Invitris Phage
Invitris is one of those companies that can really save the world – in their case from multi-resistant bacteria, which are becoming a global health concern.
Through their unique cell-free phage production system, Invitris can create a personalized protein-based drug therapy to heal infections where all classic antibiotics fail.
We’ve helped them design, plan and equip their new lab space in IZB Munich.
Area
280m² R&D, Production
Location
Munich, DE
Status
Completed
Project highlights
SLA provides an end-to-end service for projects, starting with understanding the workflow of our clients to handing over an operational facility.
Discover
As Invitris moved into a ready lab space at IZB Munich, our primary challenges in the Discovery Phase of the project were to analyze and map the space including the existing infrastructure.
Moreover, we coordinated that all regulatory aspects of operating their lab were accounted for and helped with sublease arrangements for some yet unused rooms of the lab.
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DESIGN
In the Invitris project, we collaborated closely with the client team to design lab and office spaces that reflected their vision and workflow needs. Our goal was to capture the right atmosphere for their future workspace while optimizing every square meter for efficiency.
Lab Zoning
We analyzed Invitris’ workflows to create an ideal lab zoning plan and layout. For this small-scale project, we focused on spatial functionality rather than structural changes, ensuring a seamless design process tailored to their operational requirements.
Contract
As in every project, we guided Invitris through short- and long-term lab build-out costs, helping prioritize key investments and identify savings through leasing and trusted second-hand equipment.
For many startups, this stage is a vital reality check — balancing growth ambitions with responsible budgeting.
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Buy
We planned a simple office for Invitris and their subtenants, incl. shared community spaces.
Cell-free Phage Production Lab
In the Design Phase step of the planning process for Invitris’ S1 and S2 lab spaces, we positioned all lab furniture and equipment and made sure that all media and power requirements were met.
360° virtual tour
As for any of our clients, we prepared a 360° virtual tour to optimize our planning process and also to communicate with stakeholders and contractors quickly and accurately.
Such a tour allows anyone to remotely explore and experience the space as if they were on site. Most importantly, we can significantly reduce costs for site visits and resolve questions and project blockers much quicker.
Our relationship with Invitris really goes back a long time:
When SLA founder Jérôme presented his vision of phage therapies at the kickoff of iGEM 2018, that would become the TUM teams’ Phactory project and – fast forward a few years, in which Jérôme kept coaching the growing team – mature into an ambitious company: Invitris.
We’re really happy that our friends at Invitris managed to become selected as a Y Combinator company in 2023, thus rapidly outgrowing their previous facilities.
Finally, we’re proud to announce that, founded in our sustained relationship and deep mutual trust, Invitris has become our very special first, but definitely not last, startup investment with SLA acting as angel investor.
Going forward, we plan to open this avenue to more startups that seek to grow together with us.
Testimonials
Patrick Grossmann, PhD, MBA
Co-Founder & CEO
The Smart Lab Architects team has helped to plan and execute the expansion into our new laboratory very quickly. They visited us on site in our previous university spaces and analyzed our scientific processes and needs to then scale it all up into a tailored lab that will support us in our further growth. SLA’s digital planning tools facilitated swift and clear decision-making, while their extensive network and expertise helped us to equip our lab very cost efficiently with all that we needed.
We highly recommend SLA for their comprehensive and tailored services and we’re happy to have them on board as investors and advisors for our joint future!
Invitris - TV Feature
Learn about Invitris and get a few glimpses of their new lab in this feature on bacteriophage therapies that aired on German national TV show PlusMinus in October ’23. (Jump to 07:13)