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Our vision is to develop non-hormonal contraceptives to provide both women and men with birth control options that lack the associated risks of hormone-based options but are equally effective. Traditionally, it has been the women’s financial and health burden to have a contraceptive in place. Our first goal is therefore to bring a novel non-hormonal, on-demand and low cost female contraceptive to the market that will substantially improve their quality of life and well-being. Our second goal is to develop the first ever non-surgical and highly effective non-hormonal contraceptive for men. Currently, male contraception is limited to two main options – vasectomy or condoms. Having such options available to both women and men will globally allow for much better family planning, reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies including abortions and therefore reduce costs and ensure contraceptive health and well-being.", "one_liner": "YourChoice therapeutics is revolutionizing the contraceptive market…", "team_size": 3, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1545442492, "tags": [ "Health Tech", "Biotech" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2019", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/yourchoice-therapeutics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2019/yourchoice-therapeutics.json", "year_founded": null, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourchoicetherapeutics/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5ee153812f550aed3a1d617decff16839415814f.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 269392, "full_name": "Akash Bakshi", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/akashbakshi/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/0cfdf5161054ad467cf49f76cfea3d56f1768cb8.jpg" }, { "user_id": 269626, "full_name": "Nadja Mannowetz", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadja-mannowetz-b7633655/", "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/65c8cd64d303a5092bec9cfa74c9acc1ced2d0a4.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "YourChoice’s non-hormonal male birth control is safe so far", "url": "https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/no-hormones-no-problem-yourchoices-first-its-kind-male-birth-control-safe-men-so-far", "date": "Jun 03, 2024" }, { "title": "YourChoice Therapeutics Begins Landmark Trial for Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill", "url": "https://femtechinsider.com/yourchoice-therapeutics-trial/", "date": "Dec 14, 2023" }, { "title": "Male Birth Control Pill Enters Clinical Trial", "url": "https://sfstandard.com/2023/12/14/san-francisco-yourchoice-therapeutics-male-birth-control-pill/", "date": "Dec 14, 2023" }, { "title": "Male birth control pill enters Phase 1 trial in U.K.", "url": "https://www.statnews.com/2023/12/13/male-birth-control-pill/", "date": "Dec 13, 2023" }, { "title": "YourChoice Therapeutics raises $15M Series A for male birth control", "url": "https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/07/20/yourchoice-therapeutics-raises-15-million-series-a", "date": "Jul 20, 2022" } ], "launches": [] }, { "id": 12579, "name": "Encepheal Therapeutics", "slug": "encepheal-therapeutics", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e2254c6db4aca1a94f4c379b3299c517203af457.png", "website": "http://www.encepheal.com", "all_locations": "Winston-Salem, NC, USA", "long_description": "EncepHeal is developing medications to treat substance abuse. Our first product is a small molecule therapeutic for stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine, of which there are no FDA approved treatments.\r\n\r\nOur small molecule technology are atypical inhibitors of the dopamine transporter. Cocaine itself is an inhibitor of the same transporter. Directly reducing craving or positive reinforcement is a successful treatment strategy for addiction. Methadone or buprenorphine (Suboxone) are key examples of this for opioid use disorder. However, these types of medications can be addictive themselves. This has been a major hurdle for medication development for cocaine addiction and has led to many leaders in the addiction space to abandon the dopamine transporter as a target. At EncepHeal, we believe that the dopamine transporter should not be abandoned and instead focusing on fixing the abuse liability problem. Therefore with our partners at the National Institutes of Health, we have shown that these new, allosteric modulators at the dopamine transporter do not display addictive tendencies in animal models. They are also effective at curbing cocaine addiction. \r\n\r\nOur management team has two co-founders, Omeed Rahimi and Aaron Lazarus, as well as an experienced addiction pharmacologist as their research officer. The team has an advisory board with entrepreneurial and addiction drug development experience as well as expert partners at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a subset of the NIH, and Wake Forest.\r\n\r\nOur team has had success in raising non-dilutive funding and has expertise with SBIR/STTR grants. 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We develop novel, next-generation, immunomodulatory therapies for rare & inflammatory diseases with no effective treatments. Our team is supercharging the drug development cycle by applying AI to multiple-mechanism-of-action protein targets and their natural platform capabilities—creating novel therapeutics at an unprecedented pace. Our AI platform has enabled us to develop a purpose-built therapy for ARDS to reduce its $20 billion cost on society (just in the USA). \r\n \r\nGEn1E has built a rich pipeline of 21+ novel and selective immunomodulators and has plans to accelerate 2 additional devastating diseases (beyond their lead indication) to IND in the next 12 months. 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Our co-founder Dr. Osman Ozes, led the first drug development program for Esbriet (Pirfenidone), resulting in the first FDA approved therapy for lung fibrosis. Esbriet is now a $1 billion/year drug and has already made over $6 billion in revenue. \r\n\r\nWith a team that has over 70+ years of small molecule drug development experience, we intend to do the same with chronic liver diseases, which affects over 20 million Americans and represents a market size of over $30 billion. \r\n\r\nWe know we are well positioned for success because we have shown excellent pre-clinical mouse data in several liver fibrosis models using our novel small molecule. 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We leverage selective mRNA-LNP technology to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases with precision, ensuring targeted cell delivery and minimal off-target effects. Our KR-402 program achieves over 90% delivery efficiency with T-cell-targeted LNPs, enabling direct CAR-T programming within the body and resulting in B-cell depletion within a week.\r\n \r\nKernal Bio is led by a team with experience from MIT, Harvard, Merck, and BMS, boasting three FDA-approved therapies and over 120 patents. Based in Cambridge, MA, we are backed by Hummingbird Ventures, Amgen Ventures, HBM, and even NASA.\r\n\r\nWith roots at MIT, Harvard and Biopharma, Kernal’s management team has deep expertise in mRNA therapeutics space. CEO Yusuf Erkul, M.D., M.B.A. is a successful drug hunter whose research at Merck enabled an FDA-approved drug for ovarian cancer. 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Our first indication is Crohn’s Disease, which affects over 500,000 Americans at an annual cost of $10B. 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I have lived and performed research in 4 countries and 2 continents. Previously I was a postdoc at Harvard. I founded Promakhos because I think we have given to “autoimmune” diseases a grossly misleading name and we treat them in a primitive way. Promakhos means the first to enter a battle. In ancient Greece Promakhos was the strongest to put in the front line of an army so that they will not even have to start a battle.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerina-chatzi-phd-366625179/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/44905f88c1e9d845be73d75a945d562695953b8a.jpg" }, { "user_id": 672217, "full_name": "Jasper Edgar Neggers", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "CSO and co-founder of Promakhos. In high school, Jasper built a web-shop. He obtained a BSc, MSc and PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven. He pioneered the use of XPO1 inhibitors for treating cancer and invented a CRISPR-directed evolution technology for drug target deconvolution. Jasper then joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to identify and validate new drug targets for gastrointestinal cancers. 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It is a true platform technology because it enables the joining of any two soluble proteins together with minimal engineering and without restrictions due to protein size or complexity. Our work has already been used to modify cancer specific antibodies, CRISPR proteins and even cell surfaces. 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We have taken a first principles approach to design and make oncolytic viral therapies. Using a highly lytic RNA virus engineered with \"2 factor authentication\" (using selective infection and selective replication) they have an on-target to off-target kill ratio > 1000. We are working on our first indication, pediatric liver cancer (hepatoblastoma), with our partners at Texas Children's Hospital, who are world leading experts. We have in vivo (mouse) data showing safety and currently developing efficacy data and are showing 50% reduction in tumor volume. 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We build a cell-based platform for cost-efficient and scalable production of high-quality mRNA to unlock next generation of mRNA medicines.\n\nMy background is in computational modeling of biological systems and bioengineering. I have worked on developing Slovak national biosecurity policies - I am passionate about building biotech ecosystem in Eastern Europe. I studied Bioengineering at Imperial College London and Engineering at Oxford.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/miroslavgasparek/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/MiroGasparek", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d25e01e0699856449f168b5f4aa9f2e1383bd123.jpg" }, { "user_id": 475409, "full_name": "Marian Kupculak", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "I am Marian, the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Sensible Biotechnologies. We are building a new platform for cost-efficient and scalable manufacturing of high-quality mRNA.\n\nI have more than 9 year of experience in biochemistry and molecular biology, more specifically in cellular engineering and downstream processing. I am interesting in engineering cells to produce high-quality proteins and nucleic acids.\n\nI did my PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, UK. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-kupculak-34468a85/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/e253a90c972be4ed5e591a638f3473284857f69c.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "Sensible Biotechnologies Partners with Ginkgo to Develop Novel mRNA Manufacturing Platform", "url": "https://www.genengnews.com/topics/bioprocessing/sensible-biotechnologies-partners-with-ginkgo-to-develop-novel-mrna-manufacturing-platform/", "date": "Apr 04, 2023" }, { "title": "Ginkgo partners up with Sensible Biotechnologies to forge mRNA manufacturing platform – Endpoints News", "url": "https://endpts.com/ginkgo-partners-up-with-sensible-biotechnologies-to-forge-mrna-manufacturing-platform/", "date": "Apr 03, 2023" }, { "title": "Sensible Biotechnologies And Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership To Make In Vivo RNA To Unlock The Promise Of RNA Therapeutics", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2023/04/03/sensible-biotechnologies-and-ginkgo-bioworks-announce-partnership-to-make-in-vivo-rna-to-unlock-the-promise-of-rna-therapeutics/", "date": "Apr 03, 2023" }, { "title": "Developing a Novel mRNA Manufacturing Platform with Sensible Biotechnologies - Ginkgo Bioworks", "url": "https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/2023/04/03/developing-a-novel-mrna-manufacturing-platform-with-sensible-biotechnologies/", "date": "Apr 03, 2023" }, { "title": "Sensible Biotechnologies Announces Partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks to Develop Novel mRNA Manufacturing Platform", "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sensible-biotechnologies-announces-partnership-with-ginkgo-bioworks-to-develop-novel-mrna-manufacturing-platform-301787563.html", "date": "Apr 03, 2023" } ], "launches": [ { "id": 70713, "title": "Sensible Biotechnologies: Engineering cells to make better mRNA 🧬", "tagline": "mRNA. Made better.", "body": "At Sensible Bio, we are turning living cells into cost-efficient factories for manufacturing high-quality mRNA to unlock the full potential of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.\n\n### **tl;dr**\n\nMessenger RNA (mRNA) is a promising biological platform for both vaccines and therapeutics. Today, all mRNA is synthesised via cell-free processes, which are expensive, cumbersome, and cannot produce mRNA with sufficient quality for many of its promising clinical applications. **We engineer cells to produce high-quality mRNA in a scalable and cost-efficient fashion to meet the growing demand for mRNA in novel vaccines and therapies.**\n\n### **The Problem: Cell-free mRNA manufacturing**\n\nCurrently, mRNA production completely relies on In Vitro Transcription (IVT), a cell-free process involving numerous proprietary and expensive enzymes and reagents. This method also requires multiple intricate steps, laborious purification procedures, and cannot be scaled to large reaction volumes.\n\nImportantly, IVT-based mRNA manufacturing generates highly immunogenic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is posing risks in some of the most important applications of mRNA such as in gene editing and cancer. Moreover, it is difficult to produce and purify long mRNA sequences via IVT; this creates major obstacles for other promising mRNA modalities like self-amplifying mRNAs, which could significantly reduce the high amounts of mRNA needed for many of its therapeutic applications.\n\n**To truly unleash the power of mRNA more efficient, affordable, and effective mRNA manufacturing methods are needed.**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=70713&key=user_uploads/89898/0eb9ee01-1c73-46bd-b15f-3bc3376e2176)\n\n## **The Solution: Cell-free mRNA manufacturing (not done)**\n\n**We are utilizing the processes in the living cells, which have been producing high-quality mRNA for millions of years.** By combining natural cellular processes with cell engineering, we build a scalable platform to produce high-quality mRNA cost-effectively.\n\nOur platform enables the production of **longer mRNA**, while addressing the problem of **immunogenic double-stranded RNA** inherent in IVT.\n\nBy removing the need for expensive and proprietary reagents, we enable **cost-effective mRNA manufacturing** and improve access to mRNA technology. Also, the **scalability** of cell-based mRNA production strengthens biosecurity and supply chain resilience.\n\nOur objective is to become a partner for all pharma and biotech companies striving to produce the next generation of mRNA therapies and vaccines.\n\n## **The Platform**\n\nOur platform combines the principles of **cell engineering**, **computational** **biology** and **precision** **fermentation**. We exploit and optimise the selective packaging of the mRNA of interest into specific protein complexes. This enables a specific encapsulation of mRNA, prevents mRNA contamination and simplifies its downstream processing.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=70713&key=user_uploads/89898/01d827a8-d966-4616-a155-5a029401da1d)\n\n## **Team**\n\nSensible Bio was founded in August 2021 by **Miroslav Gasparek** (CEO) and **Dr Marian Kupculak** (CSO).\n\n**Miro** holds a Bioengineering degree from Imperial College London and conducted research at Imperial College, Caltech and Stanford. He worked with several TechBio VCs and advised public and private institutions in Central Europe on life science R&D. Miro also advised the Slovak Ministry of Health and the Board Member of the World Health Organization on biosecurity and innovation.\n\n**Marian** has a PhD in Molecular Biology from Oxford, where he focused on genetic engineering and cancer. He has more than 9 years of full-time wet-lab experience with cellular engineering. He has worked at the leading European research centres, including the University of Oxford, the University of Gothenburg, and Vienna BioCenter.\n\nOur leadership includes the **global leaders in mRNA manufacturing**, as well as in **clinical development and strategy**. We also assembled a fantastic team of bioengineers and scientists from across the globe.\n\n## **Traction**\n\nUsing our proprietary technology we have demonstrated the **capability to produce the mRNA**. Additionally, we have secured a major [co-development partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks](https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/2023/04/03/developing-a-novel-mrna-manufacturing-platform-with-sensible-biotechnologies/). We also set up collaborations with leading research institutions across the globe. Sensible Biotechnologies has established lab operations in **Oxford, United Kingdom** and **Bratislava, Slovakia**. We have obtained **10 Letters of Intent** for our mRNA from the biotech companies and research groups that would like to test it.\n\nOur **scientific advisory board** includes world-leading synthetic biology, mRNA manufacturing, and clinical experts and our mentors include the top life science executives.\n\nOur investors include **specialist** **TechBio** **funds** and leading **biotech executives** investing as angels.\\\n\\\nWe're excited to be working on unlocking the full potential of mRNA technology. Are you interested? Get in touch at [**info@sensible.bio**](mailto:info@sensible.bio).\n\nDo you want to build the platform for making better mRNA with us? Drop us an email at [**careers@sensible.bio**](mailto:careers@sensible.bio) We are hiring **synthetic biologists**, **bioprocess** **engineers**, **mRNA Quality Control experts**, **RNA computational biologists**, and **machine learning engineers.**", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/IOX-sensible-biotechnologies-engineering-cells-to-make-better-mrna", "votes": 19, "created_at": "2023-04-03T16:24:05.337Z" } ] }, { "id": 24795, "name": "SFA Therapeutics", "slug": "sfa-therapeutics-inc", "former_names": [ "SFA Therapeutics, Inc." ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5873834b208e59808a81e6f7b65403be4dd9fc78.png", "website": "https://sfatherapeutics.com/", "all_locations": "Philadelphia, PA, USA", "long_description": "SFA Therapeutics is creating therapeutically-tailored oral drugs that regulate the immune system; with a focus on autoimmune diseases and cancers that originate from chronic inflammation. There are over 300 million patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases. Our treatment is designed to block the root cause of many of these chronic inflammatory diseases, with safe oral drugs. We have strong clinical data from a phase 1b clinical trial in psoriasis, and human data in pancreatic cancer, uveitis and NASH. we have a total of 9 drugs in our pipeline and 15 patents.", "one_liner": "Regulating the immune system to block cancer & autoimmune diseases", "team_size": 4, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1624038758, "tags": [ "AI-powered Drug Discovery", "Anti-Aging", "Biotech", "Health & Wellness", "Biotechnology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2021", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": true, "app_answers": [ { "question": "What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.", "answer": "SFA Therapeutics, Inc is a biotech with a novel immunomodulatory platform that is focused on the intersection of NF-kB and Ras in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and oncogenesis (the onset of cancer), respectively.