StartupsNov 3, 2026, 5:51 PM UTC·2 min read

1nhaler raises £2.2M to bring cardboard inhaler to clinic

Scottish startup 1nhaler has secured £2.2 million led by Archangels to take its credit card-sized cardboard inhaler towards first regulatory approval.

A credit card-sized cardboard inhaler from 1nhaler unfolded into its three-dimensional form for use. — Image: Tech.eu

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Scottish drug delivery developer 1nhaler has secured £2.2 million in follow-on funding to move its pop-up cardboard inhaler towards its first regulatory approval. Archangels led the round, with support from Scottish Enterprise and BBB Investments.

The money will fund late-stage development of 1nhaler Salbutamol, the company's lead product, which pairs the new device with salbutamol, a well-established asthma medicine. 1nhaler's single-dose dry powder inhaler (DPI) is made predominantly from cardboard and is the size and shape of a credit card. It turns into a three-dimensional inhaler when a patient uses it.

Simpler, cheaper, greener

The company says the platform targets key limitations of current inhalers: accessibility, cost and environmental impact. Conventional devices are typically made from bulky plastic. By contrast, 1nhaler's design has few components, including a patent-protected membrane-based system, and is intended to be simpler and cheaper to manufacture at scale.

Inhaled medicines are already used for conditions including asthma, COPD, influenza, epilepsy, depression and Parkinson's. The company adds that the platform could also deliver dry powder medicines for other uses, such as pain relief and vaccines.

What the funding covers

The investment will complete the technical transfer of the product to contract manufacturing to produce clinical trial material. It will also support a small clinical trial intended to back a regulatory filing, which is targeted for late 2027. A manufacturing engineering study with Harro Höfliger will look at commercial scale-up, and the team will advance business development talks with interested parties.

Lisa McMyn, co-founder and CEO, called the round a step towards "one of the most important milestones" in the company's journey: taking its own lead product into the clinic.

Archangels, which has backed 1nhaler since 2023, pointed to interest from potential partners across a broader range of drugs than it first expected. Dr Sarah Hardy, Director and Head of New Investments at the investor, said a clinical study is a significant step towards demonstrating performance in patients.