The Venture Codex

Led · Seed · Dec 2024

GEMMABio focuses on accelerating gene therapy research and product development to bring advanced therapies for rare diseases from bench to bedside more quickly and affordably. The company provides research and product development functions and is led by gene therapy pioneer Dr. Jim Wilson and a team formerly working in academia. Since its launch on October 1, 2024, GEMMABio has several active programs and has announced a collaboration with Fiocruz in Brazil. The company says it is building momentum and is actively seeking strategic partners to support development and global access. Financially, GEMMABio completed a $34 million seed funding round to support operational expansion and its gene therapy programs. The company emphasizes a patient-centered approach and intends to use the new capital to accelerate development and delivery of therapies worldwide.

Led · Series B · Apr 2024

Cerevance uses a proprietary Nuclear Enriched Transcript Sort sequencing (NETSseq) platform to identify drug targets expressed in specific human brain cell types. Its lead investigational candidate, solengepras (CVN424), is a once-daily oral therapy being evaluated in the pivotal Phase 3 ARISE trial, which is fully enrolled with 341 patients. ARISE is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing solengepras as an adjunctive therapy in patients with motor fluctuations; topline data are expected at the end of Q3 2026. The company also is developing CVN293, a selective oral inhibitor targeting THIK1 (KCNK13). Cerevance announced an oversubscribed $20 million Series C to fund operations through the ARISE readout and to advance its pipeline, extending runway into mid-2027. The company is clinical-stage and based in Boston.

Participated · Series B · Sep 2023

ReCode Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech developing genetic medicines for cystic fibrosis, leveraging its Selective Organ Targeting lipid nanoparticle delivery platform alongside mRNA and gene-editing approaches. Its lead inhaled program, RCT2100, is in a fully enrolled Phase 2a study and received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA in February 2026, with data expected in the fourth quarter. The company has entered a research collaboration with an undisclosed gene-editing company to co-develop therapies that correct CFTR mutations, combining ReCode's delivery technology with the partner's editing platform. The collaboration and funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are intended to advance one or more candidates toward clinical development and commercialization. Recent leadership changes include Heather Clark being named CEO and former CEO Shehnaaz Suliman becoming executive chair of the board. Clark joined ReCode in 2022 and has extensive rare-disease and cystic fibrosis drug development experience, including more than two decades at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Led · Series B · Jul 2023

SURGE Therapeutics develops intraoperative immunotherapy using its SURGERx™ platform and an injectable biodegradable hydrogel to concentrate immunotherapy at surgical tumor resection sites. Its lead candidate, STM-416, is in a Phase 1/2a trial for recurrent bladder cancer, and the company recently dosed the first two patients. The intraoperative approach is intended to provide extended, localized release of immunotherapy to prevent tumor relapse and induce systemic antitumor immunity. In multiple aggressive murine models, intraoperative immunotherapy markedly improved survival relative to traditional systemic or local administration. SURGE plans to advance multiple clinical programs, expand the team, and generate proof-of-concept event-free survival data with its lead program. The company is based in Cambridge, MA. SURGE Therapeutics is developing an injectable biodegradable hydrogel (the SURGERx™ platform) that enables extended, localized release of cancer immunotherapy at the site of surgical tumor resection. The technology was built on research from founder and CEO Dr. Michael Goldberg's laboratory at Harvard Medical School. In multiple aggressive murine models, intraoperative delivery via the hydrogel vastly improved survival benefit relative to traditional systemic or local routes. SURGE seeks to reprogram the post-surgical immune response from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory to destroy residual local and distal cancer cells and reduce recurrence. The company plans to use recent funding to accelerate development of its intraoperative immunotherapies, expand the team, and initiate clinical trials. SURGE is based in Cambridge, MA and has assembled a team of operators and advisors across localized therapeutics, translational immunotherapy, surgical oncology, and drug delivery.

Participated · Series B · May 2023

Ensoma is a Boston-based biotechnology company focused on engineering hematopoietic stem cells directly inside the body to create durable genetic medicines for genetic diseases, immune disorders, and cancer. Its platform uses high-capacity virus-like particles (VLPs) that selectively target HSCs and can deliver up to 35 kb of genetic cargo, enabling single-base edits through large multi-gene insertions. The company combines these VLPs with proprietary base-editing and gene-integration systems, aiming for one-time intravenous administration. Proceeds from its latest financing will fund a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of lead candidate EN-374 for X-linked chronic granulomatous disease and support platform expansion into immuno-oncology and sickle cell programs. Ensoma’s strategy centers on creating off-the-shelf, non-myeloablative treatments that avoid the complexity and cost of ex vivo cell processing. The firm’s board now includes a Gilead appointee following the strategic investment. No financial metrics or commercial revenues have been disclosed to date.