\r\n\r\nOur vision is to change the practice of Medicine by treating chronic inflammatory conditions that result in cancer, such as hepatitis, which progresses to liver cancer, and pancreatitis, which progresses to pancreatic cancer, by blocking the primary inflammatory pathways with our discoveries..\r\n\r\nSFA is developing small molecule drugs originally derived from human GI bacterial metabolites, which have been shown to modulate the immune system through a complex cascade that affects several important molecular pathways, ultimately downregulating NF-kB and RAS, which control involved in inflammation and carcinogenesis. This platform has led to the development of six drugs to treat immuno-inflammatory diseases, using psoriasis as a proof-of concept for autoimmune diseases and chronic liver diseases that are caused by inflammation, including Hepatitis B virus-mediated chronic liver disease, NASH and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. SFA’s two most advanced assets are SFA001 and SFA002, for liver disease and autoimmune diseases, respectively. SFA002 has an approved IND and is ready to enter into clinical trials in patients.\r\n\r\nOur plan is to develop these drugs through phase 2 and create phase 3-ready assets, to license to pharma and biotech partners, in exchange for license fees, royalties and milestone payments." } ], "question_answers": [ { "question": "What is the core problem you are solving? Why is this a big problem? What made you decide to work on it?", "answer": "**A completely new approach to treating autoimmune disease, by treating the underlying disease instead of suppressing the immune system.**" }, { "question": "What is your long-term vision? If you truly succeed, what will be different about the world?", "answer": "**Functional cures for autoimmune diseases**" } ], "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sfa-therapeutics-inc", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2021/sfa-therapeutics-inc.json", "year_founded": 2016, "city": "Philadelphia", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/sfa-therapeutics/", "x_url": "http://twitter.com/@sfatherapeutics", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5873834b208e59808a81e6f7b65403be4dd9fc78.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/video_event/54/1630622959176-jk4w3wwvw0d-f58b3002cf397d2525b1bb3d6d1730f5/a59a8aa25f19cd002185361ca819f8f1.mp4?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAQC4NIECABPQ2AHNW%2F20261020%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20261020T022700Z&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=1a82d296f6033595c026decfb74b9b1415c1ae3edfd3026b91f734a2409882a6", "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 470235, "full_name": "Ira Spector", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Dr. Spector is the co-founder of SFA, a microbiome-derived pharmaceutical company focused on new advancements in the treatment inflammatory diseases. An experienced drug developer with over 30 years of experience, he helped develop 34 drugs and 12 medical devices, including Enbrel, Effexor, Protonix, Prevenar, Ozurdex, Botox for Overactive Bladder, Chronic Migraine and Cerebral Palsy. He holds BS degrees in Physics and EE from Washington University, an MBA from Drexel, and a PhD from Rutgers.\n", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ira-spector-00414310/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/8d17c573b2d929f75bf6ca2e9f4e2cb586e95cd7.jpg" }, { "user_id": 475228, "full_name": "Alla Arzumanyan", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "MS is Microbiology,\nPhD in Biotechnology,\nAssistant Professor at Temple University,\nCo-Founder and Co-Inventor at SFA Therapeutics, Inc.\nPerformed a case-control, Proof-of-Activity Human study to evaluate treatment effect of SFA002 drug (proprietary of SFA Therapeutics, Inc.) on patients with plaque psoriasis.\nWorked with Axella Research on pre-IND application for SFA002.\nWorked with HEC (Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., China), Theravectys, and ThirdLaw LLC (still collaborating with the latter)", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alla-arzumanyan-66a79a18b", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/c53d726559d2b7621f20dc5e8b2195b813db97fc.jpg" }, { "user_id": 475711, "full_name": "Mark Feitelson", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Mark Feitelson received his Ph.D. in Microbiology/Immunology from UCLA. He began his work with hepatitis B at Stanford University, and was then recruited to the Fox Chase Cancer Center by Dr. Baruch Blumberg (Nobel laureate). In 1991, Dr. Feitelson moved to Thomas Jefferson University, and in 2007, to Temple University as a Professor of Biology. His work has been supported by NIH, industry and foundations. He has more than 150 publications and 180 abstracts. He is also CSO of SFA Therapeutics. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-feitelson-707771a", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/feitelson", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/3192ca2979c1fea02c4df51becafcb0e76d2b53d.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "SFA Therapeutics Announces Updated Psoriasis Data", "url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/11/09/2777360/0/en/SFA-Therapeutics-Announces-Updated-Psoriasis-Data-for-SFA-002-Bridge-Financing-and-Foundational-Patent.html", "date": "Nov 09, 2023" }, { "title": "SFA Therapeutics announces results for SFA-002 from Phase", "url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/08/14/2724489/0/en/SFA-Therapeutics-announces-results-for-SFA-002-from-Phase-1b-Cohort-1-clinical-trial-for-treatment-of-mild-to-moderate-psoriasis.html", "date": "Aug 14, 2023" }, { "title": "Short-chain fatty acids in cancer pathogenesis | Cancer and Metastasis Reviews", "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10555-023-10117-y#Fun", "date": "Jul 11, 2023" }, { "title": "Treat Disease, Not the Symptoms", "url": "https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/treat-disease-not-the-symptoms", "date": "Mar 07, 2023" }, { "title": "A biotech CEO’s favorite ‘F’ word At SFA Therapeutics, patients are the “focus” ", "url": "https://sfatherapeutics.com/sfa-therapeutics-ceo-ira-spector-profiled-in-pharmavoice/", "date": "Jan 26, 2023" } ], "launches": [] }, { "id": 25151, "name": "Keylika", "slug": "keylika", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/bd12fc4dc5d053441f31a9c528579e0d16f3449e.png", "website": "https://www.keylika.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA; Walnut Creek, CA, USA", "long_description": "Keylika is an early stage biopharma startup developing metal-based drugs using a platform synthesis technology to treat unmet medical needs. We then administer these drugs using proven delivery technologies to effect the best clinical outcomes. \r\n\r\nOur first product is a small molecule iron drug (new molecular entity) delivered by a wearable skin patch to treat Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), with significantly higher safety, efficacy and tolerability over existing treatments. This is poised to be a best-in-class, potentially breakthrough therapy for treating iron deficiency without any GI side-effects (eg. nausea, constipation, diarrhea, etc.) typically associated with oral iron supplements, and without the risks, costs and side-effects associated with IV iron infusions. When approved, Keylika’s proprietary transdermal iron will be the world's first prescription iron patch. Iron deficiency is a hugely understated problem affecting about 1.6 billion people worldwide and more than 30 million in the US alone, translating to a $17B US market.", "one_liner": "Redefining the Standard of Care for Iron Deficiency Anemia", "team_size": 1, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1658519436, "tags": [ "AI-powered Drug Discovery", "Medical Devices", "Drug Delivery", "Nanotechnology", "Therapeutics" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": true, "app_answers": [ { "question": "Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.", "answer": "We develop metallodrugs for unmet medical needs." } ], "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/keylika", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2022/keylika.json", "year_founded": 2022, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/keylika/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/keylika_inc", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/bd12fc4dc5d053441f31a9c528579e0d16f3449e.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/video_event/58/1662662980325-y62ohje1s2-e76deefbbfbb2fb38de30a62b84546d9/714326f49aba38f91fda71a9c6d47471.mp4?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAQC4NIECABPQ2AHNW%2F20261020%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20261020T022701Z&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=658b0a7fb2ce8bd68597d0a5076c7260b1d48c3c6ffdde07533bb121cf26ce6b", "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 756768, "full_name": "Buddha Chaudhuri", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Buddha spearheaded the technology development of a microneedle-based biosensor from lab-to-fab for a Series B stage medtech startup. Having worked across 3 continents and 6 countries, he has been instrumental in developing novel healthcare technologies in leading global research institutes and biotech companies, for the last 15 years. \n\nBuddha earned his PhD from Imec / KU Leuven in Belgium, in Drug Delivery Microsystems. He also pursued a Postdoc at UC San Francisco (UCSF) / UC Berkeley. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/buddhadevpc", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/buddhachaudhuri", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/8e4a1a5185f5455f05b9967fc8793797c729bd4c.jpg" }, { "user_id": 776586, "full_name": "Frederik Ceyssens", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "With a deep passion for diverse technologies, I'm a true multi-domain expert. My interest go from tiny moving machines to nuclear space rockets, from electrical circuits to medical devices and beyond. Next to Keylika, I founded ReVision, a neurotech company aiming at restoring sight in blind people, developing widely useful high-res neurotech in the process.\n\nI have an EE PhD, a MSc. in IC design as well as a BSc. in Medicine. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "http://linkedin.com/in/frederik-ceyssens-43b6ab5", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/20288d3198cb324772987da4da9b7f8137d8a725.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "Keylika Develops World's First Buccal Patch for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) | Entrepreneur", "url": "https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-au/news-and-trends/keylika-develops-worlds-first-buccal-patch-for-iron/490791", "date": "Apr 29, 2025" }, { "title": "Keylika develops first Buccal Patch for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More", "url": "https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/healthcare/keylika-develops-first-buccal-patch-for-iron-deficiency-anemia-ida", "date": "Apr 25, 2025" }, { "title": "Bootstrapped Indian Startup Innovating Treatment for Eczema, Itch & Beyond | Entrepreneur", "url": "https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/news-and-trends/bootstrapped-indian-startup-innovating-treatment-for/490293", "date": "Apr 20, 2025" }, { "title": "TACKLING IRON-DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA: A LEAP FORWARD WITH A REVOLUTIONARY BUCCAL PATCH - ONdrugDelivery", "url": "https://www.ondrugdelivery.com/tackling-iron-deficiency-anaemia-a-leap-forward-with-a-revolutionary-buccal-patch/", "date": "Jun 17, 2024" }, { "title": "Bootstrapping in Biotech: How Keylika’s Founding Story Highlights Key Entrepreneurship Lessons", "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/special/contributor-content/2024/05/12/bootstrapping-in-biotech-how-keylikas-founding-story-highlights-key-entrepreneurship-lessons/73665473007/", "date": "May 12, 2024" } ], "launches": [ { "id": 64959, "title": "Keylika: Redefining the Standard of Care for Iron Deficiency", "tagline": "World's first prescription iron patch to treat Iron Deficiency Anemia", "body": "[Keylika](https://www.keylika.com) is combining its **metallodrug synthesis technology** with **optimized delivery methods** to obtain improved clinical outcomes. Our first product is a **novel iron drug** in a **wearable skin patch** with significantly improved safety, efficacy and tolerability to treat **Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).** When approved, Keylika’s proprietary transdermal iron will be the **world's first** prescription iron patch.\n\n### **The Problem**\n\n**Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is a hugely understated, highly prevalent problem with subpar treatments.**\n\nIron deficiency (ID) affects **30 million** people in the US alone and about **1.6 billion** worldwide. Current treatments include oral iron supplements which are typically associated with low bioavailability and poor tolerability due to mild to severe gastrointestinal (GI) side-effects (constipation, nausea, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, etc.) often leading to patient non-compliance. Also, a significant number of patients just do not absorb iron taken orally.  The second line of treatment with intravenous (IV) iron infusions is more invasive, riskier, costlier and requires hospitalization due to the risk of anaphylactic shocks.\n\n### **Our Solution**\n\nOur first product is a **new small molecule (new molecular entity)**, an **iron-containing drug** designed for **transdermal** delivery by a wearable skin patch: **NistuFe**. It is a safe, highly bioavailable iron complex with higher efficacy. A therapeutically relevant dosage is administered through the skin directly into the systemic circulation, thereby circumventing the gastrointestinal tract and all associated adverse effects. Thus, we combine the benefits of both orals and IV iron, and without their respective downsides: a drug suitable for self-administration with no GI side effects and no required hospitalization that yields a superior treatment outcome from the convenience of a patient’s home. This is slated to be a potentially **best-in-class, breakthrough therapy**. Our preliminary proof-of-concept in vivo studies in rats have demonstrated excellent results.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=64959&key=user_uploads/756768/c93eab67-c28a-45c2-8a20-42843bbd0d16)\n\n### **Our Science**\n\nAt our core is a **platform synthesis technology** we have developed for synthesizing mixed ligand metal complexes. We are using this platform to generate a range of drug candidates for treating therapeutic conditions in the fields of hematology, pain and inflammation, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases and oncology. We then administer these drugs using proven delivery technologies, to effect the best clinical outcomes. Positioned at the **intersection of drug development and drug delivery**, we customize the molecular structure of the drug and its formulation to optimize the therapeutic delivery per clinical requirements.\n\n### **Target Population**\n\nOur first indication being menorrhagia, our primary target population is **women of child-bearing age** in the US who suffer from severe to moderate ID, which has an estimated prevalence of 6 million. A wide range of other patient groups adds up to a potential **30 million** users in the US alone.\n\n### **Our Ask**\n\n1\\.     If you know anyone in your social circle suffering from Iron Deficiency, we would love to talk to them!\n\n2\\.     If you are connected to biopharma companies with interests in the hematology space, could you please introduce us?\n\nPlease follow us on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/keylika/)!\n\nQuestions? Feel free to reach out: [founders@keylika.com](mailto:founders@keylika.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Gtj-keylika-redefining-the-standard-of-care-for-iron-deficiency", "votes": 59, "created_at": "2022-07-28T02:09:46.908Z" } ] }, { "id": 25331, "name": "Engage Bio", "slug": "engage-bio", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e95b5dd7ee1a5f617dc0a83136e30199f883050a.png", "website": "http://engagebio.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Engage Bio has developed Tethosomes, a new class of non-viral DNA which finally unleashes potent, durable, redosable, and scalable genetic medicine.\r\n \r\nIn 2026 Engage was acquired by Eli Lilly.", "one_liner": "Potent, durable, and redosable non-viral genetic medicines", "team_size": 10, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1647555290, "tags": [ "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Healthcare", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2022", "status": "Acquired", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/engage-bio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2022/engage-bio.json", "year_founded": 2021, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/engagebio/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e95b5dd7ee1a5f617dc0a83136e30199f883050a.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 25449, "name": "Alixia", "slug": "alixia", "former_names": [ "Guided Clarity" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ff4093c59629c7638e73b36eb069911e0922c140.png", "website": "http://www.alixia.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Our compounds disrupt the metabolic and\r\ninflammatory triggers in both cancer and quasi-cancerous\r\ncells in the tumor microenvironment. By impacting multiple cell\r\ntypes, we are enabling effective, lasting cancer treatments.", "one_liner": "Targeting the Tumor Ecosystem to address cancer drug resistance.", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1648247483, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery", "Oncology", "Biotechnology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/alixia", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2022/alixia.json", "year_founded": 2022, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/alixia-therapeutics/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ff4093c59629c7638e73b36eb069911e0922c140.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 287726, "full_name": "Olof Mollstedt", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/olof-mollstedt-95b4a1/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/56244742a9432a1e8ccb215b0bd26d98230bea8e.jpg" }, { "user_id": 293836, "full_name": "Helen Chen", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Cancer & aging researcher | entrepreneur| mentor | ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-y-chen-7951641/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/dcfd0dfa105260c79bd854eac50dc82cda36da04.