The Venture Codex

Participated · Series B · Aug 2026

Mironid develops first-in-class small-molecule LoAc® drug candidates that directly target abnormally high kidney cAMP levels that drive cyst formation in ADPKD. Its lead programmes are focused on treating Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, a hereditary disorder affecting over 12 million people worldwide with about 50% of patients developing kidney failure by age 60. The company was founded through collaboration between the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University and is led by CEO Neil Wilkie. Mironid has progressed a series of drug-development programmes targeting specific enzymes to generate differentiated therapies for diseases with high unmet need. The recently closed £34m Series B, which includes an £8.4m equity investment from SNIB and participation from Roche Venture Fund, Epidarex Capital, Sofinnova Partners, BioGeneration Ventures and the University of Strathclyde, will fund clinical development and advancement of its lead candidate.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2026

RapidPulse is developing a pulsed (cyclic) aspiration platform and a range of catheter sizes intended to improve clot engagement, removal efficiency and procedural consistency during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. The company’s system is being evaluated in the TURBO investigational device exemption study, conducted in the United States and Europe to support its U.S. regulatory pathway. RapidPulse plans to expand clinical experience with its system across leading stroke centers as part of that program and may pursue FDA approval if clinical data support a submission. The platform strategy includes continued development of the catheter portfolio and broader clinical use to gather performance data across different patients, clot types and treatment settings. RapidPulse was spun out of medical device incubator Syntheon and is headquartered in Miami. Financially, the company recently raised an oversubscribed $48 million Series B co-led by Medtronic, TechWald Next and S3 Ventures, with additional participation from SBI Investment Company, the Florida Opportunity Fund, and existing investors.

Participated · Series B · Sep 2024

Epsilogen's core product is MOv18 IgE, the first therapeutic IgE antibody to enter the clinic, which targets folate receptor alpha (FRα) expressed on multiple solid tumours. A completed Phase I trial showed MOv18 IgE to be safe and well tolerated with initial signs of clinical activity reported in Nature Communications. The company has completed large-scale GMP manufacture of MOv18 IgE and will initiate a Phase Ib two-part dose-escalation and expansion trial in FRα-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer later this year. Epsilogen is also developing a broader IgE-based pipeline, including IgE bispecifics and IgE/IgG combination molecules (IgEGs). The recent financing will fund delivery of clinical proof of concept for MOv18 IgE and further development across the IgE pipeline. Epsilogen develops novel immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to treat cancer, with a focus on solid tumours. Its lead candidate, MOv18 IgE, is the first therapeutic IgE antibody to enter the clinic. Data from a phase I trial showed MOv18 IgE to be safe and well tolerated with early signs of clinical activity. The company plans to establish clinical proof of concept for MOv18 IgE in a phase Ib trial in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Epsilogen is also advancing a proprietary IGEG antibody platform that combines elements of IgE and IgG to create molecules with enhanced functionality. The recent financing will fund the phase Ib study and continued development of the IGEG platform. Epsilogen began operations in 2017 as a King’s College London spin-out leveraging Professor Sophia Karagiannis’s IgE expertise.

Participated · Equity · Apr 2024

Theolytics develops next-generation oncolytic viral therapies, including candidates engineered for systemic intravenous delivery. Its lead candidate, THEO-260, is a next-generation oncolytic adenovirus that demonstrates killing of cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts while inducing immune activation in preclinical ovarian cancer models. THEO-260 is entering a Phase 1 multi-centre, open-label first-in-human trial in advanced-stage platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, to be evaluated by intravenous and intraperitoneal delivery and to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose. The company plans comprehensive biomarker studies, including development of novel biomarker tests, to demonstrate THEO-260’s dual tumour-lytic and immunotherapeutic mechanism. Additional preclinical programmes target colorectal cancer and haematological malignancies. Theolytics was founded in 2017, is headquartered in Oxford, UK, and recently received new grant funding alongside prior capital raises. Theolytics is an Oxford, UK–based biotechnology company developing oncolytic viral therapies, led by CEO Charlotte Casebourne Stock. Its lead program is THEO-260, a next-generation oncolytic adenovirus being developed for (platinum-resistant) ovarian cancer and explored for intravenous and intraperitoneal delivery. THEO-260 has shown high efficacy in killing cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in ovarian cancer patient tumour samples; destruction of cancer-associated fibroblasts is highlighted as a potentially differentiating feature. The company is focused on advancing THEO-260 into clinical trials in ovarian cancer. Additional pipeline programs in preclinical development target colorectal cancer and hematological malignancies. Theolytics raised £19M to support advancement of these programs. Theolytics is an Oxford, UK company spun out of the University of Oxford in 2017 and led by CEO Charlotte Casebourne. It has developed a large library of potential adenovirus product candidates alongside breakthrough bioselection systems. The company's internal pipeline focuses on oncolytic virus therapies, while its proprietary platforms can be applied across other adenovirus‑based modalities. The expanded Series A funding will support progress of internal programmes in ovarian cancer and a second cancer indication and further advance the company's technology platforms. As part of its accelerated growth the company will transition to state‑of‑the‑art facilities on Oxford Science Park. M Ventures, the strategic venture capital arm of Merck, joined the investor syndicate that also includes Epidarex Capital and Taiho Ventures. Theolytics uses a phenotypic screening platform to discover and develop oncolytic viral therapy candidates optimized for specific cancer patient populations. The company is focused on creating highly efficacious, targeted candidates suitable for intravenous delivery. Led by CEO Charlotte Casebourne and based in Oxford, the team aims to advance its pipeline toward human clinical testing. Theolytics closed a $6.8M Series A to fund progression of its candidates into clinical trials. The round underscores the company’s move from discovery toward clinical development. Board changes accompanying the financing included new directors Henning Steinhagen and Sakae Asanuma.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2024

Curve Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company pioneering an intracellular Microcycle® screening platform to discover biologically active molecules against complex and challenging targets. Its Microcycle platform enables functional screening and enrichment of diverse hexameric cyclic peptide libraries inside mammalian cells and facilitates transformation to non‑peptide small molecules for lead optimisation. Curve has developed a pipeline that includes a first‑in‑class dual HIF‑1/HIF‑2 inhibitor and a first‑in‑class inhibitor of ATIC dimerization targeting vulnerabilities in multiple cancers. The company will use the £40.5 million Series A to progress lead assets toward clinical development, expand the discovery platform beyond intracellular protein targets, and grow its research team. Curve occupies laboratories at Southampton Science Park and recently added senior hires in drug discovery and biology to support its programs. The company also maintains a US$1.7 billion global research collaboration with MSD to discover and validate modulators of up to five therapeutic targets, initially for oncology and neurology.