Participated · Seed · Mar 2025

TRIMTECH Therapeutics was founded on academic research into the E3-ligase TRIM21 and has developed two proprietary targeted protein degradation platforms, TRIMTAC and TRIMGLUE. The company focuses on small-molecule degraders designed to selectively remove toxic protein aggregates and oligomers while sparing functional monomeric protein. TRIMTECH is advancing CNS-penetrant degrader candidates aimed at neurodegenerative diseases with large patient populations. Its current financial position includes a seed financing round totaling $47M following a $14M extension led by JJDC and BGF. The new capital is earmarked to progress its platforms and expand the company's portfolio, and JJDC and BGF will each take board seats as non-executive directors. TRIMTECH is based in Cambridge, England.

Participated · Equity · Aug 2024

リベロセラ株式会社 focuses on drug discovery against GPCR and other membrane protein targets, pursuing antibody medicines and antibody–drug conjugates. The company leverages a cell-free membrane protein expression technology developed by 横山茂之博士 to overcome difficulties in membrane protein expression and purification. Founded in April 2018 and based in Nihonbashi, Chuo‑ku, Tokyo, リベロセラ also provides related discovery services around membrane-protein targets. Management says its current therapeutic candidates are intended to be first-in-class and address diseases with high unmet need. The company plans to use recent funding to validate candidates in cell and animal models and to strengthen capabilities to carry nonclinical work through to early clinical development.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2024

Draupnir Bio is harnessing the natural machinery of the lysosome to develop oral, small-molecule degraders that target extracellular disease-causing proteins. The company’s approach targets both validated proteins and targets traditionally difficult to drug. It was spun out from Aarhus University and the Max-Planck Society and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Led by CEO Andrew Hotchkiss, Draupnir is advancing a risk-diversified preclinical pipeline of oral protein degraders. The company completed a €12M Seed financing to support further development of that pipeline. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2024

Outrun Therapeutics, based in Dundee, Scotland, develops small-molecule drugs targeting E3 ligases with a focus on protein stabilisation. The company has built a proprietary discovery platform that quantitatively assesses the specificity and selectivity of E3 ligase targets to reduce discovery time and improve target binding. It also uses engineered protein sensors (EPS) to reveal detailed E3 ligase biochemistry, enabling discovery of molecules with potentially superior binding, specificity, and activity. Outrun describes its approach as a scalable and modular strategy for developing inhibitors that stabilise proteins. The company raised $10M in seed financing and plans to use the funds to expand operations and its R&D sector. Outrun is led by CEO Dr Carolyn Porter.

Led · Series A · May 2023

PharmEnable uses a proprietary platform that combines advanced medicinal chemistry with AI to discover targeted, custom-designed oral small molecules that aim to replicate the specificity of biologics while improving efficacy, absorption and distribution. The platform maps unexplored chemical space to unlock challenging biological targets by designing novel, complex small molecules with improved selectivity and carefully balanced properties. Its small-molecule approach is intended to be easier to scale and manufacture than biologics. PharmEnable has a pipeline of wholly owned oncology programmes and multiple co-discovery projects with pharma and biotech partners, including a collaboration with Sosei Heptares focused on neurological disease. The company plans to use recent financing to advance and expand its wholly owned and co-discovery projects across oncology and neurology and to support further platform R&D. PharmEnable combines advanced medicinal chemistry with AI-enabled tools to predict improved small-molecule hits and design highly complex molecules that mimic natural shapes. Its platform comprises ChemUniverse, a diversity-focused virtual database, and ChemSeek, AI-enabled tools for matching structure and ligand data to targets. The company focuses on addressing challenging and previously undruggable targets such as protein–protein interactions and epitranscriptomic modifications. PharmEnable plans to transition from a service-led business to an in-house drug development company and will invest the new funding into a pipeline across disease areas including cancer and neurodegenerative disease. It will continue strategic partnerships with pharma, innovative biotechs, and academia while expanding its scientific team and leadership. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Dr Hannah Sore and was spun out from the University of Cambridge in 2016; it had been financed to date by its founders and service-based revenues.