The University of Leicester spinout will put the funding towards recruitment and moving its synthetic antibody operation into larger premises.

MIP Diagnostics, a UK-based synthetic antibody developer spinout from University of Leicester, has closed a £1.5m ($2m) series A round that included Mercia Fund Managers, a unit of investment firm Mercia Technologies.

Assorted angel investors, including Andrew Fisher and David Evans, also backed the round.

Founded in 2015, MIP is developing polymer-based alternatives to antibodies called nanostructured molecularly imprinted polymers (nanoMIPs) for medical purposes including vaccines, research and diagnostics, as well as in industries such as oil and gas, food…