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 26122, "name": "Origami Therapeutics, Inc.", "slug": "origami-therapeutics-inc", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ec01151ea9fbf839d64b9d2a17dedc03fb322eeb.png", "website": "http://origamitherapeutics.com", "all_locations": "San Diego, CA, USA", "long_description": "Origami Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotech company developing novel protein degraders with potential to delay or halt disease progression by eliminating toxic proteins from the body. Our drug discovery platform leverages our proprietary human disease models developed to select the small molecules with the best chance of clinical success. Our first indication is Huntington’s disease, a debilitating, progressive and ultimately fatal disorder caused by a genetic mutation. We have already identified small molecules that reduce the toxic mutated protein, suppress mutant protein-induced toxicities in human disease neurons and get into the brain. We anticipate that this approach will be broadly applicable to traditionally “undruggable” targets in other neurological diseases.", "one_liner": "Oral drugs to halt neurodegeneration", "team_size": 4, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1647386798, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/origami-therapeutics-inc", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2022/origami-therapeutics-inc.json", "year_founded": 2015, "city": "San Diego", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/origami-therapeutics/?viewAsMember=true", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/origamitx", "fb_url": "https://www.facebook.com/origamitherapeutics/", "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ec01151ea9fbf839d64b9d2a17dedc03fb322eeb.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 472912, "full_name": "Beth Hoffman", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "At Origami Therapeutics, Dr. Hoffman is creating a new approach to drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Prior to Origami, she was a Research & Development executive at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Amgen and Eli Lilly. She has made major contributions to >30 clinical programs in neurology, pain and psychiatry and to four marketed drugs for Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Hoffman received her A.B. in Molecular Biology from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the Johns Hopkins University.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "http://www.linkedin.com/in/bethhoffman", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/bethjhoffman", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/82206865aa982f08bafdfe15f5e34d1f0a68e02b.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 26427, "name": "Eugit Therapeutics", "slug": "eugit-therapeutics", "former_names": [ "EUGIT Tx", "EUGIT Therapeutics", "Eugit", "Eugit Therapeutics Inc" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/a88b74cc086730f852f068c605f2dcaa54b40a16.png", "website": "http://www.eugittx.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA; South San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Eugit Therapeutics targets the issue of non-specific drugs that cause toxicity and clinical trial failures, affecting millions with tissue-specific inflammatory diseases. TAGHOME delivers drugs with precision to diseased tissues using T cell receptors, enhancing safety and improving efficacy. Our initial focus is on the 3.1 million U.S. individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, aiming to initiate clinical trials within two years.\r\n\r\nCofounded by George Church (Harvard) and funded by Y Combinator (S22).", "one_liner": "Enabling Tissue Targeting of Therapies", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1656718658, "tags": [ "Cell Therapy", "Synthetic Biology", "Therapeutics", "Oncology", "Biotechnology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/eugit-therapeutics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2022/eugit-therapeutics.json", "year_founded": 2022, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/eugit", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/a88b74cc086730f852f068c605f2dcaa54b40a16.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 588526, "full_name": "Nizar Batada", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Nizar is the co-founder and CEO at EUGIT, which he started with George Church in 2022. He is an expert in cancer research, genomics and bioinformatics and has published over 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature and has obtained nationally competitive grants. Prior to EUGIT, he was a scientist at 23andMe and a tenure track lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Nizar grew up in Toronto and obtained his PhD in Biophysics from Stanford.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/nizar-batada", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/aa4ec5a091a22bc8ded999621c25385540ddb3cb.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 64275, "title": "EUGIT Therapeutics – Next generation T cell based cancer immunotherapy", "tagline": "Engineered gamma delta T-cells for off-the-shelf treatment of cancers", "body": "We are a therapeutics company that is developing immune cell based therapy for treatment of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.\n\n**Problem**\n\nCancer remains an unsolved problem – it is expected that 1.8M new cancer cases and 0.6M cancer deaths will occur this year in the US (source CDC). Although development of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cells have shown remarkable clinical success, they work for only a few cancer types. In particular, they do not work for some of the most common types of cancers in women (breast and ovarian) and men (prostate).\n\n**Solution**\n\nBuilding upon the discoveries of the founders, EUGIT Therapeutics is engineering cancer-fighting immune cells known as the gamma delta T cells which overcome the limitations of existing cancer immunotherapies.\n\n**How it works**\n\nWe take blood from healthy donors and isolate a specific type of immune cell called the gamma delta T cell and then endow them with cancer fighting activity via gene engineering. Our engineered T cells can be used off-the-shelf and ready for infusion into cancer patients.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=64275&key=user_uploads/588526/a5ffcb03-a060-4080-9d9b-df2e92e6e72f)\n\n**Founders**\n\n[George Church](https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/) (Co-Founder and Scientific Advisor): George is a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and leads Synthetic Biology at the Wyss Institute. His innovations have contributed to nearly all \"next generation\" DNA sequencing methods and companies (CGI-BGI, Life, Illumina, Nanopore). This plus his lab's work on chip-DNA-synthesis, gene editing and stem cell engineering resulted in founding additional application-based companies spanning fields of medical diagnostics ( Knome/PierianDx, Alacris, AbVitro/Juno, Genos, Veritas Genetics ) & synthetic biology / therapeutics ( Joule, Gen9, Editas, Egenesis, enEvolv, WarpDrive ). \n\n[Nizar Batada](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nizar-batada/) (Co-Founder and CEO): Nizar is a cancer biologist with over 20 years of experience working in genomics and cancer research. He did his PhD at Stanford and postdoc with George Church. Previously, he was a tenure track group leader at the University of Edinburgh where he directed a research lab that focused on cancer immunology. Before founding EUGIT therapeutics, he was a senior scientist at 23andMe’s Therapeutics division. The current work he is pursuing at EUGIT therapeutics is based on his discovery of a subtype of tumor infiltrating gamma delta T cells that are associated with good clinical outcomes in breast cancer. ", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Gih-eugit-therapeutics-next-generation-t-cell-based-cancer-immunotherapy", "votes": 20, "created_at": "2022-07-01T19:56:00.640Z" } ] }, { "id": 26734, "name": "Serinus Biosciences", "slug": "serinus-biosciences", "former_names": [ "Serinus" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/b6e7bac94ec8bfc7378ed11602bae7ea50215536.png", "website": "http://www.serinus.bio", "all_locations": "New York City, NY, USA; New York, NY, USA", "long_description": "Serinus Biosciences is tackling one of the toughest problems in cancer treatment: creating combination therapies to override treatment resistance. We leverage cutting edge technology to design a fully explainable AI platform primed with decades of system biology knowledge. Uniquely powered for biological inference, our AI engine uncovers how cancer cells evolve treatment resistance and identifies molecules to overcome resistance escape routes. We design combinations that are safer, more effective, and can get to patients quickly. Founded by MIT PhDs and supported by a scientific advisory board of top academics from the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber, and UCSD, Serinus is powered by Y Combinator and other top investors to revolutionize precision medicine.", "one_liner": "Combinations therapy by rational design", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1656454958, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/serinus-biosciences", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2022/serinus-biosciences.json", "year_founded": 2022, "city": "New York City", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/serinus-biosciences", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/b6e7bac94ec8bfc7378ed11602bae7ea50215536.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 995566, "full_name": "Adam Yaari", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Prior to founding Serinus, Adam gained over 10 years of entrepreneurship experience including a Microsoft R&D Fellowship and Flagship Pioneering Ideation Fellowship. Adam is passionate about developing advanced AI models for biological research that will bring medicine to scale.\nAdam received his PhD and MS in computer science from MIT, MSc in computer science and mathematics from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and dual major BSc in computer science and neuroscience from Bar-Ilan University.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-yaari-b0192ab4/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/adamyaari", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/be559be7ab070663acd06da510435c67603327ef.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1018692, "full_name": "Maxwell Sherman", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "After five years as a paramedic, Max left clinical medicine to develop new treatments for the millions of patients without access to effective medications. He studied applied math and biology at Brown University, statistics at Cambridge University, and is completing his PhD in computational biology at MIT. His research has appeared in prestigious journals including Science, Nature Biotechnology, and Nature Neuroscience and has been recognized with national and international awards.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellsh/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/m_a_sherman", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/55ef582cd6624db1323147e32a73d8b92ba0f26c.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 65562, "title": "Serinus Biosciences: Killing cancer with its own genetics 💪🏽", "tagline": "We develop drugs effective against multiple types of cancer... and we do it really fast! 🏃🏽", "body": "We're **Adam** and **Max**, the founders of **Serinus Biosciences** 💊💻🤓\n\nAt Serinus, we develop drugs that are effective against **multiple types of cancer**, and because cancer patients need solutions now, we do it in **months instead of years!**\n\n### **_Cancer: an insidious disease with insidious economics_** 💰💰💰\n\nCurrently, **more than 80% of cancer patients** are not eligible for targeted cancer therapies - the most efficient and least toxic cancer treatments. _Why?_ Because the proteins driving cancer in one patient are often different than those driving cancer in another patient.\n\nHere's where the economics comes in. The cost of bringing a new cancer drug to market is currently **>$2.5 BILLION**. Developing a drug against a protein that only causes cancer in a small number of patients each year is just not economically viable with traditional drug development.\n\n### **_The Serinus Strategy_** 💡\n\nWhile building AI tools to understand the causes of cancer during our PhDs at MIT, we had a realization: all the different cancer-causing proteins disrupt the same cellular systems. **We shut down these shared dysfunctional systems.**\n\n_How?_ We look for the support proteins that keep the system functioning. Think about a telephone system ☎️ If you want to bring it down, you should find the small number of relay stations that route messages across the network instead of hitting the individual phones. **We find the relay stations of cancer cells and bring them dow**n ☠️☠️☠️\n\nSince cancer systems are widely shared across patients, the relays that support those systems are widely shared across patients. Our current pipeline **could help more than 100K PATIENTS PER-YEAR!**\n\n### **_The knowledge (and stubbornness) to get it done_** 🤓 😎\n\nWe met on the very first day of our PhDs at MIT. It was a cancer-fighting match made in heaven. Adam comes from an AI/ML background, Max comes from a biology and statistics background, having given up his place in medical school so he could develop new treatments for patients in need by merging biology, mathematics, and computer science.\n\nOh, and did we mention that Adam is a former Navy SEALs commander and Max spent five years as a paramedic.\n\n**_How can you help?_**\n\nOur platform is churning out way more ways to kill cancer than we can pursue ourselves. If you or someone you know works at another therapeutics company that might be interested in co-developing a drug with us, give us a shout on [founders@serinus.bio](mailto:founders@serinus.bio)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/H3S-serinus-biosciences-killing-cancer-with-its-own-genetics", "votes": 39, "created_at": "2022-08-23T01:28:16.522Z" } ] }, { "id": 27168, "name": "Relevium Medical", "slug": "relevium-medical", "former_names": [ "Relevium", "ReleviumBio" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/fe3f53ef710ec5758d984168f33594337d5df8ae.png", "website": "https://relevium-medical.com/", "all_locations": "Galway, County Galway, Ireland", "long_description": "Relevium Medical is developing an injectable gel for knee osteoarthritis. Approximately half the population will be diagnosed with this pain and progressive disease.\r\nRight now, patients have to undergo not only repeat injections to control their pain, but also have to take strong oral medications. Because the disease is progressive and only gets worse over time, many patients end up on highly addictive, high-dose opioids. \r\nTo date, we have secured $3.7 million in non dilutive funding and completed preclinical testing. We demonstrated that our drug is safe, selectively blocks nerves that transmit pain, and provides pain relief that lasts four times as long. \r\nInsurance currently pays $770 per six-monthly treatment for knee osteoarthritis. With 5 million patients in the US, this represents a $7.7 Bn market opportunity.\r\nThis platform biotherapeutic can also be used to treat other joints affects by osteoarthritis such as the hip and ankle, where the same problems exist in treatment care. ", "one_liner": "Platform injectable gel based therapeutic for osteoarthritis", "team_size": 5, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1653661401, "tags": [ "Medical Devices", "Healthcare", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "Ireland", "Europe" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/relevium-medical", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2022/relevium-medical.json", "year_founded": 2019, "city": "Galway", "country": "IE", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/releviummedical/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/fe3f53ef710ec5758d984168f33594337d5df8ae.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 896081, "full_name": "Alison Liddy", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Alison is CEO and Founder at Relevium Medical. Alison holds qualifications in Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering (M.Sc. & Ph.D.). She has worked for major multinational companies including ROCHE, Cook Medical and Boston Scientific; and completed the BioInnovate Fellowship in the prestigious Stanford BioDesign-affiliated program at NUI Galway, Ireland. She is the named inventor on over 20 patent publications and the winner of the Science Foundation of Ireland’s €1 million innovation prize.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-liddy-ph-d-402155138/?originalSubdomain=ie", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/5b2a3ec2cb7d9a78b37837da2196318376af434d.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "Galway’s Relevium Medical gets €4.6m funding for knee osteoarthritis treatment | Business Post", "url": "https://www.businesspost.ie/news/galways-relevium-medical-gets-e4-6m-funding-for-knee-osteoarthritis-treatment/", "date": "Dec 11, 2024" } ], "launches": [ { "id": 65532, "title": "🚀🚀 Relevium Medical", "tagline": "Advancing Long-Lasting Solutions for Chronic Pain", "body": "**The problem:** The chronic pain condition Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects over 250 million people globally, creating significant social and healthcare challenges, with **untreated pain being the #1 patient complaint**.  In the absence of effective long-term injectable treatments, millions of patients rely on damaging oral medications. \n\nCapsaicin, offers long-lasting, selective pain relief for chronic pain via molecular ablation of pain-sensing nerves only. Despite FDA approval and proven safety and efficacy, its adoption is limited by **intense burning pain** post-administration, requiring over **1.5 hours of clinic management and making it intolerable for many patients**. This has restricted the use of an otherwise highly effective treatment for chronic pain.\n\n**Our solution:** RM-010 was specifically developed to address the burning pain associated with Capsaicin. Relevium Medical has engineered an innovative drug delivery system that gradually releases Capsaicin into the knee joint, carefully maintaining concentrations **below the threshold that triggers burning pain** while sustaining levels high enough to achieve full nerve ablation. This breakthrough offers patients a highly tolerable, effective, and safe treatment, delivering long-lasting pain relief with a significantly improved experience. RM-010 is designed for seamless integration into clinical workflows, allowing physicians to administer the therapy in **5 minutes**. It provides a practical, patient-friendly solution for effectively managing knee osteoarthritis pain, setting a new standard in treatment care.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=65532&key=user_uploads/896081/10efad73-299c-4cd5-9c87-0a4e0f19f1bb)\n\n**Who are are:** Relevium Medical, headquartered in Galway, Ireland, is a pioneering pharmaceutical company driven by a passionate team of chemists, neuroscientists, pharmacists, and industry experts. United by a shared mission, the team is dedicated to developing novel solutions to improve the lives of people living with chronic pain.\n\n**Interested in hearing more**: Get in contact at [info@Relevium-Medical.com](mailto:info@Relevium-Medical.