Led · Grant · Dec 2025

Syntax Bio develops a CRISPR-based Cellgorithm™ platform intended to program and accelerate stem cell differentiation to enable scalable cell therapies. The company is advancing a pancreatic beta cell therapy candidate for type 1 diabetes and plans to fund preclinical proof-of-concept studies with proceeds from its expanded Series A. Syntax Bio has publicly reported a collaboration with Mayo Clinic, received a grant from Breakthrough T1D, and published peer-reviewed research in Science Advances describing its technology. Financially, the company expanded its Series A to $14.4 million, bringing total funding to over $25 million. Leadership changes accompanying the financing include a CEO who joined in 2025 and new executive, board, and scientific advisory appointments to support translational development and commercialization. The company positions its platform as a way to replace slow, labor-intensive differentiation processes with a programmable approach to generate functional cells at scale.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2024

COUR Pharma develops first-in-class antigen-specific immune tolerance therapies using a proprietary nanoparticle platform that encapsulates disease-relevant antigens to reprogram autoimmune responses. Its lead program, CNP-103, encapsulates four recombinant proteins and is designed to induce tolerance to antigens driving type 1 diabetes; it is currently in a Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT06783309) in recently diagnosed adolescents and adults. COUR says the proteins in CNP-103 are believed to cover over 95% of known T1D-driving antigens and aims to prevent further islet cell destruction and preserve insulin production. The company is pursuing partnerships to advance CNP-104 for primary biliary cholangitis and CNP-106 for myasthenia gravis. COUR recently raised $50 million in a Series B to support the clinical advancement of CNP-103, with participation from strategic and venture investors including Lumira Ventures, Roche Venture Fund, and Sanofi.

Participated · Series A · May 2023

DiogenX is developing therapies that regenerate insulin-producing beta cells to offer disease‑modifying treatment for type 1 diabetes. Its lead program targets the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway to stimulate pancreatic beta‑cell regeneration. The lead candidate is currently in preclinical development. The company raised €27.5M in a Series A to advance that program toward clinical development in patients with T1D. The financing attracted strategic and diabetes-focused backers including Roche Venture Fund, Eli Lilly, Omnes, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, JDRF T1D Fund and Adbio Partners. DiogenX is led by CEO Benjamin Charles, was co‑founded by Patrick Collombat, Jean‑Pascal Tranié and Benjamin Charles, and is based in Marseille with research labs in Nice; David Evans joined the board as part of the financing. DiogenX is a preclinical-stage biotech developing pancreatic beta‑cell modulators intended to regenerate insulin-producing cells for patients with diabetes. The company’s candidate discovery originated in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Collombat (Inserm, CNRS, Nice University). DiogenX was founded in December 2019 and is led by CEO Benjamin Charles, with research labs in Nice and headquarters in Marseille, France. The company focuses on discovering a molecule that could offer beta‑cell regeneration therapy to improve quality of life and survival for T1D and T2D patients. It closed a seed financing round of €4.5m to advance its program. DiogenX plans to use the proceeds to select a drug candidate and prepare preclinical development ahead of a targeted Series A in late 2021.

Participated · Series C · Oct 2022

Inversago Pharma is a clinical-stage biotech in Montreal focused on developing first-in-class, peripherally-acting CB1 inverse agonists. Its lead program, INV-202, is being advanced for Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) and is slated to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial in Q4 2022. The company announced FDA IND clearance for INV-202 and expects Phase 1b topline results in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Proceeds from the Series C will also accelerate multiple preclinical programs across its pipeline. Inversago aims to establish leadership in the field of CB1 blockade and to develop therapies for cardiometabolic, fibrotic, and other metabolic conditions. The company is privately owned and targets indications including DKD, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, NASH, complications of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and progressive-fibrosis interstitial lung diseases. Inversago Pharma is a preclinical-stage biotech focused on first-in-class, peripherally-acting CB1 inverse agonists. Its lead candidate is INV-101 and the company plans to use recent proceeds to advance INV-101 to clinical proof-of-concept while progressing research on other selected compounds. Inversago targets metabolic and fibrotic conditions including Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. The company’s approach is designed to inhibit peripheral CB1 signaling—thought to be activated in many of these diseases—while avoiding the CNS liabilities associated with central CB1 blockade. Clinical and scientific data cited by the company support CB1 inhibition as an effective therapeutic strategy in several diseases, and Inversago emphasizes a safer therapeutic window through peripheral-only action. Following the financing the company expanded its board to help transition from preclinical work toward first-in-human trials. Inversago Pharma is a Montreal-based, preclinical-stage company developing new generations of peripherally-restricted CB1 inverse agonists/antagonists for Prader-Willi Syndrome, type 1 diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders including NASH. Its core product is a CB1 receptor blocker designed to avoid the central nervous system adverse events that terminated earlier, centrally-acting CB1 programs. The company’s technology is based on work by CB1 expert George Kunos at the NIH/NIAAA and has shown in preclinical models that peripheral CB1 blockade can treat obesity, NASH, liver fibrosis and diabetes without the behavioral CNS effects of earlier compounds. Inversago intends to advance its peripherally-restricted CB1 program into clinical trials. The company launched operations to exploit the therapeutic potential of reinstated CB1 blockade across multiple metabolic indications. The announced Series A financing will support the company’s development plan and progression toward clinical development.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2021

