Mendra

About Mendra

Mendra is a biopharmaceutical company that launched in January 2026, focusing on advancing therapies for rare diseases by utilizing artificial intelligence. The company was founded in 2025 by 8VC and 5AM Ventures. Mendra aims to acquire, develop, and commercialize treatments for rare diseases with high unmet needs.

The company's business model centers on using AI to modernize and accelerate the drug development process. This includes leveraging AI for asset selection, patient identification, speeding up clinical trial enrollment, and facilitating access to global markets. To fund these operations, Mendra announced an oversubscribed $82 million Series A financing round at its launch. The round was co-led by OrbiMed, 8VC, and 5AM Ventures, with participation from Lux Capital and Wing VC. These funds are allocated to acquire and develop the initial rare disease assets for the company's portfolio.

Mendra is led by a management team with extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical and AI sectors. The co-founder and CEO, Joshua Grass, has over 20 years of leadership experience, including his time at BioMarin Pharmaceutical where he was key in building its rare disease portfolio, and successful exits as CEO of Modis Therapeutics and Escient Pharmaceuticals. He is joined by co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Lalarukh Haris Shaikh, Ph.D., who previously served as an Executive Vice President at Palantir Technologies, and Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Ajer, a former CCO at BioMarin.