GIOTTO BIOTECH SRL

Their core work

Giotto Biotech is a Florence-based biotech SME specializing in custom synthesis of complex biomolecules, with deep expertise in carbohydrate chemistry, glycomimetics, and molecular probes. They provide specialized chemical and enzymatic synthesis services for drug discovery and biological research, serving as an industry training partner in large EU research networks. Their work bridges organic chemistry and biology, supplying research-grade compounds and analytical tools that academic labs typically cannot produce in-house.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Giotto Biotech's trajectory shows a clear sharpening from general drug discovery toward specialized glycobiology. Their earliest project AEGIS (2016) focused broadly on accelerating early-stage drug discovery, while subsequent projects narrowed to specific molecular classes — RNA-binding proteins in RNAct (2019), then glycomimetics and immune-modulating carbohydrates in GLYTUNES (2021). This progression suggests the company has been building deeper domain expertise in sugar-based therapeutics and immune modulation, moving from a generalist synthesis provider toward a glycoscience specialist.

Giotto Biotech is converging on glyco-immunology — expect them to pursue projects at the intersection of carbohydrate chemistry and immunotherapy.

How they like to work

Giotto Biotech consistently participates as a partner, never as coordinator, in large MSCA training networks — all three projects are Marie Curie ITN consortia with substantial multi-partner structures. With 39 unique partners across just 3 projects, they plug into broad academic networks as an industry host, offering early-stage researchers hands-on experience in a commercial biotech environment. This makes them a reliable, low-friction industry partner for training-oriented consortia.

Through three MSCA training networks, Giotto Biotech has built connections with 39 unique partners across 12 countries, giving them a wide European academic network despite being a small company. Their partnerships span universities and research institutes across Western and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

Giotto Biotech occupies a niche that few SMEs fill: a private company with genuine synthetic chemistry capabilities in glycoscience, willing to host and train researchers through MSCA networks. For consortium builders, they offer something rare — an industry partner that actually makes complex biomolecules rather than just consulting. Their Florence base and consistent MSCA participation make them a proven, bankable choice for training network proposals needing an SME with real lab capacity in carbohydrate and biomolecular chemistry.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GLYTUNES
  Most recent and thematically focused project, targeting the Siglec-glycan axis for immune modulation — a hot area linking glycobiology to immunotherapy.
• RNAct
  Represents a diversification into RNA biology and protein engineering, showing the company's ability to work beyond its core carbohydrate chemistry.