeorgiou, Rector of NTUA, expressed his congratulations to all members of NTUA’s academic community for their dedication and contribution to this achievement, highlighting that the ranking reflects the high quality standards that characterise the University across education, research and academic excellence.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all – NTUA’s faculty, researchers, students, and administrative staff for their dedication and contributions to this remarkable achievement. ICCS remains committed to upholding the highest standards of academic and research excellence, ensuring that NTUA continues to set new benchmarks in education and innovation.

Transforming Regenerative Surgery

Each year, more than 150,000 patients worldwide are eligible for bladder removal (cystectomy) due to cancer. Current reconstructive surgeries rely on intestinal tissue and often cause severe side effects such as infections, metabolic complications, and reduced quality of life. PhosPrint’s innovation enables Urologists to create a fully functional, side-effect-free neobladder through the printing of a patient’s own healthy bladder cells directly onto tissue during surgery. In extensive pre-clinical studies in pigs, this approach restored normal bladder function with none of the known complications of conventional orthotopic neobladder surgery.

“Current surgical approaches of bladder cancer seriously downgrade patients’ quality of life” said Professor Ioanna Zergioti, CEO of PhosPrint. “Our InvivoLPrint-U innovation eliminates the side effects of current surgical options, offering patients a fully functional, side-effect-free neobladder. This investment brings us one step closer to the clinic and to transforming the field of regenerative medicine”.

Co-founder Dr. Apostolos Klinakis (Clinical Director) and Maria Pallidou (CFO) highlight the platform’s versatility which extends beyond bladder reconstruction, and is applicable in numerous indications including cartilage and heart repair, addressing multi-billion-euro global markets.

Backed by leading investors

“PhosPrint is breaking new ground at the intersection of bioprinting, laser technology, and regenerative medicine”, said Dr. Stefanos Capsaskis, Partner at Corallia Ventures. “We are proud to back a world-class team whose breakthrough platform has the potential to redefine outcomes for millions of patients worldwide”.

Dr.  Lars Rasmussen added: “I’m beyond proud to be backing Ioanna and her talented team! PhosPrint has likely invented the first successful bladder replacement procedure, which will likely be the first approved surgical procedure involving a bioprinter. And that’s just the beginning of what their impressive technology has in store!”

Next steps and global potential

The newly secured funds will enable PhosPrint to:

• Complete its first-in-human trial application this year;
• Launch patient trials in 2026 at leading European hospitals;
• Expand its team of biologists, engineers, and regulatory experts;
• Develop benchtop bioprinters for R&D labs as an early revenue stream starting in 2026.

The company is targeting EMA and FDA approval by 2029, with initial market entry planned in Europe and the US.

About PhosPrint

Founded in 2019 as a spinoff of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), PhosPrint develops cutting-edge in vivo laser bioprinting solutions for tissue repair. Its flagship platform, InvivoLPrint-U, enables the direct printing of live autologous cells during surgery, offering unprecedented outcomes in bladder reconstruction and beyond. With 5 patent families, proprietary manufacturing know-how, and a team of leading scientists in laser physics, biomedical engineering, and clinical research, PhosPrint is shaping the future of regenerative medicine.

For more info visit: www.phosprint.eu/

The project develops five pilots that showcase AI across the energy landscape:
1️⃣ Smart Grids in Portugal: Advancing fault detection and resilience with AI-driven digital twins of the transmission system.
2️⃣ Microgrids in Spain: Predictive maintenance to keep renewable energy equipment reliable and efficient.
3️⃣ Hydrogen & Hybrid Energy Systems in France, Spain, and Italy: Optimizing electrolysers and hybrid plants through AI-powered digital twins.
4️⃣ Buildings in Latvia: Enhancing energy efficiency in residential complexes with AI-driven building digital twins.
5️⃣ Energy Communities in Italy: Improving the performance of local renewable energy communities through AI experimentation.

DSS Lab assumes the technical coordination of the Latvian pilot 4, where AI-powered digital twins are applied to multi-apartment residential buildings in Riga. By combining real consumption data with advanced modelling, the pilot explores how to optimize heating, cooling, and overall energy use in everyday living spaces. The aim is to demonstrate measurable efficiency gains and cost savings for residents, while contributing directly to Europe’s climate and digital transition goals. EFI-DSS tool developed by DSS Lab will play a key role in this process. More information on EFI-DSS can be found here.

