Convergen raises $15M seed+ to target protein aggregation diseases
What's the deal? Convergen, a Suzhou-based biotech developing targeted protein degradation (TPD) therapies, has closed a $15 million seed+ round. MPCiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → led the financing, with participation from LAVDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, BioTrack CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Matrix Partners China.
What's the endgame? The company builds degraders designed to selectively eliminate pathological protein aggregates, which sit at the core of diseases like Alzheimer's. The new capital will advance its proprietary platform and push its lead asset toward the clinic.
The science: Convergen's scientific founder, Prof. Ting Han, whose lab reported the first TRIM21 molecular glue, established proof-of-concept for the first TrimTAC degrader, published in Cell in November 2024. Beyond neurodegeneration, TrimTAC has shown potential in degrading targets tied to autoimmune diseases.
Why now? Convergen previously raised $10 million in a seed round led by Qiming Venture Partners. "This financing will enable us to accelerate our lead asset toward the clinic while continuing to advance our pipeline," said chief executive officer Dr. Jinquan Sun.
The signal: The round's investor lineup underscores growing conviction in TPD as a route to hard-to-treat conditions. "Convergen's degrader platform is truly differentiated in the targeted protein degradation landscape," MPCi said, pointing to the platform's potential across multiple disease areas.
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