Kriya Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. Its pipeline includes programs in ophthalmology, metabolic disease and neurology built on a fully integrated proprietary manufacturing and engineering platform. The company intends to use new funding to support clinical trials of its gene therapies and to continue leveraging its research and manufacturing engine for new product development. Kriya operates from Research Triangle Park, NC. The company closed a major Series D financing to advance its clinical programs and platform utilization. Kriya Therapeutics develops gene therapies focused on prevalent diseases in ophthalmology, neurology, and metabolic disease. The company has built integrated engineering, computational, and manufacturing platforms to accelerate research, development and production of gene therapies. Proceeds from the recent financing will support clinical translation of its pipeline and further scaling of those platforms. Kriya emphasizes targeting validated biological targets and well-defined clinical endpoints to rapidly achieve proof-of-concept. Since its founding in October 2019, the company has raised over $600 million in committed capital and says its investments in infrastructure and talent have improved development efficiency. Kriya intends to translate multiple programs into the clinic in the coming years. Kriya Therapeutics is a fully integrated gene therapy company that combines proprietary computational tools, in-house GMP manufacturing, and a rational design toolkit to develop gene therapies. The company has scaled SIRVE™, a machine learning–enabled technology and cloud computing architecture, to integrate large datasets from high-throughput screening and sequencing. Kriya has expanded its pipeline via internal R&D, acquisitions, and partnerships, with therapeutic divisions in ophthalmology, oncology, rare disease, and chronic disease. It operationalized scalable GMP manufacturing infrastructure in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina to support in-house production from early through late-phase development. The company’s stated mission is to improve speed to market and reduce cost for gene therapies by advancing engineering, production, and translation capabilities. Proceeds from the recent financing will support advancing the pipeline and continued scaling of its engineering, manufacturing, and computational platforms. Kriya Therapeutics is a fully integrated platform company focused on designing, developing and manufacturing gene therapies. The company combines computational vector design (SIRVE™) and a proprietary high-efficiency manufacturing platform (STRIPE™) to reduce immunogenicity, improve expression and achieve lower production costs at scale. STRIPE is being developed at a 51,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and Kriya expects its full cGMP manufacturing infrastructure to be online this year. Kriya is advancing an internal pipeline with programs in metabolic disease, ophthalmology and oncology. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to further develop Kriya’s core technology platforms, expand its therapeutic pipeline and advance current programs. The company maintains locations in Silicon Valley/Redwood City, Calif., and Research Triangle Park, N.C., and is led by co-founder and CEO Shankar Ramaswamy, M.D. Kriya Therapeutics is a Palo Alto, Calif. and Durham, N.C.-based gene therapy company focused on expanding gene therapy beyond rare monogenic disorders to diseases that affect millions. Its pipeline centers on multiple AAV-based investigational therapies targeting metabolic diseases, including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and severe obesity. Lead programs are KT-A112 (intramuscular delivery of genes producing insulin and glucokinase), KT-A522 (salivary gland delivery of a GLP-1 receptor agonist), and KT-A832 (intrapancreatic delivery of modified IGF-1). The company intends to use proceeds from its financing to develop these gene therapies. Kriya completed a seed round in Q4 2019 led by Transhuman Capital, which also participated in the Series A. The company is led by co-founder, chairman and CEO Shankar Ramaswamy, M.D., supported by a team of scientific, development, manufacturing, and regulatory executives.