911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

Biotechnology spinout, Orthogonal Peptides, will transform the discovery, development, and sustainable manufacturing of peptide-based medicines.

Founded in July 2025, leverages proprietary technology developed at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ to synthesise and scale complex peptide structures — including cyclic peptides — that are critical to the next generation of therapeutics. The platform will focus on areas of high unmet medical need such as oncology, metabolic diseases including diabetes and obesity, and antimicrobial resistance.

Orthogonal Peptides is currently operating under the leadership of the Department of Chemical Engineering's , co-founder, research lead and Interim CEO, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) — both also co-founders.

The company is actively engaging in demonstrating its technologies to leading pharma companies. They can reduce the environmental impact of peptide manufacturing by reducing waste to 50% with higher manufacturing throughput. They have been able to make an extra-small cyclic dipeptide for target recognition and are currently developing a novel, first-in-class multifunctional peptide structure featuring cross-linking for enhanced stability and activity.

Our technology for making unique cyclic peptides combined with our new sustainable manufacturing technologies, will allow us to further develop our current partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical companies. Professor Daryl Williams Co-founder, Orthogonal Peptides

“Orthogonal Peptides is an exciting new technology platform company specialising in peptide discovery, development and manufacture. Our technology for making unique cyclic peptides combined with our new sustainable manufacturing technologies, will allow us to further develop our current partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical companies”, said Professor Williams.

The company plans to raise seed funding in late 2025 and is actively recruiting a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead its commercialisation efforts. The appointed CEO will be responsible for driving growth, securing investment, and building strategic partnerships across the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.

Orthogonal Peptides exemplifies 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ’s commitment to translating world-class research into real-world impact through commercial innovation.

ChemEng Enterprise-a rich history, an exciting present, a bright future

This is the latest spinout supported by ChemEng Enterprise, the highly successful decentralised Enterprise programme launched by the Department of Chemical Engineering and unique within 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ.

The scheme, led by Professor Sandro Macchietto, Director of Enterprise, Department of Chemical Engineering, includes scouting of viable opportunities, a pre-seed funding scheme, extensive advice and mentoring, support of interactions with 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ and funders, and a yearly ChemEng Enterprise Day bringing together founders, early investors, mentors (alumni and professional) to network at the earliest possible stage.

Orthogonal Peptides has all the potential to deliver immense health benefits and great commercial impact in a very hot therapeutic area. Professor Sandro Macchietto Director of Enterprise, Department of Chemical Engineering

Professor Sandro Macchietto said: ”Most people associate chemical engineering with energy, materials and processes, and indeed we have thriving research and excellent spinouts in all these sectors. The same skills base is also successfully deployed in important biotech and biomedical areas, as Professor Williams and his team demonstrates. Orthogonal Peptides has all the potential to deliver immense health benefits and great commercial impact in a very hot therapeutic area. We are very proud to have supported them through the formation and launch phase and look forward to continuing to do so. Ideally, they will lead the way to a few similar hot biotech spinouts we have in the pipeline."

Interested in applying for the CEO position at Orthogonal Peptides? Get in touch with Professor Daryl Williams.

Find out more about ChemEng Enterprise. 
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