Also, DSS Lab coordinates the Portuguese Pilot 1, where a digital twin of the country’s transmission system will be used along with forecasts of energy production and consumption. These forecasts will be provided by DeepTSF, which is an automated codeless forecasting application based on AI / ML algorithms, and developed by DSS Lab. The goal is to use these forecasts to validate energy market results while increasing efficiency and decreasing the imbalances of the grid. More information on DeepTSF can be found here.

The EnergyGuard project is co-funded by the Horizon Europe Programme of the European Union under grant agreement No. 101172705. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

EnergyGuard brings together five large-scale laboratories and Meluxina (Europe’s greenest high-performance computer) into a unified service. The result is a one-stop platform where startups, SMEs, and researchers can develop, test, and certify AI solutions in realistic conditions without real-world risks.

As coordinator, DSS Lab steers a pan-European consortium into a single, service-oriented facility. The network spans Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Latvia, with each site offering unique assets — from grid-scale digital twins and hydrogen production lines to microgrids and Soviet-era apartment blocks. A curated catalogue of digital twins, datasets, models, and APIs makes these resources accessible through a common cloud portal.

Complementing the physical labs is the Meluxina supercomputer in Luxembourg, powered entirely by renewable energy. Developers can scale simulations across thousands of CPU and GPU cores while maintaining a transparent carbon footprint. Preconfigured container workspaces with open-source libraries give even small teams access to petascale computing, with results delivered in minutes.

For innovators, the benefits are clear: dramatically shorter development cycles, lower capital expenditure and a structured path to compliance with the forthcoming EU AI Act. The TEF’s Acceptance Environment measures algorithms against a comprehensive risk database, covering cybersecurity threats, data bias, functional safety and more. Passing solutions receive a digital badge that signals trustworthiness to investors, customers and regulators alike.

Looking ahead, DSS Lab will use its role as coordinator to seed pilot projects, open new datasets, and mentor early-stage companies. By combining world-class infrastructure with transparent governance, EnergyGuard aims to position Europe as the go-to market for responsible, high-impact energy AI.

👉 Call to innovators: AI startups, researchers, and technology providers can request access or subscribe to updates at EnergyGuard TEF Project.

The EnergyGuard project is co-funded by the Horizon Europe Programme of the European Union under grant agreement No. 101172705. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The Koropi premises feature state-of-the-art office spaces and cutting-edge research labs, dedicated primarily to Industry 5.0 applications and the testing of pioneering innovations. These new facilities will empower our researchers, fostering creativity, collaboration, and the development of groundbreaking technologies that push the frontiers of science and engineering.

The opening celebration was led by Dr. Angelos Amditis, Research and Development Director of ICCS and Director of I-SENSE, who welcomed attendees and shared his vision for the future. Short speeches were given by Prof. John Psarras (ICCS’s Director), Professor P.Tsanakas (Dean of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineerings/NTUA) who backed the effort, Dr. Giannis Karaseitanidis (I-SENSE Technical Director) and Dr. Georgios Tsimiklis (Research TMAT) whose commitment, hard work, and hands-on involvement were crucial in bringing the new premises to life. Everyone highlighted how important this new space is for the Greek research community.

Beyond a significant achievement for ICCS, the Koropi site represents a landmark development for NTUA and the broader academic ecosystem. It will also host the innovative activities of CogniSensus, a dynamic new spin-off of ICCS. Born from years of intensive research by the I-SENSE group, CogniSensus is set to revolutionize sensing, data modeling, visualization, and actuation technologies. These solutions aim to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and training in complex environments.

This expansion marks a pivotal milestone for ICCS, laying the foundation for continued excellence, innovation, and societal impact in the years to come.

The paper was co-authored by members of the NETMODE Laboratory of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), National Technical University of Athens (NTUA): Eleni Fotopoulou, Anastasios Zafeiropoulos, Lydia Mavraidi, and Symeon Papavassiliou.

We extend our warmest congratulations to PhD candidates, Eleni Fotopoulou and Lydia Mavraidi, and Postdoctoral Researcher Anastasios Zafeiropoulos, for their outstanding contribution to this achievement.

This distinction highlights the high-quality research conducted within ICCS and NTUA and underlines NETMODE Laboratory’s active contribution to this achievement.

