Dons raise £4.8 million for animal wound treatment spinout

Two Vet Med dons’ company, NoBACZ, has developed liquid bandages for farm animals

The new treatment is expected to help treat infections in cattle Louis Ashworth for Varsity

by Neve Wilson

Wednesday October 1 2025, 8:24pm

A University of Cambridge spinout has raised £4.8 million to commercialise a product with a new way to treat animal wounds.

NoBACZ, led by academics Dr Jonathan Powell and Dr Nuno Faria from Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine, was founded in 2019. The company specialises in a patented animal wound treatment, originally developed to treat digital dermatitis in cows.

The product has secured investment through The Yield Lab, which funds early-stage companies in the agricultural industry. Other investors include the University of Cambridge itself and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures.

Digital dermatitis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects approximately a quarter of cows. The condition creates skin lesions and can cause lameness in cattle, which is often treated using antibiotics and physical bandages.

These methods can lead to further contamination and infection in farmland environments.

NoBACZ has created a liquid bandage in the form of a breathable, biodegradable gel that blocks water and microbes from entering the wound or area, and then falls off once the wound has healed naturally.

The product has expanded to have a wide range of applications for several types of farm animals. This includes keeping bacteria out during procedures such as ear tag placement. These applications build on the academics’ research into how the body can build and utilise mineral structures naturally.

‘We are too comfortable in our approach’: ambitions to increase commercialisation of Cambridge research

NoBACZ’s chief executive, Dr Powell, said: “We founded NoBACZ Healthcare with the goal of transforming healthcare solutions for a more sustainable future whilst reducing antibiotic use.”

He added: “This new funding will fuel our expansion as we broaden our global product reach, launch our new range of products for the equine industry and continue to develop innovative veterinary healthcare solutions.”

The University of Cambridge facilitates collaboration between investors and start-up companies, many of which come out of the University itself.

In February, the Spotlight on Spinouts 2025 report found that Cambridge has produced the second largest number of spinouts since 2011 of any university in the UK.

In 2024 alone, Cambridge spun out 26 new companies – more than universities such as Oxford and Imperial College London.

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