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/H2y-relevium-medical", "votes": 18, "created_at": "2022-08-22T13:44:28.458Z" }, { "id": 64408, "title": "ReleviumBio - Life changing Innovation", "tagline": "ReleviumBio is developing a platform peptide gel-based therapy for Osteoarthritis", "body": "![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=64408&key=user_uploads/854295/770094dd-9ea7-4b87-96db-dfa446ca3b6e)\n\n[www.ReleviumBio.com](http://www.ReleviumBio.com)\n\n**Problem** \\\nThere has been no disruptive treatment for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in over 50 years, with 80% of patients reliant on damaging medications. The shortcomings of the current injectable treatments leave 2 million US patients reliant on opioids for adequate pain relief. The number one KOA patient complaint is pain, with regenerative therapies to date failing to demonstrate a measurable patient outcome.\n\n**Solution** \\\nUp to recently, it was believed KOA was a disease of wear and tear. The latest scientific evidence however shows it to be a complex whole-organ disease, affecting multiple tissues and with different disease patterns for different patients. This evidence highlights the need for a multimodal approach to effectively treat this complex disease. PeptiFlex is the first multimodal injectable therapeutic developed for KOA that gives not only pain relief but also lubricates and preserves the joint.\n\n**How it works** \\\nOur novel multimodal therapeutic is based on a peptide component (315y) covalently bound to a polymer gel base. This patent-protected biotherapeutic achieves its effects through three complementary and synergistic effects. The biotherapeutic is injected directly into the knee joint to give immediate long-acting relief.\n\n**Pain Relief Effect**: PeptiFlex reduces pain nerve signalling by the action of peptide 315y which safely and consistently reduces pain signalling by a sodium channel block effect on neurons in the knee nerve fibres. Preclinical test data out to 7 weeks in a dedicated KOA model has shown successful translation of efficacy and safety with statistically significant effects on key pain endpoints.\n\n**Lubrication Effect**: The polymer base of PeptiFlex has unique viscoelastic properties acting as a substitute for healthy joint fluid and providing lubrication, cushioning, shock absorption, and improving the physical function of the joint.\n\n**Protection Effect**: PeptiFlex has proven to be extremely safe and protects joint structure by cartilage protecting actions of peptide 315y. The peptide interacts with cartilage-producing cells (chondrocytes) to cause proliferation and increased cartilage production. Tests have shown KOA joints treated with PeptiFlex were evaluated using the gold standard OARSI cartilage scoring system and showed improvement in terms of aggression and extent of disease compared to control.\n\n**The ask** \\\nIf you know any strategics interested in osteoarthritis or clinical trial groups interested in partnering with early-stage companies, we would really appreciate an introduction", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Gkq-releviumbio-life-changing-innovation", "votes": 12, "created_at": "2022-07-07T14:00:52.112Z" } ] }, { "id": 27263, "name": "Guardian Bio", "slug": "guardian-bio", "former_names": [ "GuardianBio" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/686bc0e4b74ba3953559c1bb8515351010e84b61.png", "website": "http://www.guardian-bio.com", "all_locations": "Boston, MA, USA", "long_description": "Your immune system is your body’s best weapon and defense against cancer. It is only when it is overcome that cancer develops into full blown disease. Dendritic cells sit at the helm of the immune system, directing and dictating immune responses. Data has shown dendritic cells are often dysfunctional in cancer patients, and that this dysfunction is a bottleneck for other therapies. \r\n\r\nGuardian Bio’s approach is focused on creating a dendritic cell-based product which drives anti-tumor activity through activating the killers of the immune system AND training them against multiple cancer targets. We take stem cells from cancer patients, turn them into specific therapeutic dendritic cells specially trained against that patient’s tumor, and re-introduce them back into the body. \r\n\r\nOur therapeutic dendritic cells revitalize the killers of the immune system and give them the kickstart they need to fight - and win - against cancer.", "one_liner": "Dendritic cell-based platform for cancer therapy ", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1657134176, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Healthcare", "Therapeutics", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/guardian-bio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2022/guardian-bio.json", "year_founded": 2022, "city": "Boston", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-bio", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/686bc0e4b74ba3953559c1bb8515351010e84b61.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1010650, "full_name": "Ananya Zutshi", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Ananya is Co-Founder and CEO of Guardian Bio, a company which controls immunity using dendritic cell-based therapies. \n\nShe has a Bachelors in Science in Engineering from Duke and Masters in Engineering and MBA from Harvard. Her experiences span across the pharma/biotech industry in operations, engineering, project management, and early stage investing. She is passionate about delivering better therapies for patients and diversity, equity, and inclusion. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "http://linkedin.com/in/ananya-zutshi/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/5da6cf610555e8dcbaf0a7a21c5130928b164133.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1080360, "full_name": "Ricky Barrett", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Co-founder and CSO at Guardian Bio.\n\nRicky started his career as a marine biologist and research diver at FAU with a focus on marine natural products and drug discovery. \n\nHe pursued a PhD at UCF, focused on immunology followed by a postdoc in cancer immunology and tumor microenvironment at the University of Pennsylvania.\n\nRicky is a prolific science communicator creating educational science content for an audience of over a quarter million followers across various social media platforms.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickbarrett21/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d88e6393dfe01aade28a018e01a7447dab3b88e4.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 65615, "title": "Guardian Bio - Control Immunity with Dendritic Cells", "tagline": "We make dendritic cells from a patients own stem cells and program them to cure diseases, starting with cancer.", "body": "# tl;dr\n\nYour immune system keeps you healthy. If it loses control, diseases like cancer, chronic infections, and autoimmunity can develop. We created a platform that enables us to produce a master regulator of the immune system (the dendritic cell) from patient stem cells. We program these cells so that they can make corrections to dysfunctional immune systems and bring disease back under control. We’re starting with cancer.\n\n# Team\n\nPrior to starting Guardian Bio, Ananya…\n\n* Was a Blavatnik Fellow at Harvard Business School, a fellowship fostering life science entrepreneurship \n* Worked across Operations, Engineering, and Project Management in the manufacturing and development side of the pharma/biotech industry\n* Received dual Masters in Engineering Sciences and MBA from Havard, where she was a Kaplan Fellow, and graduated with honors from Duke with a degree in Biomedical Engineering\n\nPrior to starting Guardian Bio, Ricky…\n\n* Was a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Pennsylvania - tumor microenvironment, tumor immunity, and cell therapy\n* Co-Founded the Philadelphia chapter of Nucleate, a free and collaborative trainee-led organization that facilitates the formation of pioneering life sciences companies\n* Earned a PhD in Biomedical Sciences - Immunology at University of Central Florida\n* Worked as a marine biologist and scientific diver at Florida Atlantic University\n* And continues to create science communication content for social media platforms, reaching an audience of over a quarter million followers across TikTok and Instagram\n\n# The Problem\n\nThe overall problem is that the immune system unfortunately can’t always maintain control over disease. Cancer specifically actively suppresses the immune system. It has to. If the immune system maintains control, it will kill the cancer and disease will not develop. \n\nOne of the immune cell types often suppressed by cancer are dendritic cells, which sit at the helm of the immune system. Dendritic cells (DCs) direct and dictate immune responses. DCs are often deficient or dysfunctional in cancer patients, creating severe limitations in the body’s ability to fight off cancer, even when treatments like chemo and immunotherapy are applied.\n\n# The Solution\n\nWe take stem cells from cancer patients, turn them into dendritic cells, program them against that patient’s tumor, and re-introduce them back into the body. This stimulates a diverse yet targeted and robust immune response against the cancer. \n\n# The Platform\n\nOur dendritic cell-based platform can be adapted to a variety of diseases. When we train DCs against different targets, our therapy can reignite immune responses against chronic infectious diseases or suppress immune cells triggering autoimmunity.\n\nOur dendritic cell-based therapy is synergistic with many other immunotherapies including checkpoint inhibitors, peptide and mRNA-based cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, etc, potentially extending the reach of these therapies to patients who would not have responded before.\n\n![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fog7y2f3-PsbDww_4qw_LbLzzzM_3yXUEMVPMps50vCfN5dnHauQFTn72dLW2hd1RjKghsjpl8HwpSrJ_zMOe-QneWuKm_BLkumbU-01HqsRlLddaJ8713teujTfrYSRd0y9lsxxqffoBgvUwzGsXg)\n\n", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/H4J-guardian-bio-control-immunity-with-dendritic-cells", "votes": 21, "created_at": "2022-08-25T13:47:55.461Z" } ] }, { "id": 28205, "name": "Modulari-T", "slug": "modulari-t", "former_names": [ "Modulari-T Biosciences" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/cdfde836f1d168c7ec0299ab6b4daf90d112f929.png", "website": "https://modularit.bio", "all_locations": "Montreal, QC, Canada; San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Cell and gene therapy promises to one day cure any disease; Modulari-T’s Platform produces the tools to fulfill that promise.\r\n\r\nModulari-T has designed a new family of synthetic genes that can reprogram cells to better sense their environment and modify their behavior accordingly. This can be used to engineer immune cells to efficiently recognize and kill cancer cells or to create stem cells able to regenerate any tissue.\r\n\r\nModulari-T looks to expand its technology to reach every area of cell therapy and become the platform of reference for cell engineering.", "one_liner": "We teach your immune system to attack and cure cancer", "team_size": 4, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1675126815, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "Cell Therapy", "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2023", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "Canada", "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/modulari-t", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2023/modulari-t.json", "year_founded": 2021, "city": "Montreal", "country": "CA", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/modulari-t-bio/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/cdfde836f1d168c7ec0299ab6b4daf90d112f929.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1049972, "full_name": "David White", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "David is the CEO and cofounder of Modulari-T. His expertise spans multiple areas and he is driven by a passion for pushing the boundaries of technology.\n\nDuring his PhD he discovered how protein receptors form complex structures that allow them to alter cells’ behavior. He then took this knowledge and the novel technology that was developed to build Modulari-T.\n\nWhen he’s not thinking up a new way to engineer cells he can be spotted biking or running up a mountain.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-white-modulari-t/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/02ce0c5af1e07f18b7b09b99212309d6f1df723e.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1161771, "full_name": "Stephanie Mok", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Co-founder and COO at Modulari-T. PhD in chemical engineering. Technical background in synthetic biology, advanced 3D cell culture systems, and biomaterials in the context of the cellular cancer microenvironment. Fascinated by the innovations cell-based therapies, food products, and the scale up of their manufacturing. Gave the unconference talk \"Lessons learned and mistakes made growing the world's hottest peppers\".", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmok/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/7e84b9438e87a1adf29d92d2525871a030ab8753.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 68886, "title": "Modulari-T 🧬 Unleash the full power of the immune system", "tagline": "We teach your immune system to attack and cure cancer.", "body": "# Modulari-T AWAY!\n\nHi YC, this is [@David](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-white-modulari-t/) and [@Stephanie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmok/) from [@Modulari-T](https://www.linkedin.com/company/modulari-t-bio/) launching!\n\n### **WHAT WE DO**\n\nModulari-T is a cell therapy company that can teach your immune system to attack and cure cancer.\n\n \n\nWe are a dynamic group of scientists bringing together protein engineering, synthetic biology, and immunology to create the world’s most powerful cell programming platform.\n\n \n\nBy introducing our optimized gene sequences inside immune cells, we can create treatments that are 2x potent as chemotherapy, but that avoids 90% of harmful side-effects.\n\n \n\nToday, cell therapy has a high failure rate and is difficult to produce, leaving 20M patients without hope. Modulari-T has the technology to fix this, bring hope to cancer patients, and supercharge the cell therapy market to grow beyond $50B by the end of the decade.\n\n \n\n### **HOW YOU CAN HELP**\n\nConnect us with people in the ecosystem! Do you know anyone working in cell therapy or oncology? We want to talk to them, to know about their pain points - academic, biotech/pharma or physicians.\n\n[We are hiring!](https://modulari-t.breezy.hr/) Are you a synthetic biologist or immunologist? Ready to join a new adventure? Become part of the Modulari-T squad (Mod Squad!) in beautiful Montreal!\n\n### **THE SCIENCE**:\n\nWe have built a platform to produce a new type of receptor, the Modular Actuation Receptor Complex or MARC, that mimics the modular architecture of immune receptors. These receptors can be used to reprogram immune cells to recognize cancer antigens and direct an immune response against tumor cells. Compared to CAR-T cells, MARCs have twice the tumor clearing power and avoid causing immune exhaustion to ensure a long lasting response.\n\n![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ItKO7egaIuynMGKcNjoT2YMqkANZ6E6oNxe5RyIisJ47KOaWhchZU9NpFHXfqkGu_EIB6--huJ4KOnT_5IqHMQut2czid5T8krpDXcZ3iSYTSEL9y2tyAg2IfOYSLic_Uaiz7dOJbcH6dELlc-MPEA)\n\nThe MARC’s unique architecture allows us to link any extracellular cue with the required signalling outputs across different pathways to achieve therapeutic success.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=68886&key=user_uploads/1161771/abbed6b1-a7be-43e4-821c-8daa69fff47a)\n\nOncology is only the first step; the MARC platform is applicable to autoimmunity, neurology, regenerative medicine and more!\n\n### **HOW WE CAN HELP YOU**\n\nAre you a Cell Therapy company? Let us show you how Modulari-T’s MARC platform can help your development. Our platform can do anything but we can’t do everything alone. That’s why we want to partner with you and bring hope to as many patients as we can.\n\n### Thank you!\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=68886&key=user_uploads/1161771/773beb5d-3dbb-4905-8b5e-c5e453a33517)\n\n", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Hv4-modulari-t-unleash-the-full-power-of-the-immune-system", "votes": 863, "created_at": "2023-01-31T18:07:52.539Z" } ] }, { "id": 29305, "name": "SynsoryBio", "slug": "synsorybio", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e2b7538a15335c79e864ff7431e761c3feca0797.png", "website": "https://www.synsorybio.com/", "all_locations": "Boston, MA, USA", "long_description": "SynsoryBio is creating next generation, protein therapeutics that sense where they are in the body and only activate at diseased tissue. This technology platform has the potential to expand the therapeutic window of highly potent drugs and apply to many diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders.", "one_liner": "\"If-then\" conditional logic for protein drugs", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1707422039, "tags": [ "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/synsorybio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/synsorybio.json", "year_founded": 2023, "city": "Boston", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/synsorybio/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e2b7538a15335c79e864ff7431e761c3feca0797.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1336498, "full_name": "Elliot Tague", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "I am a PhD and inventor in the fields of synthetic biology and protein engineering. I got my PhD from Boston University, spent time as a visiting graduate student in George Church's lab at Harvard, and worked in various biotech startups", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/elliot-tague", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/862fd5995470be60ee9592f62023e7535f5ba456.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1609260, "full_name": "Nathan Tague", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "I’m a co-founder of SynsoryBio, where we are creating therapeutics that sense-and-respond to disease. I have a background in synthetic biology and protein engineering with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/nathan-tague-533019198", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/64f7893e259c04691fa3d527943ce549ccc78d95.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 78311, "title": "SynsoryBio: Therapeutics that sense-and-respond to disease", "tagline": "Our immune system acts locally to combat disease, why don’t our medicines?", "body": "**TL;DR**\n\nAt SynsoryBio, we engineer \"_if-then_\" conditional logic into protein medicines, meaning only _if_ the protein drug senses a disease marker, _then_ it turns on. We are applying this technology to clinically tested, but highly toxic cancer immunotherapies to make them safer and more effective. \n\n**Who we are/Team:**\n\nSynsoryBio was founded by brother scientists, [Elliot](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-tague/) and [Nathan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-tague-533019198/), who both hold PhDs in biomedical engineering. The founders gained expertise in synthetic biology at Boston University, Harvard Medical School, and industrial biotech, where they authored numerous high-impact journal publications and are inventors on several patent filings. SynsoryBio harnesses this expertise to create next-generation therapeutics that understand where they are in the body and only act at the site of disease. \n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78311&key=user_uploads/1336498/724512c9-7cee-4c6b-ba4f-ea2550ef57d9)\n\n**The Problem:**\n\nThe most potent therapeutics suffer from safety issues and dose limitations, impeding their development and overall efficacy. This isn’t surprising because most therapeutics are delivered systemically and are active throughout the body even though the underlying disease is localized to a certain tissue. For example, immunotherapies to treat cancer show great promise but usually exhibit dose limitations, especially in combination, which prevents the development of potent immune stimulators and/or mitigates clinical efficacy.