LEADERSHIP
Meet the team that drives Kura Biotech
OUR PURPOSE
Kura Biotech exists to create biotech products better and differently, to be a force of good to the world.
OUR PURPOSE
Kura Biotech exists to create biotech products better and differently, to be a force of good to the world.
 
    2013
The Beginning
Kura Biotech was founded in Puerto Varas, Chile, with the discovery of a revolutionary beta-glucuronidase (BG) enzyme for opioid detection. This enzyme would become the foundation for Finden, Kura’s flagship brand providing enzyme solutions for toxicology and drug testing.
 
    2019
B-Gluc World Leaders
Kura launched its highest-performance beta-glucuronidase, the fastest and most efficient enzyme in the world, which operates at room temperature and reduces hydrolysis to up to 5 minutes.
 
    2020
Scaling to Meet Global Needs
As the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, Kura quickly developed and launched PCR detection kits under the Avenire brand in just 3 months. These kits were instrumental in testing millions across Chile, solidifying Kura’s role in public health and diagnostics.
 
    2022
Expanding into Food Safety
Building on Avenire’s success in Covid and leveraging the technology platform developed, Kura introduced RESIST Food, an Isothermal PCR for rapid pathogen detection for the food industry.
 
    2023
Launch of Blikka for Genomics
Kura launched its genomics division, Blikka, which offers cutting-edge DNA sequencing and synthesis enzymes. This portfolio included a high-fidelity polymerase Decodi-Fi, and a proprietary TdT synthesis panel.
Blikka Genomics is now empowering advancements in precision medicine and multi-omics research.
 
    2023
Commitment to Global Impact
As a certified B Corporation, Kura Biotech remains committed to sustainability and community development through the Liquen Foundation. Their innovations across Finden, Avenire, and Blikka Genomics continue to shape the industries of toxicology, food safety, and genomics.
We are moved by our Give Back Will commitment.
As a certified B Corporation, Kura Biotech holds itself to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. We are committed to making a lasting, positive impact on our community, business ecosystem, and the environment.
Through the Liquen Foundation, we allocate 2% of our sales to support initiatives focused on regenerating ecosystems and empowering vulnerable communities.

Our Impact Model guides every decision we make, ensuring that our actions contribute to a sustainable future.
Download Our 2023 Impact Report
Discover how Kura Biotech is making a difference in the world through our science, our people, and our commitment to sustainability.
Eduardo Wallach
Chief Executive Officer
Ed has overseen Kura’s rise as a global enzyme innovator, consolidating its position as the largest producer of enzymatic solutions for drug testing and expanding into new markets such as food safety and genomics.
Manuel Rozas
Chief Scientific Officer & Founder
Founder of Kura Biotech, Manuel combined scientific expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and collaborative leadership to establish a global leader in toxicology enzymes and expand into genomics and food safety.
Francisco Montt
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO since 2022, Francisco has led Kura’s financial transformation, driving global strategy, planning, and governance to strengthen growth across industries and regions.
Maria Jose Nunez
VP of Business Growth & Marketing
Maria Jose has led Kura’s global growth, strengthening brand leadership, positioning toxicology as a world leader in enzymatic reagents, and expanding into food safety through innovation.
Agustin Dagnino
VP of New Products Strategy
At Kura since 2019, Agustín built and led the People function and now drives new product strategy, combining leadership, innovation, and a global perspective.
Isa Marx
Director of R&D
Since joining Kura in 2019, she has led R&D, driving enzyme innovation and building on her global biotech experience and strong foundation in molecular biology.
Nicolas Vivanco
Director of Business Development
Joined Kura in 2024 as Chief of Staff and now leads food safety business development, driving international growth and strategic partnerships.
Ignacia Bianchi
Director of People
Since 2023, she has led People at Kura, driving talent attraction, organizational development, and culture strategy while advancing impact initiatives.
Manuel Rozas
Board Chairman
Manuel founded Kura Biotech and led its growth into a global leader in toxicology enzymes, expanding into genomics and food safety.
David Perez
Board Member
Board member since 2017, he brings decades of experience in finance, entrepreneurship, and venture growth to support Kura’s global strategy.
Jorge Velarde
Board Member
Board member since 2020, he brings decades of global biotech experience in genomics, diagnostics, and business strategy to guide Kura’s growth.
Vesna Mitchell
Advisor
Advisor since 2025, she brings 20+ years of global expertise in protein engineering, enzyme innovation, and research leadership to guide Kura’s strategy.












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