The crowdfunding campaign for Sea4Us’ marine-derived chronic pain drug, Sea4Pain, has set multiple records on impact finance platform Goparity – raising €1.153.335,14 from 3,963 lenders, reaching 128% of its target, and becoming the largest campaign in the platform’s history with 15 days left to invest.
Lisbon-based Goparity confirmed this is the first time in its history that a campaign has both allowed overfunding and raised more than €1 million, with co-founder and CEO Nuno Brito Jorge saying the milestone comes during the platform’s best month ever for funds raised.
“With the investment occurring partly last month, and together with other successful campaigns, July 2025 is now our best month ever in terms of funds raised. I like to think this is mainstreaming but pragmatically choose to call it progress – and celebrate it,” he told Portugal Startup News.
Founded in Portugal in 2013 as a spin-off from NOVA University of Lisbon, Sea4Us focuses on marine-inspired pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs.
Its flagship product, Sea4Pain, is a non-opioid, non-addictive treatment for chronic pain derived from a marine sponge found off the coast of Sagres, in Portugal’s Algarve region.
What makes Sea4Pain different
Sea4Pain works by modulating ion channels – microscopic gateways in cells that regulate the flow of ions like sodium, potassium, or calcium, which are crucial for nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and other essential functions. Malfunctioning ion channels are linked to several serious health conditions.
In preclinical studies, Sea4Pain provided pain relief equivalent to morphine, a strong opioid, without the side effects or dependency risks common to that class of drugs. Unlike traditional painkillers, it does not cause issues such as numbness, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, drowsiness, and gastrointestinal discomfort.
Sea4Pain has shown potential in treating pain after surgery or injury, joint inflammation, diabetic nerve pain, chemotherapy-induced nerve pain, facial nerve pain, and digestive-related pain such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Sea4Us co-founder and CEO Pedro Lima described the investor turnout as “unprecedented.”
“This support gives an explicit message, one that pushes the limit of our awareness of and commitment to our mission – to find an adequate solution for the millions of people who suffer from different subtypes of chronic pain.”
An estimated 100 million people in Europe and 1.6 billion worldwide suffer from chronic pain, a condition linked to depression, higher suicide rates, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as substance use and misuse.
The impact goes beyond health, taking a serious toll on family and social relationships. In Europe alone, its effects on absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased likelihood of leaving the workforce cost an estimated €500 billion each year.
Global investor engagement
The Sea4Us campaign has attracted investors from 31 nationalities, with an average contribution of €290 and a highest single investment of €25,000, according to the platform’s CEO. The top three countries by number of investors are Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands.
“July is also the first month ever with more than 5,000 unique users investing via Goparity,” Brito Jorge said, adding that there is strong interest in health and biotech on the platform, with the Sea4Us webinar in August being among the most subscribed of all they have hosted for large campaigns.
How Goparity works
Goparity is an impact finance and investment app that empowers people and companies to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by providing access to financing for businesses with a positive impact on people and the planet.
It aims to drive the transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive economic system, making investment in sustainable solutions accessible to all, from citizens to small enterprises.
Brito Jorge said the process is designed to be simple and accessible. “For every campaign we launch, a risk analysis is performed to assess the borrowing company’s financial health and confirm its positive impact. Anyone can invest from only €10 and, once the funding target is achieved, borrowers start paying principal and interest according to a payment plan – typically monthly.”
He added that investors can choose exactly what projects or companies they want to invest in, or instruct the platform to invest according to their criteria, and then track the performance of their investments and the positive impact they helped generate in the app. “This is the kind of empowerment we propose: ownership over what your money is used for.”
Goparity, managed and owned by Power Parity, SA, is licensed by the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) under the European Crowdfunding Regulation. To date, more than €50 million has been invested through the platform by over 20,000 users across more than 20 countries in Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The average interest rate since inception is 6.35%, with an average loan duration of 3.2 years.
“This is the second time Sea4Us raises a loan with Goparity. We’re thrilled to be part of their growth and expect to continue to be an important partner in their journey to market. Millions of people will benefit from their success,” Brito Jorge said.
Previous success and next steps
Sea4Us’ first Goparity campaign was fully funded by 2,841 investors, raising €800,000. The funding allowed the scaling of Sea4Pain to industrial production, proving safety even at high doses, and securing further intellectual property protection.
The current Sea4Us campaign on Goparity will close in two weeks or once it reaches its €1.2 million maximum target.
The funds will allow the company to advance the payment of public incentive grants it has been awarded. They will also be used to complete the advanced toxicology and safety preclinical tests, finalize the formulation for human clinical tests, submit the application to regulatory authorities for the execution of clinical trials, and file an additional patent.
These steps will help maintain the accelerated pace of Sea4Pain’s development, with the goal of reaching clinical trials in 2026 and advancing toward licensing in 2027.
Both individual and corporate investors can join the campaign on the official page on Goparity.
Read more: Sea4Us 101: How their marine-inspired Sea4Pain drug offers hope for chronic pain patients
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, or an endorsement of the campaign. Readers should conduct their own research before making any financial commitments.
Featured image: Sea4Us CEO Pedro Lima (left) and Goparity CEO Nuno Brito Jorge. (Courtesy of Sea4Us and Goparity)
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