The Venture Codex

Participated · Series D · Aug 2026

Abcuro develops immunotherapies intended to benefit people with debilitating and progressive rare autoimmune diseases by selectively targeting and depleting highly cytotoxic T cells. Its lead program, ulviprubart, is a monoclonal antibody that targets killer cell lectin like receptor G1 (KLRG1) and is currently being evaluated for the treatment of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). The company plans to use proceeds from the Series D to support a new potentially registrational clinical study of ulviprubart in patients with less severe IBM. Abcuro is led by CEO Alex Martin and is based in Newton, MA. Financially, it has just completed a $66M Series D financing led by New Leaf Venture Partners with participation from a broad syndicate of life sciences and strategic investors.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2026

Claris Biotherapeutics, spun out of the Harvard lab of corneal disease expert Reza Dana, is developing CSB-001 (oremepermin alfa), an eye drop candidate now targeted at limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after an initial neurotrophic keratitis study failed but showed benefit in LSCD patients. The company plans a phase 3 pivotal trial of CSB-001 beginning in the first half of 2027 with a data readout expected within roughly two years. Claris is running a non-interventional natural history study to better understand LSCD and to create a pool of subjects for its phase 3 trial. The biotech has grown from an initial team of five to more than 25 employees and is seeking to establish a physical headquarters. CEO Stephen Brady, who took over June 15, said the company intends to educate providers on diagnosing LSCD and expects to explore additional indications or pipeline expansion if independent and capitalized. Brady also anticipates taking the company public before phase 3 readout, either via IPO or a reverse merger.

Participated · Series C · Jun 2026

InStride Health delivers virtual specialty outpatient care for pediatric anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder using cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus on exposure therapy. It provides multidisciplinary care teams—typically a therapist, an exposure coach and a psychiatrist—that develop personalized care plans and communicate with patients and families via text, phone or video. The company serves patients ages seven to 24 and currently operates in 17 states, having treated more than 5,000 patients. Reported outcomes include 97% of graduates showing overall clinical improvement and over 99% of patients remaining out of the hospital one year after discharge. Caregiver impacts reported include an 81% reduction in caregiver stress and more than 90% reporting reduced missed work. InStride aims to expand access to evidence-based specialty care while preserving its clinical outcomes as it grows into new and existing markets.

Participated · Seed · May 2026

Violet Therapeutics uses its proprietary CONNECT platform to map cellular interaction networks at scale and identify novel therapeutic targets implicated in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Its lead program is a small-molecule candidate targeting EphB3, a receptor tyrosine kinase implicated in microglia–astrocyte signaling and synaptic loss. The company is preclinical-stage and plans IND-enabling studies for the EphB3 program, funded in part by the recently closed $4.75M seed extension. Violet was founded by Mass General Brigham Ventures with researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is based in Cambridge, MA. The company aims to build a pipeline of first-in-class CNS therapies that prevent synapse loss and restore synaptic function across neurodegenerative diseases.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2026

Nocion Therapeutics is advancing taplucainium (formerly NTX-1175), a first-in-class, once-daily dry-powder inhaled charged sodium channel blocker (CSCB) that selectively silences activated airway nociceptors while minimizing systemic exposure. The company positions taplucainium as a potentially best-in-class therapy for the roughly nine million U.S. patients suffering from refractory or unexplained chronic cough, a field with no new FDA-approved drugs in 65 years. Taplucainium is currently being evaluated in the ASPIRE Phase 2b trial enrolling patients across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Europe, with topline data expected in mid-2026. Proceeds from the latest financing will fund trial completion, an End-of-Phase 2 meeting, and CMC work in preparation for late-stage studies, giving Nocion an operating runway through 2027. Beyond cough, the company’s CSCB platform may be applied to other conditions involving activated sensory neurons such as itch and pain. Nocion is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, and was founded on intellectual property licensed from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital. To date, the company has raised $93 million in Series B funding, including the recent extension.