The AI-on-Demand Platform (AIoD) has significantly expanded to include new services for research and industry within a uniffied digital infrastructure: the EU flagship initiative provides a single, trusted access point for cutting-edge European AI tools, data, and services for research and industry. As a unified gateway, the AIoD connects previously fragmented resources across the European AI ecosystem, making them accessible, reusable, and tailored to user needs. Developed through the EU-funded DeployAI and AI4Europe projects, the AIoD represents a one-stop shop that bridges the gap between research and business. It is a cornerstone of Europe’s strategy to accelerate AI innovation, enhance technological sovereignty, and position European values of trustworthiness, transparency, and responsibility at the heart of global AI development.

A Strategic Gateway: Connecting Research and Industry under One European Vision

The AIoD provides a dedicated dual-track system to meet the distinct needs of Europe’s research community and its industry players:

• Research: The AIoD delivers a powerful, researcher-focused suite of datasets, tools, and other AI resources, driving forward trustworthy, cutting-edge AI research across Europe. It aggregates results from EU-funded AI projects, making them discoverable, reusable, and shareable, and so helps foster a European community of AI developers, scientists, and innovators.
• Industry: The platform provides market-ready, enterprise-level AI tools and services as well as access to computing. It supports businesses, start-ups and SMEs, and public sector organisations in developing, training, and deploying AI applications efficiently and responsibly.

This strategic alignment ensures Europe’s AI ecosystem is not just competitive but also collaborative, fostering ecosystem building and cross-sector synergies and accelerating the time-to-impact for both scientific breakthroughs and industrial innovation.

Empowering European Research Excellence

The research track provides a version of the AIoD tailored for researchers and innovators. It introduces a modern, intuitive interface and access to over 500,000 harvested AI assets, including datasets, tools, and resources, enabling efficient AI tool development across diverse infrastructures. Crucially, it acts as a repository of publicly funded AI research, with built-in pathways for technology transfer, ensuring that datasets, tools, and results are not only preserved but actively reused, turning fragmented research outputs into a shared foundation for Europe’s AI future.

With tools like the Metadata Catalogue for unified searches, the AI Catalogue for resource organisation, and the Research and Innovation AI Lab (RAIL) for collaborative AI research, the platform empowers users at every stage of AI development. The AI Builder simplifies complex tasks, while the upcoming Success Stories service will connect users to experts, providing practical insights from real-world applications.

The platform also features the EU AI Ecosystem Mapping tool for collaboration, Eurocore, a European repository for robotics, and RoboCompass, which guides responsible innovation in robotics. All tools are integrated with secure, single sign-on access.

The coordinator of AI4Europe, Barry O’Sullivan (UCC), stated: “The new version of the AI-on-Demand Platform strengthens our ability to provide European researchers with trustworthy, cutting-edge AI tools. This upgrade will foster greater collaboration and innovation, driving tangible impact across Europe by enabling more efficient AI research, development, and application.”

Build, Train, Operate: AIoD supports the full lifecycle of AI innovation

The industry track equips businesses with the resources to harness AI effectively by lowering technical barriers, navigating regulatory requirements with confidence, and enabling the development of trustworthy AI aligned with European values. It contributes to Europe’s strategic sovereignty by offering strong, reliable alternatives to non-European providers.

The AIoD supports the full lifecycle of AI innovation, from research and development to deployment:

• Build: It provides a vendor-neutral development framework enabling efficient technology selection and application prototyping.
• Train: It offers direct access to EuroHPC resources for high-performance AI model training.
• Operate: It delivers a trusted, European-based hosting environment for deploying AI solutions, complemented by an AI-focused eCommerce marketplace.

A wide range of market-ready solutions has already been available since the first release of the platform. The industry track includes a robust suite of business-oriented tools:

• The Business Navigator, a dedicated mapping tool to help users discover and connect with European AI start-ups, technologies, and services across the ecosystem
• An open-source eCommerce platform and AI marketplace giving visibility to AI developers across the European Union
• Low-code AI development tools, including AI-Builder and AI-Runner
• HPC-as-a-Service for AI model training at scale
• Enterprise-ready Kubernetes for deploying AI applications
• Access to secure generative AI and large language model solutions

Joachim Köhler, Project Coordinator of DeployAI (Fraunhofer IAIS), said: “The AI-on-Demand Platform represents a unified approach to European AI, meeting the needs of both research and industry communities. Through the DeployAI project, we are delivering industry-ready solutions while ensuring alignment with European values of transparency and trustworthiness. This is just the beginning of our journey to create a comprehensive European AI infrastructure.”

