MAXWELL BIOSYSTEMS AG

Their core work

Maxwell Biosystems develops high-density microelectrode array (MEA) platforms for recording and stimulating biological neural networks, organoids, and cell cultures. Their technology enables pharmaceutical companies and neuroscience researchers to measure electrical activity from thousands of neurons simultaneously, accelerating drug discovery and disease modeling. They bridge hardware engineering (chip design, plasmonics) with neurobiology applications like retinal electrophysiology, brain simulation, and Alzheimer's research. Based in Zurich, they operate as a deep-tech SME commercializing neuroelectronics tools originally developed in academic settings.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Maxwell Biosystems began with foundational neuroelectronics hardware — combining patch-clamp systems with microelectrode arrays (MAPSYNE, 2018) and building platforms for retinal electrophysiology and visual restoration (STIMOS, 2019). Their recent projects show a clear shift toward biological complexity: from measuring neurons to building hybrid neural-electronic systems that integrate organoids, smart polymers, and plasmonics (HyVIS, 2021) and modeling brain diseases like Alzheimer's (NEUREKA). The trajectory moves from "better measurement tools" toward "functional biological-electronic interfaces" for therapeutic applications.

Maxwell Biosystems is moving from pure measurement instrumentation toward integrated biological-electronic systems for therapeutic vision restoration and neurodegenerative disease research — expect future work at the intersection of organoids, smart materials, and neural interfaces.

How they like to work

Maxwell Biosystems predominantly leads its own projects, coordinating 4 out of 6 H2020 grants — a strong indicator of technical ownership and project management capability. Their consortia are small (9 unique partners across 6 projects), suggesting focused, purpose-built collaborations rather than large network-building exercises. When they participate rather than lead (NEUREKA, HyVIS), it is in larger research initiatives where they contribute their MEA platform as a specialized technology provider.

They have worked with 9 distinct partners across 6 countries, maintaining a compact but internationally distributed European network. As a Swiss SME, their partnerships span the EU research landscape without a single dominant geographic cluster.

What sets them apart

Maxwell Biosystems occupies a rare niche: they are one of very few SMEs that both manufacture high-density microelectrode array hardware and apply it directly to biological research problems like retinal disease and Alzheimer's. This dual capability — instrumentation maker and application expert — makes them valuable both as a technology supplier to larger consortia and as a project leader defining research questions. Their Swiss base and consistent coordination track record signal reliability and scientific rigor that larger partners can depend on.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NEUREKA
  Largest single grant (EUR 466,562) and most ambitious scope — building a hybrid neural-computational device for Alzheimer's drug discovery, running through 2024.
• HyVIS
  Most forward-looking project (2021-2026), combining plasmonics, smart polymers, and metamaterials with retina organoids for artificial vision — signals the company's strategic direction.
• STIMOS
  Demonstrates core platform capability — simultaneous stimulation of multiple organoids using their MEA technology, with direct application to visual restoration research.