\n\n \n\n**The Synsory Solution:**\n\nWe are developing next-generation protein therapeutics that have synthetic sensing functions so that they know where they are in the body and only act at disease tissue. Our approach is highly flexible, allowing us to design protein therapeutics that conditionally activate upon sensing virtually any specified biomolecule.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78311&key=user_uploads/1336498/66febfad-2442-4c03-be04-050f4149b862)\n\n**Our ask:**\n\n\\-If you know any immunologists or oncologists, we would love to connect with them!\n\n\\-Interested in partnering? Please reach out!\n\n Connect with us, info@synsorybio.com", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/KN5-synsorybio-therapeutics-that-sense-and-respond-to-disease", "votes": 31, "created_at": "2024-02-09T15:34:58.143Z" } ] }, { "id": 29429, "name": "Velorum Therapeutics", "slug": "velorum-therapeutics", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/f201fcf7f4408f2acdedabe7f9bef2baabec8369.png", "website": "https://www.velorumtx.com/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Velorum Therapeutics is developing breakthrough medicines by unlocking the biology of heme.", "one_liner": "Breakthrough medicines unlocking the biology of heme", "team_size": 5, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1706719304, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Healthcare", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/velorum-therapeutics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/velorum-therapeutics.json", "year_founded": 2023, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/velorumtx/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/velorumtx", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/f201fcf7f4408f2acdedabe7f9bef2baabec8369.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1650103, "full_name": "Pouya Modareszadeh", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Co-Founder & CEO @ Velorum Therapeutics. Building new medicines.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/pouya-modareszadeh", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/pouyamodares", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/58cc892e4fc1058532de364a1d07fab281272f8a.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1647572, "full_name": "Parsa Modareszadeh", "title": "Founder/President", "founder_bio": "Co-Founder and President @ Velorum Therapeutics. Goldwater Scholar. Working to create breakthrough medicines for devastating diseases. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/parsa-modareszadeh", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/parsamodares", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/37709050b73a0ef7baf2d4d22bf250ec935ea51e.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 78069, "title": "Velorum Therapeutics: Powerful cancer drugs that starve tumors", "tagline": "We're developing a new class of cancer drugs that starve tumors by hijacking cancer metabolism.", "body": "### **ABOUT VELORUM**\n\n[**Velorum Therapeutics**](https://www.velorumtx.com/) **is developing a new class of cancer drugs that starve tumors by hijacking cancer metabolism. We have shown our drugs work in mice and plan to begin human clinical trials next year, starting with the #1 cancer killer – lung cancer.**\n\n### **OUR SCIENCE**\n\n**We’ve discovered that cancers are addicted to a molecule called ‘heme’.** Heme, which is well-known as the central component of ‘hemoglobin’, is used by the mitochondria to make energy. Cancers ‘steal’ free-floating heme from the blood to fuel their rapid growth. **Our patented drugs starve cancer by removing this heme that cancer cells need, but normal cells don’t.** We’ve shown in animals that our drugs are highly effective for multiple cancers, without affecting healthy cells, even at the highest doses. Also, by starving tumors, we make them weaker and more susceptible to existing cancer treatments, like radiation, chemo, and immunotherapies.\n\nThe body has a natural system to clean up this free-floating heme, but it gets overwhelmed by cancer. **Our drugs essentially amplify the body’s natural heme removal system.** We let nature do most of the work – our drugs are built from proteins that have evolved over millennia to be perfect at capturing heme. Importantly, heme is the exact same molecule across all mammals, meaning the results we see in animals have a higher chance of translating to humans.\n\nWe’re starting with lung cancer, with a lead drug advancing to first-in-human trials next year. **Because multiple types of cancers have this same vulnerability, our lead drug could potentially be used for lots of cancer types and become a standard-of-care treatment.**\n\n### **OUR TEAM**\n\n[Parsa](https://linkedin.com/in/parsa-modareszadeh) and [Pouya](https://linkedin.com/in/pouya-modareszadeh) are twin brothers and scientists who spent their entire adult lives studying how cancers make energy. They worked together on this breakthrough science over the past 5 years, helping develop this promising new class of cancer drugs. They founded Velorum to advance this breakthrough to patients, surrounding themselves with a team of world-class drug developers, scientists, and clinicians.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78069&key=user_uploads/1647572/3e39d62c-27d4-4f86-8e4b-94e9bc70772e)\n\n### **CONTACT US**\n\nTo learn more about our science or support us on our mission, please reach out at [info@velorumtx.com](mailto:info@velorumtx.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/KJB-velorum-therapeutics-powerful-cancer-drugs-that-starve-tumors", "votes": 30, "created_at": "2024-02-01T18:56:30.462Z" } ] }, { "id": 29470, "name": "Eris Biotech", "slug": "eris-biotech", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/b16bbab6bd8003573ebc3410a08531b90c3427fd.png", "website": "http://www.erisbio.com", "all_locations": "Salt Lake City, UT, USA", "long_description": "We are developing cancer therapeutics using small molecules that inhibit immune suppression. Our drugs engage the immune system to aggressively fight tumors. Our therapeutic portfolio addresses a range of solid tumors, starting with mesothelioma. ", "one_liner": "Our drugs engage the immune system to fight tumors", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1706246904, "tags": [ "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/eris-biotech", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/eris-biotech.json", "year_founded": 2023, "city": "Salt Lake City", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/eris-biotech/about/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/b16bbab6bd8003573ebc3410a08531b90c3427fd.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [ "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/ee9d713077a9b1c11574e3f90def5175741b1175.png" ], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1579332, "full_name": "Evita Weagel", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "PhD in microbiology and molecular biology with an emphasis in cancer immunology, working on developing drugs that reawaken the immune system to fight cancer. First-generation immigrant from Peru. Mom of two boys. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/evita-weagel-ph-d-62b19737", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/34d1d8b3169bd0d47404851e7b84984278e9283b.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1593818, "full_name": "Rachel Garlick", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "PhD in Immunology from Dartmouth College. Engineered many novel cancer immunotherapies. We build cancer drugs that reawaken the immune system to fight cancer for you. No tox, no side effects, and most importantly -- no cancer. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/rachel-brog-garlick", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/aef2fc87092832c891b54c739d321fcad28adcd0.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 78251, "title": "Eris Biotech - Developing drugs that reawaken the immune system to kill cancer", "tagline": "Tumors turn OFF the immune system. Our drugs turn the immune system ON to kill cancer.", "body": "**About us**\n\nHello 👋 We’re [Evita](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evita-weagel/) and [Rachel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-brog-garlick/), co-founders of [Eris Biotech](https://www.linkedin.com/company/eris-biotech). We met working at the same lab at BYU when Evita was a Ph.D. student and Rachel was an undergrad. We collaborated on a peer-reviewed paper and conference presentations, and we’ve been friends since! Rachel went on to Dartmouth for her Ph.D. and later worked at a startup developing cell therapies. Evita went on for a postdoc and a career in drug development in big pharma. Rachel has developed multiple novel therapies for patients and Evita has brought numerous drugs to the clinic. We’re excited to bring our expertise together to build a first-in-class treatment that follows our mission to aggressively fights cancer, but also improve the patient experience.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78251&key=user_uploads/1579332/86e96bb5-bf3c-4acc-9041-1efbe0d836a0)\n\n**Our Backstory**\n\nEvita, working in drug development, saw promising cancer drugs fail because they were simply too toxic. Rachel, in cell therapy, saw the same problem as treatments that worked in principle caused too much collateral damage. Both realized that the real issue was not just the drugs themselves but the way most cancer treatments rely on toxic approaches that also wipe out our best weapon against cancer, the immune system. Tumor immune evasion is one of cancer’s greatest strengths, yet few were tackling it head-on. We founded Eris Biotech to change that and to develop therapies that stop tumors from hiding and reawaken the immune system.\n\n**The Problem**\n\nOne of cancer’s greatest weapons is its ability to hide from the immune system. Tumors release billions of **tiny vesicles** that contain “don’t attack me signals” and shut down the immune system, blinding it to their presence. This immune evasion lets cancer spread unchecked while most current treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and even some immunotherapies, further weaken the body’s natural defenses.\n\n**Our Solution**\n\nEris Biotech develops small-molecule drugs that prevent tumors from forming and releasing immune-suppressing **tiny vesicles**. By stopping this process, we remove cancer’s disguise, restore immune surveillance, and give the body’s natural defenses the upper hand. Essentially, our drug doesn’t kill cancer directly like toxic chemotherapies – instead, our drug awakens the immune system to fight cancer for you. This approach targets one of cancer’s most powerful survival strategies while avoiding the high toxicity of traditional treatments. We’re starting by targeting mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining, with a 5-year survival rate under 13 percent.\n\n**Contact us**\n\nIf you want to learn more about our science and mission, you can reach us at [**founders@erisbio.com**](mailto:founders@erisbio.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/KM7-eris-biotech-developing-drugs-that-reawaken-the-immune-system-to-kill-cancer", "votes": 186, "created_at": "2024-02-07T21:04:37.925Z" } ] }, { "id": 29475, "name": "Evolvere BioSciences", "slug": "evolvere-biosciences", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/dd3489b7e5a5f2d3f7cc49de65917a83134da0a3.png", "website": "https://www.evolverebiosciences.com/", "all_locations": "Oxford, England, United Kingdom", "long_description": "🦠🤖 We use our computational models to make next-generation antibiotics that outcompete bacterial evolution and precisely target pathogenic bacteria, without harming good microbes or human cells. \r\n\r\n☠️ Current antibiotics stop working because bacteria evolve resistance to them. This makes drug-resistant bacteria a looming global health crisis - already killing more people than malaria and AIDS and it is getting exponentially worse 📈. \r\n\r\n🧬 Our approach leverages co-evolutionary protein-protein interaction datasets combined with AI to forecast bacterial mutations and create ‘future-proof’ antibiotics, addressing antibiotic resistance before it develops. This changes the game for how frequently society will need to make new antibiotics and how long our new antibiotics will be able to treat patients 👩‍⚕️.\r\n\r\nWe are a team of biochemists and evolutionary biologists who met at the University of Oxford. ", "one_liner": "Making Next-Generation Antibiotics that Outpace Bacterial Evolution", "team_size": 3, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1723833827, "tags": [ "AI-powered Drug Discovery", "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "AI", "Biotechnology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United Kingdom", "Europe" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/evolvere-biosciences", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2024/evolvere-biosciences.json", "year_founded": 2021, "city": "Oxford", "country": "GB", "linkedin_url": "", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/dd3489b7e5a5f2d3f7cc49de65917a83134da0a3.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1571195, "full_name": "Adam Winnifrith", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Evolvere (S24), CEO & Co-Founder, MBioChem Oxford, I work at the intersection of bioengineering, protein AI, and automation. E.S.B", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/adam-winnifrith-b438ab182", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/47621187f511483c88214b24dcbe246a6c35c1f5.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1653867, "full_name": "Piotr Jedryszek", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "S24, Evolvere Biosciences, CTO and Co-founder, background in Bio and CompBio", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/piotr-jedryszek-085991180", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/72e7c8ae1b67c791b656651e8d8c8af2fcf314a2.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1627026, "full_name": "Weronika Slesak", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "CSO at Evolvere (S24). Oxford biologist using evolution as an engineering tool.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/weronika-slesak", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/58fdd6f9b378d1a0e78b405fcdd0d2f7eb601783.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 29476, "name": "Junction Bioscience", "slug": "junction-bioscience", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/3c382f7f1170e4d96b382d69430f2fc2c9fffe94.png", "website": "https://www.junction.bio/", "all_locations": "New York City, NY, USA", "long_description": "Junction Bioscience is building an autonomous AI scientist to navigate the discovery of transformative medicines. Our scientific hypothesis engine iterates upon breakthrough chemistry from the laboratory to achieve clarity and control over the molecular basis of disease. We focus on the intersection of neuroinflammation and immunology where uncommon molecular insights position us to develop best-in-class therapies for millions of patients in need.", "one_liner": "AI Hypothesis Engine for Molecular Discovery", "team_size": null, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1710785076, "tags": [], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/junction-bioscience", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/junction-bioscience.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "New York City", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/3c382f7f1170e4d96b382d69430f2fc2c9fffe94.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 95683, "full_name": "Brian Petkov", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Brian is a theoretical physicist and drug hunter with degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Duke University and doctoral training from NYU. He was previously the first employee and Vice President at a computational drug design startup where he led the Machine Learning operation and grew a 30-person team to success on previously-undruggable targets.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/brian-petkov", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/2009e2dff8fef2c268a6cf0a7ba43a157dc51981.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 79473, "title": "👨‍🔬 Junction Bioscience: Autonomous hypothesis engines for scientific discovery", "tagline": "Our lab-in-the-loop protein copilot rapidly iterates upon hypotheses to design better medicines", "body": "_Junction Bioscience is a therapeutics company building an autonomous AI scientist to navigate the discovery of transformative medicines. Our scientific hypothesis engine iterates upon breakthrough chemistry from the laboratory to achieve clarity and control over the molecular basis of disease. We focus on the intersection of neuroinflammation and immunology, where uncommon molecular insights position us to develop best-in-class therapies for millions of patients in need._\n\n# **Our thesis: A hypothesis engine to scale and commercialize scientific creativity**\n\nOur ability to measure and manipulate biology has grown beyond the wildest expectations. Yet, thousands of diseases remain with inadequate treatments. **The global biotechnology industry now faces a human bottleneck where the ability to formulate hypotheses and design rigorous experiments is far outpaced by the deluge of accessible data.**\n\n![](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/media/?type=post&id=79473&key=user_uploads/95683/8ef19807-b544-406f-95ba-cd1b724322a1)\n\nA new wave of powerful tools spanning both wet lab and computation has emerged for answering scientific questions. From our perspective, the greatest challenge and impact lies first in asking the right questions rather than simply accelerating the answers. The eventual success of a pharmaceutical drug in the clinic hinges upon crucial insights formed years in advance, and there is little ability to backtrack if better routes are identified. **Our autonomous hypothesis engine represents a revolutionary turning point where AI that can reason and rapidly formulate, test, and refine valuable ideas will work alongside interdisciplinary scientific teams.** Rather than looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, our approach begins with the patients and centers on identifying the best possible mechanism to reverse disease with minimal side effects. We are excited about the broader industry applications of this new approach to scientific research and general-purpose AI. At the same time, we understand the real-world complexities of bringing medicines to the clinic and remain laser-focused on conducting our technology R&D in lockstep with efficient progression of our therapeutic programs.\n\n# **Our science: reconciling the physical world of atoms with cellular behavior**\n\nWe are focused on a narrow set of phenomena that are ubiquitous across drug targets yet pivotal for our autoimmune and inflammatory disease programs. **Our technology translates the dynamic physical world of atoms into a chemical code that we apply in our laboratory to change cellular behavior.