Background and Funding

The AI-on-Demand Platform is developed through two complementary grants funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programmes: AI4Europe (€9M) and DeployAI (€28M). AI4Europe, led by the University of Cork, brings together 24 partners focused on expanding and enhancing the AIoD ecosystem for researchers, academics, innovators, and SMEs. The project started in June 2022 and concludes in December 2025. DeployAI, coordinated by Fraunhofer IAIS, unites 28 partners across 13 countries and runs from January 2024 to December 2027.

More Information

AI-on-Demand Platform: www.aiodp.eu

Contacts for Media

Breana Callan (DeployAI) Phone: +49 152 59520390

Email: contact@deployaiproject.eu

Joana Martinheira (AI4Europe) Phone: +351 915 530 272

Email: joanamartinheira@loba.com

The creation of QRBIT was formally approved by the NTUA Administrative Council (05/06/2025) and the ICCS Board of Directors (02/05/2025). Notably, ICCS and NTUA are participating in the company’s share capital through the NTUA Special Account for Research Funds and ICCS, further solidifying their commitment to innovation and technology transfer.

QRBIT was co-founded by ICCS researchers Dr. Ioannis Giannoulis, Dr. Aristeidis Stathis, and Mr. Argyrios Danos, with the invaluable support of ECE faculty members Prof. Iraklis Avramopoulos (Head of PCRL), Prof. Athanasios Panagopoulos, and Asst. Prof. Dimitrios Apostolopoulos. The spin-off builds on the strong foundation of cutting-edge research and innovation developed within ICCS/PCRL in the areas of photonic communications and quantum cryptography.

QRBIT’s mission is to pioneer hardware and software solutions for quantum satellite communications, with a focus on:

• Designing and developing photonic components and systems for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in free-space and satellite links.
• Creating advanced ground station and telescope infrastructures for both classical and quantum communication applications.
• Developing software tools for the design, optimization, and management of laser-based classical and quantum satellite missions.

The establishment of QRBIT reflects ICCS’s strategic vision to foster entrepreneurial initiatives and promote the translation of research into real-world technological advancements. Through this new venture, ICCS strengthens its role in the global ecosystem of quantum and optical communications.

Let us extend our warm congratulations to the founders of QRBIT and wish them great success in this exciting endeavor!

SPRINTER is working on the development of advanced networks for future smart manufacturing aiming to build a super-fast, energy-efficient industrial internet combining laser-based communication and advanced wireless technology. The project is funded by the European Commission through a €6 million grant under the Horizon Europe programme .

Today’s  factories rely on a patchwork of copper cables, conventional Wi-Fi, and outdated switching systems that are too slow and inefficient for the demands of Industry 5.0. SPRINTER aims to replace decaying infrastructure with laser-driven, high-speed optical and hybrid wireless communication systems, capable of delivering reliable, real-time connections between machines, rooms, and even entire industrial buildings.

“Industry 5.0 demands faster, smarter, and more robust networks,” says Efstathios Andrianopoulos of PCRL, the project coordinator. “Our goal is to make Europe the world leader in industrial photonics — providing the tools to support the next generation of automation, robotics, and intelligent systems.”

SPRINTER’s technological focus is centered on four key prototypes:

1. Ultra-fast 200 Gb/s optical transceivers – designed for high-capacity core networks.
2. Hybrid free-space optical and mmWave transceivers – ensuring robust wireless connections in harsh industrial environments.
3. Wavelength-tuneable 10 Gb/s transceivers – capable of dynamically adapting to network demands in real time.
4. A Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) – optimised for space-division multiplexing to intelligently route data and improve network reliability.

By combining these innovations, SPRINTER is developing a unified communication platform able to support time-sensitive networking where even millisecond delays can disrupt automation.

“Factories are full of moving parts, dust, and interference — a nightmare for traditional WiFi,” says Efstathios Andrianopoulos. “That’s why we’re developing hybrid transceivers that combine laser and radio technologies: to maintain wireless links, even in the noisiest, most chaotic settings.”

These innovations will support the real-time communication needed for next-gen factories, where even small delays can cause big problems.

Click here to read the full article by Photonics21.