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Its proprietary ALFRED platform designs viral and non-viral delivery vehicles and programmable genetic payloads, which are then experimentally validated and tested in vivo to identify candidates with the properties required for therapeutic development. \r\n\r\nThrough this integrated approach, WhiteLab Genomics is building a portfolio of validated bio-assets that it advances independently and with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners developing the next generation of genomic medicines.\r\n\r\nFounded in 2019, WhiteLab works with industrial and academic partners including Sanofi, Cytiva, the University of Massachusetts, the Vision Institute in Paris and the Paris Brain Institute, alongside additional collaborations with biotechnology companies. The company is part of Y-Combinator, Station F and Future4Care and is a French Tech 2030 laureate.\r\n\r\nWhiteLab Genomics operates from Paris, Boston, and Montreal.", "one_liner": "Unleash the potential of genomic medicine using AI", "team_size": 52, "industry": "Healthcare", "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Drug Discovery and Delivery", "launched_at": 1644584538, "tags": [ "Gene Therapy", "Cell Therapy", "Genomics", "AI" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2022", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Healthcare", "Drug Discovery and Delivery" ], "regions": [ "France", "Europe", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Growth", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/whitelab-genomics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2022/whitelab-genomics.json", "year_founded": 2019, "city": "Paris", "country": "FR", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/whitelabgenomics/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/whitelabg?lang=en", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ba69864f65b85fda9f05c3280bc3b39f42500013.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Nicolas Dessaigne", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/nicolas-dessaigne" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 818146, "full_name": "David Delbourgo", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "23 y of experience in healthcare innovation with multiple executive roles in Business Development, Marketing and Commercial Operations.\nFormer GE Healthcare. MBA Chicago Booth, Biomedical Engineer MS University of Compiègne, France.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddelbourgo/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/DavidDelBourgo", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/c81c5cf739a324b1b2c85449e1553e6b4e509e6b.jpg" }, { "user_id": 847212, "full_name": "Julien Cottineau", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Senior application scientist at Genomic Vision, leading provider of genetic devices and platform\nResearch fellow at Rockefeller Univ & Necker Hospital on human complex immune deficiencies in J-L Casanova’s lab\nPhD in genetics, molecular biology & immunology at Université Pierre & Marie Curie\u000bWith Honors\n", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/julien-cottineau-8a8b65112/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/e08d2afde8df9bb0f1975eb86f59b18a4ac2afa3.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "How WhiteLab Genomics is using AI to aid gene and cell therapy development • TechCrunch", "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/12/how-whitelab-genomics-is-using-ai-to-aid-gene-and-cell-therapy-development/", "date": "Sep 12, 2022" } ], "launches": [] }, { "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": 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": 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" } ] } ]