PhosPrint and the EIC Accelerator: Printing Bladders in Surgery

PhosPrint, founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems at the National Technical University of Athens, builds a laser bioprinter that deposits living cells directly onto tissue during surgery. Its first target is bladder cancer patients whose bladder is removed and rebuilt from intestine: the printer coats the intestinal tissue with the patient's own bladder cells to avoid the mucus, metabolic problems and stones that such neobladders cause, according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,000,560 towards a €2.86 million project from May 2023 to April 2026. The report covering the first 18 months says a 12-pig study "validated the safety and superiority" of the approach against the standard neobladder, that a clinical version of the printer was ready for first-in-human use, and that the patent portfolio grew from four to five families. In December 2025 Corallia Ventures and Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen put €500,000 into the company. The European Medicines Agency and Greece's medicines agency approved a first human trial, which PhosPrint said in May 2026 "is beginning". No human results have been published.

Where PhosPrint Stands Now

According to ICCS, the regulators treated the product as a combination of cell therapy and medical device, and the submission ran to more than 7,000 pages. PhosPrint's CEO said the seed money would mainly cover the costs of the first human trial, and that proving safety is a prerequisite for follow-on investment. In May 2026 PhosPrint received a start-up award from the Athens Chamber of Commerce and said the trial was starting at Laiko and Gennimatas hospitals in Athens, according to its announcement.

The Technology: Printing Cells With Light

The printer uses laser-induced forward transfer: a laser pulse pushes tiny droplets of cell-laden material onto a surface with high precision. A biopsy is taken from the patient, bladder cells are isolated and expanded in the lab, and during surgery they are printed onto the stripped intestinal lining that forms the new bladder. The report says 17 pig surgeries were used to refine the protocol before the 12-animal study. The pig results appear only in company reports and statements so far.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised to introduce laser bioprinting into surgery, starting with bladder reconstruction. It delivered a clinical-grade device, completed preclinical validation and set up a quality system for EU and US regulators. PhosPrint said in May 2026, after the project's end, that the human trial was starting, so clinical validation is still to come. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.

1. Clinical-grade printerDeliveredReady for first-in-human use.
2. Preclinical validationDelivered12-pig study.
3. Regulatory approval to testDeliveredEMA and EOF.
4. Human resultsPendingTrial starting, 2026.

The Money

The report records that Corallia Ventures offered a €4 million pre-money valuation to open negotiations and that a crowdfunding platform, Capital Cell, planned to host a round of up to €500,000. The round that closed in December 2025 raised €500,000. PhosPrint has not published its revenue or losses.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

More than 150,000 patients a year worldwide are candidates for bladder removal due to cancer, according to Corallia. The EIC grant ran while a small Greek company moved from animal studies to a regulator-approved human trial.

The Verdict

PhosPrint and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.