** Reconciling biophysics with pathway biology is a holy grail of drug discovery and we are dramatically pushing this frontier. For instance, we are able to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in measuring molecular interactions in living cells by a factor of 1000x. **This challenging feat rewards us with unprecedented clarity into the molecular basis of disease and how to reverse it.** We select our targets based on where our laboratory provides an ideal data source for our AI and where validated biology meets enormous unmet patient needs and market opportunities.\n\n# **Our Team**\n\nWe are a small, creative team with the highest scientific standards. Our founder, [Brian Petkov,](https://linkedin.com/in/brian-petkov-b2a63680) is a theoretical physicist and drug hunter with degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Duke University and doctoral training from NYU. He was previously the first employee and Vice President at a computational drug design startup, where he led the Machine Learning operation and grew a 30-person team to success on previously undruggable targets.\n\n![](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/media/?type=post&id=79473&key=user_uploads/95683/2065cfb8-c5f0-4790-a234-62883511c4dd)\n\nAfter years in the biotechnology industry, he realized that the major bottlenecks in early drug discovery could be solved using a combination of AI and wet-lab molecular biology techniques that very recently emerged. He started Junction Bioscience to tackle the biggest challenges and markets and ultimately bring meaningful cures to patients in need.\n\n# Traction\n\n**We received our first six-figure partnership within a week of incorporating, and our early academic case study kindled a successful research collaboration with big pharma.**\n\n# \n\n# The Ask\n\nWe welcome collaboration proposals around our drug discovery platform. We are focused on our internal therapeutics pipeline and are open to partnership discussions across the biotech and pharma ecosystems. Contact [brian@junction.bio](mailto:brian@junction.bio).", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Kfp-junction-bioscience-autonomous-hypothesis-engines-for-scientific-discovery", "votes": 38, "created_at": "2024-03-18T18:08:53.106Z" } ] }, { "id": 29485, "name": "Granza Bio", "slug": "granza-bio", "former_names": [ "Zyme Therapeutics" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e4fe5f43800f16c0ca16303f58b955037e3f2bc1.png", "website": "https://www.granzabio.com/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Granza Bio is developing programmable therapeutics for the immune system. Our platform is built on the foundational discovery of immune “superkiller” attack particles — the natural ammunition used by cytotoxic immune cells to deliver potent, localized killing. By re-arming exhausted immune cells with newly programmed ammunition, Granza restores and enhances immune function. This approach enables a new class of treatments with the potential to transform diseases ranging from cancer to autoimmunity. ", "one_liner": "Building programmable therapeutics for the immune system", "team_size": 8, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1709082658, "tags": [ "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Healthcare", "Therapeutics", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/granza-bio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/granza-bio.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/101140973/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/GranzaBio", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/e4fe5f43800f16c0ca16303f58b955037e3f2bc1.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [ "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/951f3c1e19296f2e20fadafd3714fde2998a701f.png" ], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1718918, "full_name": "Ashwin Nandakumar", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Ashwin completed his PhD (DPhil) in Oncology at the University of Oxford. After completing his PhD, he began working as a Cancer Research UK post-doctoral researcher at Oxford University and also at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London. He also brings experience setting up oncology clinical trials and working in oncology start-ups. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/ashwin-nandakumar-menon", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/Menon_Ashwin", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/abf1515406e6713ee0ab505431bf72dd815baad6.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1720525, "full_name": "Ashwin Jainarayanan", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Granza Bio, DPhil (PhD) in Interdisciplinary Bioscience - University of Oxford\n\n", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/jainarayananak", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d8cf072b7b583aa501ae03f0113abf686b2e0b73.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "Granza Bio grabs $7M seed from Felicis and YC to advance delivery of cancer treatments | TechCrunch", "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/03/granza-bio-grabs-7m-seed-from-felicis-and-yc-to-advance-delivery-of-cancer-treatments/", "date": "Jul 03, 2024" } ], "launches": [ { "id": 78838, "title": "🎯🦠 Granza Bio – Cancer targeting attack particles derived from our body’s immune system", "tagline": "We engineer \"attack particles\" that selectively target and kill cancer cells, eliminating unwanted side effects and toxicity.", "body": "**Tl;dr:** We are [Granza Bio](https://www.linkedin.com/company/granza-bio-yc-w24/), two PhD graduates in Oncology and Immunology from the University of Oxford on a mission to develop personalised and targeted cancer treatments. We are working on a new weapon in our immune system’s arsenal – “[**attack particles**](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay9207)”. We are turning this concept into a therapeutic product that can eliminate any cancer without harming the surrounding healthy cells, preventing adverse side effects.\n\nHey everyone, we are (Ashwin)²\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78838&key=user_uploads/1718918/c608a07f-d480-40c7-bb19-16fc620b9666)\n\n# **Team**\n\n🧑🏾[Ashwin Jainarayanan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jainarayananak/) – Clarendon Scholar and Synthetic Immunologist with extensive research experience on attack particles derived from immune cells.\n\n 🧑🏾[Ashwin Nandakumar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwin-nandakumar-menon/) – Cancer biologist specializing in immuno-oncology, who has previously set up clinical trials and brings extensive Oncology start-up experience.\n\n👨🏻‍🔬 [Mike Dustin](https://www.kennedy.ox.ac.uk/team/michael-dustin) – Professor of Molecular Immunology at the University of Oxford. Widely recognised for his work on immunological synapses and discovered attack particles.\n\n# **❌ Problem:**\n\n\\~50% of cancer patients receive treatments that are (1) ineffective and (2) lead to unwanted and avoidable side effects.\n\n**(1) _High mortality rates:_** Ineffective treatments lead to cancer relapse and ultimately, increased likelihood of dying from cancer. Five-year survival rates are lower than 5% for patients with late-stage cancers including lung, pancreas, and brain cancer.\n\n**(2) _Toxicity and adverse side effects_**: While emerging treatments such as immunotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy are effective in some patients, they also impact their healthy tissues. This causes high toxicity and adverse side effects.\n\n# **✅ Solution: Granza Bio’s cancer-targeting attack particles**\n\nWe have identified **attack particles** ⚡: a powerful suite of weapons in our immune system’s arsenal. These attack particles carry proteins like **_granzymes_** and **_perforins_** that instantly kill cancer cells.\n\n[Watch how it works!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5IPz1YaAiE&ab_channel=AshwinMenon)\n\n# **📋 Factfile: Granza Bio’s attack particles**\n\n* **💀 High cancer-killing efficacy** in brain, ovarian, lung, and skin cancers.\n* ⚙ Engineered to target **only the cancer cells**, leaving the surrounding healthy cells untouched, meaning no toxicity or adverse side effects.\n* 🧠 Capable of targeting **brain cancers** by crossing the blood-brain barrier.\n* **🎯** Perfectly suited to a **platform approach** meaning we can use attack particles to target a great range of diseases including cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infections.\n* 🏭 **Highly stable** and easy to manufacture.\n\n**Lock & Key method – attack particle targeting cancer**\n\n# \n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=78838&key=user_uploads/1718918/0fcc26f3-2645-4d78-aee9-8287c2e707c2)\n\n# **🙏 Our Asks:**\n\n* Share this post with your network and help spread the word!\n* If you’re as excited as we are about this novel approach to eradicating cancer and would like to learn more about what we’re doing, email us at [founders@granzabio.com](mailto:founders@granzabio.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/KVa-granza-bio-cancer-targeting-attack-particles-derived-from-our-body-s-immune-system", "votes": 762, "created_at": "2024-02-28T01:19:33.419Z" } ] }, { "id": 29527, "name": "ParcelBio", "slug": "parcelbio", "former_names": [ "Parcel Therapuetics", "Parcel Therapeutics" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/74f762bd0f8856c1dbe4d716afa6585e44f03870.png", "website": "https://parcelbio.com/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "ParcelBio is engineering a new class of mRNA medicines designed to deliver unprecedented potency and durability. Its proprietary APEXm™ platform uses novel RNA domains to enhance protein expression and extend activity, enabling therapies that reach the thresholds required for meaningful, and potentially curative, clinical outcomes. The company is advancing programs in autoimmune disease, oncology, and encoded protein therapeutics.", "one_liner": "Elevated mRNA for transformative medicines.", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1707343020, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Drug discovery" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/parcelbio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2024/parcelbio.json", "year_founded": 2023, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/parcelbio", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/74f762bd0f8856c1dbe4d716afa6585e44f03870.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1677906, "full_name": "David Weinberg", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "David is the co-founder and CEO of ParcelBio. He was previously VP of RNA Platform at Orbital Therapeutics / Circ Bio, where he led the development of a circular RNA therapeutics platform. Before that, he was Sr. Director of Molecular Research at Freenome, where he built the multiomics diagnostics platform that enabled a blood test for the early detection of cancer​. David obtained his PhD from MIT, was a UCSF Faculty Fellow, and has been honored with Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ and an NIH DP5 Award.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/david-e-weinberg", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/a22ff6d56783a39898b76e5628fcfd0a63b70433.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1032558, "full_name": "Chris Carlson", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Chris is the co-founder and CSO of ParcelBio. He was previously a scientist at Orbital Therapeutics, where he was the primary contributor on multiple patents regarding stabilization of therapeutic RNAs. Chris obtained his PhD from UCSF where he studied RNA packaging and protection in viruses.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/christopher-carlson-", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/f1a5fdc13e87dbfa7a513e72af5baaaf8491bd74.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 29714, "name": "Kopra Bio", "slug": "kopra-bio", "former_names": [ "GlioTx" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/acdb0c2a3124d9e5717a63d0231af9b6f7447919.png", "website": "https://kopra.bio", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Kopra Bio makes genetically engineered viruses that teach your immune system to kill cancer using tech we developed at UCSF. We’re making the next Keytruda ($25B/yr cancer drug blockbuster) starting with the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. In the most challenging brain cancer model, we improve survival from 0% with the current FDA approved treatment to 90% with our treatment.", "one_liner": "Genetically engineered viruses that teach your immune system to kill…", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1724130421, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "Synthetic Biology", "Biotech", "Therapeutics", "Oncology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/kopra-bio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2024/kopra-bio.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/kopra-bio", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/acdb0c2a3124d9e5717a63d0231af9b6f7447919.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Ankit Gupta", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/ankit-gupta" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 2206641, "full_name": "Alexander Haddad", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": " Neurosurgery resident @ UCSF, scientific co-founder @ Kopra Bio. Published over 70 peer-reviewed publications as a neurosurgery resident at UCSF. Alex is particularly interested in the delivery of cell and gene therapies to the central nervous system and neuro-oncology. Kopra Bio is a serial biotech entrepreneur and a UCSF Neurosurgery resident on a mission to revolutionize cancer treatment. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-haddad-49b484305", "x_url": "https://x.com/AF_Haddad", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/93c5301fb0091307b0055844275d81efd5a9a3b4.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 83219, "title": "🔬🧠🧬 Kopra Bio - Making cancer cures using viral immunotherapy", "tagline": "Stealthy viruses that teach your immune system to kill cancer.", "body": "**Tl;dr**: We are [Kopra Bio](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kopra-bio), a serial biotech entrepreneur and a UCSF Neurosurgery resident on a mission to revolutionize cancer treatment. Kopra Bio is curing cancer using viral immunotherapy technology we developed at UCSF. We’re making the next Keytruda, a **$25B/yr cancer drug blockbuster**, starting with the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. In preclinical models, we improve survival rates from 0% with standard-of-care treatment to **greater than 90% survival with our treatment.**\n\n**—**\n\nHey - we are Andrew and Alex!\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=83219&key=user_uploads/214420/8312b484-2aee-4ae8-bd7b-bc708051b7d1)\n\n# **Team:**\n\n🤵 [**Andrew Bartynski, PhD**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbartynski/) - Serial Biotech Entrepreneur and **repeat YC founder**. Developed the **contraceptive pill for men** as COO @ YourChoice Therapeutics (YC W19). Founded a **COVID-19 antiviral** company that went from founding to Phase II/III clinical trial in < 6 months and was acquired in < 1 year as COO @ ANA Therapeutics. Made **next-generation psychedelics** for mental health @ Alexander Shulgin Research Institute. Now curing cancer as CEO @ Kopra Bio.\n\n👨‍⚕️[**Alexander Haddad, MD**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-haddad-49b484305/) - Scientific Cofounder @ Kopra Bio, Neurosurgery Resident @ UCSF. Alex **published >** **70 peer-reviewed publications as a neurosurgery resident at UCSF**. He is particularly interested in **neuro-oncology** and the delivery of cell and **gene therapies** to the central nervous system. Alex helped spearhead the development of Kopra Bio’s viral technology in the labs of Dr. Manish Aghi and Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara. His clinical skills have also been recognized with the Krevans Award for clinical excellence at San Francisco General Hospital.\n\n👨‍⚕️ [**Manish Aghi, MD, PhD**](https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/dr-manish-aghi) - Neurosurgeon and Professor @ UCSF. Renowned expert with over **30 years of experience in Neurosurgery and tumor microenvironment** leading the Brain Tumor Research Center at UCSF with a focus on malignant brain tumors like glioblastoma.\n\n👨‍⚕️ [**Noriyuki Kasahara, MD, PhD**](https://braintumorcenter.ucsf.edu/people/noriyuki-kasahara) - CSO @ 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Professor of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology @ UCSF. Dr. Kasahara has been a **world leader** in the field of **cancer research and gene therapy vector** **development** for over 30 years.\n\n**👩‍🔬** **Sara Collins, PhD** - Gene Therapy Specialist @ UCSF, Director @ 4D Molecular Therapeutics. World expert in the development of **vectors for cancer gene therapy**.\n\n# How do we get to a world without cancer?\n\n# **❌ Today’s approach** - death by a thousand cuts\n\nState-of-the-art cancer therapies target tumor mutations one by one. Despite more than 550 cancer drug approvals since the year 2000, there are still 10 million cancer deaths each year. This approach is expensive (**$1B per therapy**), slow (**10 years of development** per drug), and incremental (only **one mutation addressed** per therapy). Even the most successful cancer drugs of all time have **success rates of less than 10% in solid tumors**.\n\n# **✅ Kopra Bio’s Solution** - first principles approach that targets phenotypes seen across all cancers\n\nUsing **stealthy viruses🦠**, Kopra Bio infects cancer cells, spreads throughout tumors, and hijacks them to produce immune signals. The immune signals recruit T cells which then kill the cancer. This process teaches the patient’s immune system to kill their tumor - _in vivo_ - **curing the cancer and eliminating metastasis and recurrence.**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=83219&key=user_uploads/214420/71da663f-8b6a-41da-81bf-179a4cddb385)\n\n# **🔬Kopra Bio at a glance**\n\n* **Demonstrated efficacy** in the most challenging brain cancer models increasing survival from 0% without treatment to **greater than 90% survival** with our treatment\n* **Cancer selective** by design - reduced toxicity and adverse events\n* **Platform** approach broadly applicable across cancer\n* Strong **safety** profile\n* Highly stable and **scalable** to manufacture\n\n# **🙏 Asks**\n\n* Share this post on your socials and help spread the word!\n* If you’re as excited as we are about eradicating cancer and would like to learn more about what we’re doing, **email us** at [founders@kopra.bio](mailto:founders@koprabio.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/LeF-kopra-bio-making-cancer-cures-using-viral-immunotherapy", "votes": 201, "created_at": "2024-08-20T15:08:44.470Z" } ] }, { "id": 29959, "name": "Uncommon Therapeutics", "slug": "uncommon-therapeutics", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/791a2a1e71f62bafa47311d3711d9cab4712eea4.png", "website": "https://uncommontherapeutics.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Our founder Noah, an experienced tech entrepreneur, was directly impacted by a severe genetic disease when his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a disease that afflicts 1 in 10,000 girls. Using an innovative polytherapy strategy, we’ve successfully improved her quality of life, and have designed new therapeutics that each could be worth billions and together could deliver a cure.", "one_liner": "A Disease Focused Biotech, Building Multiple Billion Dollar Drugs", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1740166772, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "CRISPR", "Biotechnology" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2025", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/uncommon-therapeutics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2025/uncommon-therapeutics.