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ViaNautis Bio
Polymer nanoparticle platform for targeted intracellular genetic delivery
About ViaNautis Bio
ViaNautis Bio, formerly known as SomaServe, is a biotechnology company founded in 2018 as a spin-off from University College London (UCL). The company was established by Dr. Francesca Crawford, Professor Giuseppe Battaglia, and Dr. Denis Cecchin. Professor Battaglia is the inventor of the company's core technology. ViaNautis is focused on developing genetic nanomedicines by leveraging its proprietary polyNaut® technology platform. This nano-engineered polymer technology is designed for the targeted intracellular delivery of a wide range of therapeutic payloads, from small molecules to large genetic materials like pDNA, mRNA, and siRNA. The platform creates what the company calls a 'bionic nanoparticle' capable of overcoming biological barriers.
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A key feature of the polyNaut® platform is its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, enabling the development of therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The company is actively developing an internal pipeline of products and collaborating with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Its business model involves both advancing its own drug candidates and licensing its platform to partners. Key therapeutic areas of focus are CNS diseases and cystic fibrosis. A pipeline candidate, VNS002, is being developed for cystic fibrosis with support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
In November 2023, ViaNautis announced a successful Series A funding round of $25 million (£20 million). The financing was led by 4BIO Capital, BGF, and UCB Ventures, with participation from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company, among others. The company has also entered into a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly to develop novel products for delivering genetic medicines. The proceeds from the funding are intended to accelerate product development, expand the team, and establish new laboratory facilities in Cambridge, UK.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2018
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Employees
- 1
- Open positions
- None listed
- Dealroom signal
- 57.6/100
- Industry
- Health
- Sub-industry
- Pharmaceutical, BioTechnology
- Sector
- Biotech & Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Spinout, Disease, Biotech and Pharma, Woman Founder, DT and LS, uk is8 life sciences, UKSU
- Technology
- Nanotech
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Knowledge graph
More headlines
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERIES A✓Equity / VC | Nov 2023 | $26M | $106M | Eli Lilly · Business Growth Fund · 4BIO Capital · Origin Capital | ↗ |
| SUPPORT PROGRAM✓Other financing | Nov 2022 | $0 | — | Tech Nation | — |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for ViaNautis Bio is 1.6K monthly website visits, up 627.3% over the last three months. ViaNautis Bio's team grew 0% over the past year.
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Investments and acquisitions
Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed1 investor entered at this stage
InterCapital Group
Series A8 investors entered at this stage
O2h Ventures
Business Growth Fund
4BIO Capital
UCB Ventures
Eli Lilly
Origin Capital
Meltwind
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Other known investors5 additional known investors
Tech Nation
University College London
Cambridge Angels
Origin Capital Group
Syndicate Room
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
Market sentiment
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