Founded in 2022 by researcher and PKD patient Demetri Maxim, Nephrogen combines artificial intelligence with high-throughput screening to engineer a targeted delivery vehicle that transports gene-editing therapies directly into diseased kidney cells. The company claims its novel vector is 100-times more efficient at reaching the kidney than currently FDA-approved delivery systems, potentially enabling curative CRISPR-based treatments for PKD and other chronic kidney diseases. Nephrogen has also developed its own gene-editing drug to pair with the delivery platform, aiming to fully reverse PKD rather than merely slow its progression. After three years of development, the startup has been selected as one of 20 finalists in TechCrunch Disrupt 2025’s Startup Battlefield competition, highlighting industry interest in its approach. The next major milestone is to move both the delivery system and therapeutic candidate into human clinical trials targeted for 2027. To finance pre-clinical and IND-enabling work, Nephrogen is currently raising a $4 million seed round. While the company has not disclosed revenues or user metrics, founder Maxim intends to personally participate in the eventual clinical study, underscoring both the urgency and confidence behind the platform.

Total raised

$4M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Oct 2025