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/791a2a1e71f62bafa47311d3711d9cab4712eea4.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1883658, "full_name": "Noah Auerhahn", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Serial Entrepreneur Building Therapies and New Biz Models for Rare Disease", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahauerhahn/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/4e34b75273ea4671f2164eda22e1e988ee2388da.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1967780, "full_name": "Ryan Lim", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Biotech entrepreneur and biomedical scientist specializing in modeling neurological disorders using stem cells, in vivo models, and computational biology to drive breakthroughs in neurological diseases", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlimphd", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/9c15bdfc25499f8bf1197bea4e37a0939dbb6405.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 87905, "title": "💊🧠🧬 Uncommon Therapeutics - A Disease Focused Biotech", "tagline": "Developing multiple high‐value ($b) therapeutics per disease, combining new tools and deep expertise to deliver cures", "body": "### **TL;DR**\n\nNoah, an experienced tech entrepreneur, was directly impacted by a severe genetic disease when his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a disease that afflicts 1 in 10,000 girls. Using an innovative polytherapy strategy, we’ve successfully improved her quality of life, and have designed **new therapeutics that each could be worth billions and together could deliver a cure.**\n\nOur _uncommon_ approach to biotech includes deep respect for the complexities of biology and disease, but belief that **many of the orthodoxies of biotech can be challenged by ideas from tech**.\n\n### **Why Now?**\n\n**AI is unlocking every field and biotech is no different.** However in bio the value will not go to the platform builders, but the users of the tools and the drug assets they create. Today it is easier and cheaper than ever to build better drugs. \n\nMeanwhile, biotech is no longer a closed system. So many of the core modality IP (mAbs, ASOs, mRNA, Car-T, CRISPR, etc) have expired or will expire by the time a drug comes to market. There are mature CROs for every stage of drug development from screening to running studies. And there are experts available to consult who have built at the platform companies that spent billions refining these tools.\n\nAt Uncommon we believe now is the best time ever to build a disease focused biotech. **So while Biotech may not get the first 1 person billion dollar company, in this AI-driven open source system, it may deliver the first 2 person one.**\n\n### **Why Us?**\n\n_“Start companies to solve personal problems” —_ Michael Seibel\n\nImagine while you are building your high flying tech company, your 18 month old daughter starts to lose the ability to walk, speak, use her hands, and will soon develop a cascade of maladies (seizures, breath holding and hyper ventilation, scoliosis and on) – this is Rett Syndrome. Over the months that followed **Noah dedicated himself to this problem, reading over 300 papers in the first 9 months alone, speaking with every expert until he became one**. We identified multiple repurposed drugs, not commonly used for Rett, that while not curative could immediately push back against the skill loss and successfully give her a higher quality of life. Today, **Ellie is 5 and in the top 1% of people with Rett**. While still limited, she is happy, walking around, not in pain, without seizures, and is learning to read and communicate with her eye gaze device.\n\n**Expertise unlocks traction**: With just $1M, we utilized the best tech and modality expertise to design three novel therapeutics that target the underlying cause of the disease, **all of which are now working in patient cells**.\n\n### **Results in Patient Cells**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=87905&key=user_uploads/1883658/f4e6dd78-3631-4692-98d9-49b57c43479a)\n\n### **Team**\n\n**Noah Auerhahn** (Co-Founder & CEO) - Noah bootstrapped his first company and sold it to Rakuten for $15M and raised over $75M for his second company. In 2021 his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. He dedicated himself to becoming an expert on the disease and then identifying disease modifying-therapies, personally investing over $1M into those efforts. He is deeply involved across every aspect of Uncommon’s drug development efforts.\n\n**Ryan Lim, PhD** (Co-Founder & CSO) - Ryan is a biotech entrepreneur and biomedical scientist with over 10 years of experience in neurological diseases. At Uncommon he’s pioneering gene-editing, ASO, and small-molecule therapies for Rett Syndrome. He led AI-driven drug discovery efforts, taking a therapeutic candidate from initial discovery through IND-enabling studies on its way to ALS patients at Modulo Bio, and at UCI identified a repurposed compound that is currently in Phase II trials for Huntington’s disease.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=87905&key=user_uploads/1883658/05663633-8048-49a0-b826-f0320e58af04)\n\n### **Asks**\n\n* Please share this post on your socials and help spread the word.\n* Intro’s to biotech execs who are forward thinking on rare disease and could be good future or present partners in our efforts!", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Mrp-uncommon-therapeutics-a-disease-focused-biotech", "votes": 23, "created_at": "2025-02-21T20:01:59.726Z" } ] }, { "id": 29986, "name": "Exin Therapeutics", "slug": "exin-therapeutics", "former_names": [ "EI Therapeutics" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/61d9c34b51f9b98cbfdb92bc0014e3569c29b36c.png", "website": "https://www.exintherapeutics.com/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "We use AI and high-throughput mouse studies to discover therapeutics that modify neural activity in the brain. The initial focus is on epilepsies associated with autism and Parkinson’s disease with the potential to expand to any neurological disorder underlined by a dysfunction in neural activity. Our R&D is guided by AI models trained on high-density multimodal mouse data generated in-house.\r\n\r\nWe are 3 Oxford-trained neuroscientists supported by an experienced SAB from Harvard, Science Corp (ex-Neuralink), EPFL, Meta, and UCL.\r\n\r\nIn 1.5 months since landing in SF, we went from nothing to (1) opening and operating an animal lab in South SF, (2) obtaining a proof-of-concept in mice, (3) building a multimodal AI model that directs our screening approach and (4) submitting two provisional patents; all while utilizing less than 50% of our YC funding. \r\n", "one_liner": "AI drug discovery platform for neurotherapeutics", "team_size": 9, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1736839155, "tags": [ "Neurotechnology", "Biotech", "Therapeutics" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2025", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/exin-therapeutics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2025/exin-therapeutics.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/exin-therapeutics", "x_url": "https://x.com/ExinTx", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/61d9c34b51f9b98cbfdb92bc0014e3569c29b36c.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [ "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/cd055cca84536bc9ad6e7a1e84a3823687aa371a.png" ], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1960104, "full_name": "Gabriel Ocana Santero", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Neuroscientist with a background in biochemistry and research on gene therapy, pancreatic cancer, and muscle physiology at institutions in Boston, Vienna, and Stockholm. Earned MSc in Neuroscience and PhD in Pharmacology at Oxford Uni, focusing on neurodevelopment and the effects of SSRI anti-depressants on early patterns of neural activity. Used neuroAI models at the Gatsby Unit (UCL) to study serotonin’s role in cognition. Currently developing gene therapies for neurological conditions. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-ocana-santero-85b41819a", "x_url": "https://x.com/OcanaSantero", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/b483f6b8a4938fa65104b5d508ef58c0f2961242.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1960211, "full_name": "Marko Tvrdic", "title": "Founder/COO", "founder_bio": "Co-founder at Exin Therapeutics.\n", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-tvrdic/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/markotvrdic", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/e3d25553908165653f0f9a67c3c697b2db73ec48.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 86986, "title": "Exin Therapeutics: An AI discovery platform for neurotherapeutics", "tagline": "Precise modulation of neural activity across neurological disorders.", "body": "[Exin Therapeutics](https://www.exintherapeutics.com/) uses AI and high-throughput mouse studies to develop therapies for people suffering from neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. We are tackling conditions like epilepsy, debilitating symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and Parkinson’s disease by focusing on the neural circuitry of the brain.\n\n# **Why is this important?**\n\nMillions of people around the world suffer from neurological disorders. These disorders arise from imbalances in brain activity. Think of it like an orchestra where some instruments are playing too loud while others are too quiet. This “bad music” / neural imbalance—what we call excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance—is the root cause of many symptoms in these disorders. For example, in epilepsy, overactive circuits lead to seizures, while in ASD, it can cause sensory hypersensitivities - where individuals feel overwhelmed by normal sounds, lights, or touch that most people wouldn't even notice. These dysregulations in neural circuits impact how the brain processes information and responds to the world, leading to the debilitating symptoms we see in these disorders.\n\n# **Our solution**\n\nWe’re taking a circuit-level approach to treating brain disorders. Instead of trying to restore missing genes, we’re supplementing already existing genes that we know will be directly changing the neural activity in the brain - in the direction that we want and independently of the genetic background.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=86986&key=user_uploads/89898/4181e602-6279-4611-9af3-73b0ccfca768)\n\nWe are also working on a multimodal AI model to streamline our preclinical R&D. Why? Well, because developing drugs for the brain is really tough. Every candidate needs to be tested for its ability to modulate circuits, and doing that through a traditional drug development preclinical pathway is a slow process.\\\n\\\nBecause of that, we use ML to analyze high-density multimodal data sets and prioritize which drugs are worth testing further. We use neural activity, behavior, and transcriptomics to train multimodal AI models that identify the drivers of the disease not observable by conventional analytical methods.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=86986&key=user_uploads/89898/b1ad1c24-a513-4633-83f6-58378d1cb5d8)\n\nThen, we use these models to (1) predict the potential of our therapies to treat particular indications and (2) provide an efficacy readout during our internal experimental testing. This way, we spend our time (and funding) testing the most promising candidates.\n\n# **Our ask**\n\n1. Intros: If you have contacts in pharma, working on complementary tech, or have ideas for partnerships, we’d love to connect.\n2. We'd love to hear from people who have worked in therapeutics and people with IND-enabling programs or clinical trial design experience.\n\n# **Team**\n\nWe are a team of 3 Oxford-educated neuroscientists. [Gabriel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-ocana-santero-85b41819a/?originalSubdomain=uk) is a biochemist with a wealth of research experience in neural development, gene therapy, and NeuroAI. He holds a PhD in Pharmacology from Oxford. [Ivan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilazarte/) is a physicist by training and has worked in molecular biology, circuit, and systems neuroscience. Ivan’s brother suffers from ASD and Ivan is on a mission to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from debilitating neurological conditions. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from Oxford. [Marko](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-tvrdic/?originalSubdomain=uk) has experience with iPSC models, retinal disorders, and circadian and developmental neuroscience. During his PhD, he worked in systems and behavioral neuroscience and holds an MSc from Oxford.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=86986&key=user_uploads/1960211/5487d1f0-6cbc-4728-af74-a8377516e2d3)\n\nWe are supported by a team of advisors from top industry and academic institutions - including Harvard & UCL.", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Md0-exin-therapeutics-an-ai-discovery-platform-for-neurotherapeutics", "votes": 41, "created_at": "2025-01-20T22:29:09.667Z" } ] }, { "id": 30613, "name": "Blank Bio", "slug": "blank-bio", "former_names": [ "Orthrus Bio" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/7849a6bd6406353cb8f9f09c914d22bd1f4c0650.png", "website": "http://blank.bio/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Blank Bio is an applied AI research lab focused on increasing the success rates of clinical trials. We do this by training RNA foundation models that learn the patterns that shape disease progression and patient response to treatment. We aim to help pharma make more informed decisions in clinical trials by capturing the biology that makes each patient’s tumour unique. \r\n\r\nWe’re a technical team of AI scientists and engineers from companies including Recursion, Deep Genomics, DeepMind, and Amazon, and institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, Stanford, and the Vector Institute.", "one_liner": "RNA intelligence for precision medicine", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1754432955, "tags": [], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2025", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/blank-bio", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2025/blank-bio.json", "year_founded": 2025, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/blank-bio", "x_url": "https://x.com/blankbio_", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/7849a6bd6406353cb8f9f09c914d22bd1f4c0650.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Ankit Gupta", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/ankit-gupta" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 1842799, "full_name": "Jonny Hsu", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Working on foundation models for RNA therapeutics.\n\nI was an early employee at Valence Discovery, a biotech startup that spun out from Mila. I led product and strategy. Valence was acquired by Recursion (NASDAQ: RXRX) in May 2023. I stayed on afterwards to help build out the AI research engine of Recursion called Valence Labs.\n\nBiochemist by training | Waterloo graduate ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhsuuw/", "x_url": "https://x.com/hsu_jonny", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/e344c95d233072e70c9247179c68e5bb754c8300.jpg" }, { "user_id": 957982, "full_name": "Philip Fradkin", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Building AI for the most designable molecule in the world: RNA\n\nPublished at top ML & Bio conferences including best paper at Foundation models for science @ Neurips. Built self-supervised learning applications for RNA, small molecules, and phenomics. Playing long term games in ML for Biology.\n\nOne of the first employees at Deep Genomics. PhD from University of Toronto. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-fradkin-330a417b/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/phil_fradkin", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/132a39b69c850b07a47f1abfa89bfe7925685490.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2772703, "full_name": "Ian Shi", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Building foundational models for RNA therapeutics at Blank Bio.\n\nJust defended my PhD in CS at the University of Toronto. Published at ICML, NeurIPS, Nature Comms; used 4 GPUs to pre-train an mRNA foundation model that beat competitors using months of compute on thousands of H100s. Now scaling our models to unlock new possibilities in the RNA therapeutic space.\n\nPreviously at Amazon building software, interned at Pinterest and Amazon as a research scientist in between.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruian-shi-4b5215b9/", "x_url": "https://x.com/ianshi3", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/623d250731fb8addca53515c234d4051d6ab00d8.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 92787, "title": "Blank Bio - Computational toolkit for RNA therapeutics", "tagline": "Building foundation models to design better RNA therapeutics, starting with mRNA design. ", "body": "Hey everyone, we’re [Jonny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhsuuw/), [Ian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruian-shi-4b5215b9/), and [Phil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-fradkin-330a417b/), co-founders of [Blank Bio](https://www.blank.bio/) 👋\n\nWe’ve spent decades applying machine learning to biology across academia (Ph.D.’s at the University of Toronto) and industry (Recursion, Deep Genomics, Amazon). \n\nhttps://youtu.be/7lULj-S-MgQ?feature=shared\n\n**TLDR:** \n\n* mRNA enables programmable, personalized medicine, from gene therapies to cancer vaccines. But with more possible sequences than stars in the universe, brute-force design is impossible.\n* We built a state-of-the-art RNA foundation [model](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.10.617658v3) to predict and design high-performing sequences, letting pharma **simulate costly experiments** and speed up timelines. \n* Our open-source models are used by Sanofi and GSK, and we’re working with the Arc Institute to power next-gen virtual cell models.\n* mRNA design is just the beginning. We’re expanding to applications like target identification, biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and more\n\n**Asks:** We’re looking to connect with pharma and biotech companies working on mRNA-based therapeutics (i.e. Moderna, BioNTech, Orbital etc.), CRISPR therapeutics (Scribe, Intellia, Editas, etc.), and biomarker discovery.\n\n📤If you know anyone in those spaces, we’d love an intro: [jonathan@blank.bio](mailto:jonathan@blank.bio) 📤\n\n**Who are we?**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=92787&key=user_uploads/1842799/964fb41d-c751-418d-aecb-5dbbd0fc7405)\n\n* **Jonny**: One of the first employees at Valence Discovery, an AI for drug discovery company spun out of Mila. Acquired by Recursion (NASDAQ: RXRX). Biochemist by training (Waterloo) \n* **Ian**: 10 years of experience in comp bio. Prev. researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (now leading the charge on cancer vaccines) and engineer at Amazon. Has a PhD in computer science (University of Toronto)\n* **Phil**: 12 years of experience in ML for bio. Spent 4 years at Deep Genomics, where he was one of the first employees. Has a PhD in computational biology (University of Toronto)\n\nPhil and Jonny previously worked together at Recursion. Ian and Phil have been collaborating for 5 years throughout their PhDs, doing ML research specifically for RNA biology. See preprints on early versions of the [model](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.10.617658v3) + [benchmark](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.05.662870v1). \n\n**What’s the problem?** \n\nmRNA is composed of four nucleotides (A, C, G, U). For the average mRNA therapeutic, there are \\~10²⁷⁰⁹ possible combinations. This is unimaginably larger than the number of stars that exist in the known universe. \n\nA suboptimal sequence can kill your drug discovery program, costing pharma companies billions of dollars. But testing all of the possible sequences is impossible. How can you design the best sequence? \n\n**What are we building?** \n\nA family of RNA-specific foundation models that simulate costly and time-consuming experiments, predicting key properties like **expression** (how much protein is made from the mRNA) and **stability** (how long it stays in the body) before experiments ever begin. \n\nWe’ve currently got the best **RNA foundation model**. It’s outperforming 59 models from leading research labs and companies. At 10M parameters, it’s lightweight and fast enough to run predictions on hundreds of sequences in seconds. The open-source model is already being used by **Sanofi and GSK**, and we’re also collaborating with the **Arc Institute** to bring our RNA embeddings into the next generation of virtual cells. \n\n**What’s next?** \n\n* We’re establishing a set of scaling laws that will bring a GPT-3 moment to RNA.  \n* We’re curating one of the largest transcriptomic annotation datasets in the world to power model training\n* As we improve the model, we’re expanding beyond mRNA design into a broader RNA toolkit, tackling problems like:\n * Target ID\n * Novel biomarker discovery \n * Cell-type-specific mRNA design\n * …and more 👀\n\nHere’s a peek into the vision that we’re building towards.\n\nhttps://youtu.be/ZgI7WJ1SygI\n\n**Our Ask**\n\n* Follow us on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/blank-bio) and[ X](https://x.com/blankbio_) \n* Share this post! \n* We’re looking to connect with pharma and biotech companies working on mRNA-based therapeutics (i.e. Moderna, BioNTech, Orbital, etc.), CRISPR therapeutics (Scribe, Intellia, Editas, etc.), and RNA biomarkers. An intro to anyone at these types of organizations would be huge. Please drop an email to [jonathan@blank.bio](mailto:jonathan@blank.bio)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/O8Z-blank-bio-computational-toolkit-for-rna-therapeutics", "votes": 28, "created_at": "2025-08-06T16:09:31.289Z" } ] }, { "id": 30915, "name": "FinalDose", "slug": "finaldose", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5910d81ebbfb17b7489c9613332140c02f40b7f4.png", "website": "https://finaldose.ai/", "all_locations": "Oxford, England, United Kingdom", "long_description": "FinalDose is building the first programmable drug - a single smart drug molecule that you can insert any diseased genetic code and it can search and destroy cells upon DNA recognition. Unlocking 80% of undruggable targets today. Starting with all cancers.", "one_liner": "Programmable DNA drug destroying all cancers, unlocking 80% of targets", "team_size": 5, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1778543597, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "Therapeutics", "Genetic Engineering", "AI" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Spring 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United Kingdom", "Europe" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/finaldose", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/spring-2026/finaldose.json", "year_founded": 2025, "city": "Oxford", "country": "GB", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/finaldose/", "x_url": "https://x.com/LaunchFD2026", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5910d81ebbfb17b7489c9613332140c02f40b7f4.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Garry Tan", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/garry-tan" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 2957085, "full_name": "Jeff Liu", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "CEO @ FinalDose (YC P26). Oxford PhD in Oncology. Previous startup (Vivid Dx) solved a multi-decade bottleneck in sepsis diagnostics: low biomass isolation. By overcoming this hurdle, we built the world’s fastest diagnostic system - slashing wait times from 5 days to just 30 minutes. Raised $15M in venture backing. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-liu-dphil-194a1372/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/40b75cb23f98bd74b4723c275a4162aa93bf077d.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2973703, "full_name": "Li-Yao Huang", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Founder at FinalDose (YC P26). DPhil in Biochemistry from Oxford, where he spent 5 years as a postdoctoral researcher at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. Led CRISPR screening projects uncovering new druggable targets in cancer cells and built pipelines reducing hit validation time from months to 7 days. Research focuses on BRCA1-deficient cancers and PARP inhibitor resistance mechanisms.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/li-yao-huang-13676b1b2", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/77397887331ff0b88bb08c778e46e6c5287cab42.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2973562, "full_name": "Steven Lin", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Cofounder and CTO at FinalDose (YC P26). Oxford PhD in Computational Biology with Wellcome Trust full scholarship. Previously Data Lead at Gutsee Biotech. Developed novel machine learning method to use coevolution biology to identify genetic targets that convey drug resistance in viruses. During SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, led UK biobank analysis of human genetics susceptibility for infections", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-shang-kuan-lin-b8438196/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/0f8f7cf0566508443b0ddfb7d92523f989207b5c.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 101229, "title": "FinalDose: The first programmable drug to cure all cancers", "tagline": "FinalDose is building the first programmable drug platform - a single smart drug molecule that finds diseased cells by their DNA and destroys them. We’re starting with all cancers.", "body": "**TL;DR**\n\n**For 60 years, drug discovery has chased proteins. But \\~85% of disease drivers don't have a druggable protein, making them unreachable for modern medicine. The deeper issue: most disease doesn't start at the protein, it starts in the DNA that codes for it. We built a programmable drug that reads DNA inside the cell, decides if it's diseased, and destroys the cell if it is. One platform, reprogrammed to any disease distinguishable on a DNA level.**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=101229&key=user_uploads/2957085/2cb08187-4767-47e6-845e-1adc642aec61)\n\n[Check us out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=446etIvaYCM&t=2s)\n\n**❌ The Problem**\n\nDrug discovery hasn't really changed in sixty years. Pick a protein, throw millions of molecules at it, spaghetti at a wall, hoping something sticks. 10 years and $2.6B per drug.\n\nThe bigger issue is proteins aren't where most disease starts. Disease starts in the DNA. The protein is downstream - the symptom, not the cause. Which is why \\~85% of validated disease drivers have no druggable protein at all. Cancers driven by MYC, TP53, APC; Viral reservoir; clonal populations that drive systematic risk. All \"undruggable\" with the old protein playbook.\n\n**✨ Our Solution**\n\nWe went straight for the DNA.\n\nWe started with a DNA-sensing protein that undergoes a sharp structural change when it finds its target sequence. We hijacked that structure change and turned it into a kill switch:\n\n1\\. The molecule scans the genome for a hardcoded target sequence.\n\n2\\. When it finds the target sequence, our drug changes in structure\n\n3\\. The structural change triggers a kill switch\n\n4\\. The diseased cell containing the target DNA dies. Neighboring healthy cells are untouched.\n\nSame molecular  molecule, new guide → new drug. This means R&D cycle and cost collapses to near 0.\n\nThe compounding asset: we already have decades of human genetics telling us which sequences cause which disease. We're not searching for new biology - we're turning genetics that's already in the textbooks into drugs.\n\n**⚙️ Our Team**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=101229&key=user_uploads/854295/ab013db6-2afe-4d60-a0b6-88a575695993)\n\n(Left) **Jeff Liu - CEO**. Oxford PhD in Oncology. Previous startup (Vivid Dx) solved a multi-decade bottleneck in sepsis diagnostics: low biomass isolation. By overcoming this hurdle, we built the world’s fastest diagnostic system - slashing wait times from 5 days to just 30 minutes. Track record of closing institutional rounds - $5M seed and a $10M Pre-Series A.\n\n(Middle) **Li-Yao Huang - CSO**. Oxford PhD in Biochemistry. Developed a comprehensive discovery-to-validation framework utilizing Cas9 and its derivatives to identify and verify novel therapeutic targets from high-throughput genetic-genetic and genetic-drug interaction data. Scientific lead in molecular biology, cellular assays, construct engineering.\n\n(Right) **Steven Lin - CTO**. Oxford PhD in Computational Biology. Previously Data Lead at Gutsee Biotech. Developed novel machine learning method to use coevolution biology to identify genetic targets that convey drug resistance in viruses. During SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, led UK biobank analysis of human genetics susceptibility for infections\n\nThis will be the most general curative modality for any genetic mutation driven disease ever. Love to chat!\n\nFind us at [founders@finaldose.ai](mailto:founders@finaldose.ai)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/QKj-finaldose-the-first-programmable-drug-to-cure-all-cancers", "votes": 37, "created_at": "2026-05-12T15:47:16.378Z" } ] }, { "id": 31425, "name": "WonderTx", "slug": "wondertx", "former_names": [ "A Company in Stealth Mode Incorporated" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/08d90d66366f5066cf3ad5ae02f156dc4bcc8ebe.png", "website": "https://wondertx.ai/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA; Remote", "long_description": "We’re an AI-native biotech, working on replacing needles with pills. Many drugs, like insulin or Ozempic, are wonderful except you have to inject them. We discover new molecules that you can take as a pill instead. Because the pills operate on biology which has been shown to be effective in people, rather than merely in animal models of disease, we avoid what has historically been the single biggest risk in drug discovery.  This should dramatically increase our probability of success.\r\n\r\nThere’s $200B of treatable diseases and validated human biology without a pill because discovery programs lack a tractable chemical starting point. This is a zero-shot inference problem, because these targets have no training data, so LLMs and other historical interpolative AI approaches are insufficient. Instead, we are building our own extrapolative frontier models that reason beyond their training data. Most critically, we have repeatedly validated our platform on both our own and partner programs. On 4 biologically- and structurally-diverse targets where we had zero training data, we successfully picked binders that were validated experimentally, with confirmation ranging from primary screen hits to crystallographic structures.", "one_liner": "Extrapolative AI to unlock First-in-Class drugs", "team_size": 3, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1786648812, "tags": [ "AI-powered Drug Discovery", "Generative AI", "Biotech" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Fully Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": [ { "question": "What is your long-term vision? If you truly succeed, what will be different about the world?", "answer": "Imagine how drug discovery is done 80 years from now and it’s obvious that AI is going to be woven through every piece and every step.  No one believes that we will have less data, or that it will be easier to understand, or that we won’t need advanced statistical algorithms, or that the computers will be less capable. There is an inevitability here. But let’s not wait 80 years! If we succeed then the path from conception to clinic for the toughest diseases, for the most difficult biological problems, becomes tractable. Our practical outcome is simple: patients whose diseases cannot currently be drugged effectively or at all will live better longer lives. " } ], "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/wondertx", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/wondertx.json", "year_founded": null, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/wondertx/", "x_url": "https://x.com/WonderTxAi", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/08d90d66366f5066cf3ad5ae02f156dc4bcc8ebe.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Pete Koomen", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/pete-koomen" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 7359, "full_name": "Abraham Heifets", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Founder and CEO of A Company in Stealth Mode. Previously, cofounded Atomwise, the first company to deploy deep learning for structure-based drug design ($220+ million in funding; 100 hires; signed $5B in total partnership value with Sanofi, Bayer, Eli Lilly, etc; ran largest AI-driven drug discovery experiment w/ 600+ researchers in 30 countries). Even more previous: PhD @ U of Toronto; inventor on 15 patents + applications; IBM Research; AI for Cornell’s world champion robotic soccer team.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrahamheifets/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/AbeHeifets", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/571a64309f08a9ce37f2b403541f4d87c8410311.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 111814, "title": "WonderTx: Extrapolative AI to Unlock First-in-Class Drugs", "tagline": "Reindustrializing our life science ecosystem.", "body": "Our objective is to deliver first-in-class medicines against disease targets that cannot currently be drugged effectively or at all. Therefore, we are building a lights-out wonder drug factory, where AI runs the entire design-make-test loop. Linking superhuman judgment to robotic throughput is the path to reindustrializing our life science ecosystem, not through throwing human labor at the problem.\n\nOur team has been working on this for over a decade, so we know that there has never been a better time to build this system.  Abe co-founded Atomwise, one of the first AI-for-drug-discovery companies.  We raised $220 million; hired 100 people; signed over $5B in total deal value with big pharma companies like Sanofi, Bayer, Eli Lilly, and others; and ran the biggest application of AI to hit discovery in history. Saulo solved the synthesizability problem in generative chemistry AI and wrote structural biology software that remains the standard toolkit (KVFinder; qFit3, STCRDab). Cam co-founded Xbox & Xbox Live (Microsoft) and has been a CEO, CTO, COO, and CPO across AI, biotech, healthcare, and consumer tech. \n\nToday, we see the convergence of critical enabling computational, physical, and economic trend lines. Agentic systems have become proficient orchestrators and tool integrators, as the frontier labs continue to extend the time horizons over which agents can operate; in our own hands, we have already compressed compound selection timelines 10x by replacing manual processes by agentic-run. The algorithmically-accessible chemical space has been growing exponentially for two decades, and the rise of cloud labs enables closing and scaling the design loop. Finally, the looming Big Pharma patent cliff means that the ecosystem is aligned on the value of innovative new assets. \n\nAt WonderTx, we’re beginning by replacing needles with pills. Many drugs, like insulin or Ozempic, are great except you have to inject them. We discover new molecules that you can take as a pill instead. Because the pills operate on biology that has been shown to be effective in people, rather than merely in animal models of disease, we avoid what has historically been the single biggest risk in drug discovery.  This should dramatically increase our probability of success.\n\nThere’s $200B of treatable diseases and validated human biology without a pill because discovery programs lack a tractable chemical starting point, which makes this a zero-shot inference problem.  Because these targets have no training data, off-the-shelf LLMs and other historical interpolative AI approaches are insufficient. Instead, we are building our own extrapolative frontier models that reason beyond their training data. Most critically, we have repeatedly validated our platform on both our own and partner programs. On 4 biologically- and structurally-diverse targets where we had zero training data, we successfully picked binders that were validated experimentally, with confirmation ranging from primary screen hits to crystallographic structures. ", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/T5S-wondertx-extrapolative-ai-to-unlock-first-in-class-drugs", "votes": 13, "created_at": "2026-08-24T12:30:00.531Z" } ] }, { "id": 31490, "name": "Nxtcure Labs", "slug": "nxtcure-labs", "former_names": [ "NxtCure", "Nxtcure Labs", "NxtCure" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/96ae92a8adbb85f9a1045d9323611d53252e2d64.png", "website": "https://nxtcure.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Reinventing medicine from lab to drug discovery.\r\nNxtCure CRO- an AI-native, full-stack CRO built to take therapeutics from discovery to market faster.\r\nNxtCure Cancer- the all-in-one mobile platform guiding patients through the cancer journey.\r\nWe’re building the operating system for the future of medicine.", "one_liner": "The full-stack AI CRO for drug discovery.", "team_size": 0, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics", "launched_at": 1789623428, "tags": [ "Health Tech", "Healthcare" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Fall 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Therapeutics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/nxtcure-labs", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/fall-2026/nxtcure-labs.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/107461080/admin/dashboard/?editPageActiveTab=info", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/96ae92a8adbb85f9a1045d9323611d53252e2d64.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Aaron Epstein", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/aaron-epstein" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 2627237, "full_name": "Alessandro Hammond", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "CEO @ NxtCure \nHarvard ‘25, Phi Beta Kappa. Schwarzman Scholar (Tsinghua). MD/PhD at Yale\n", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandro-hammond-43b650224/", "x_url": "https://x.com/alessandrohammd?lang=en", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/65f0c9d0db40bfe111d504eff1f88d2a33c02d7d.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2979169, "full_name": "Keanu Clark", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "CTO @ Nxtcure. MIT CS '25. ex-researcher @ Sharp Lab.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/keanu-clark-3625b4286", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/6438d3c5982561e049eaa4ee6724c04d95076614.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] } ]