Fauna Bio Secures $4.1M Seed Funding to Advance Hibernation-Inspired Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) has learned that on April 11, Fauna Bio, a biotechnology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, announced the completion of a $4.1 million seed financing round. The round was led by True Ventures, with participation from The Longevity Fund, Pacific 8 Ventures, Boom Capital, and Beagle Ventures. The company will use the new funds to expand its drug discovery platform to identify new therapeutic targets for human diseases.

Fauna Bio, founded in 2018, is dedicated to translating findings from animal studies into therapies for human diseases. As the developer of a cross-mammalian drug discovery platform, the company aims to help humans recover from severe conditions such as heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Fauna Bio’s drug discovery platform leverages multi-species data—including animal genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics—to identify novel drug targets and develop therapies for a range of human disease indications, thereby enabling the treatment of serious illnesses. To date, the team has completed whole-genome, RNA, protein, metabolomic, and epigenetic sequencing of its internal biobank. They have also integrated public data from various species to prioritize therapeutic targets.

Fauna Bio’s drug discovery platform is currently focused on hibernating mammals. Hibernating animals possess natural adaptive capabilities that can provide insights into several major human diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity/diabetes, and traumatic injuries. However, there is currently no systematic understanding of the gene networks responsible for the protective and healing traits observed in hibernating animals.

Dr. Ashley Zehnder, CEO and Co-Founder of Fauna Bio, stated, “We have disrupted the traditional order of drug discovery. We are now at a highly exciting juncture, and I am confident that our team has the capability to study how species across the entire tree of life combat disease, and to translate these findings into novel therapies for human diseases.”

“Fauna Bio’s team brings a diverse knowledge base, which is essential for driving deep innovation and achieving success in their field,” said Rohit Sharma, Partner at True Ventures. “They leverage their expertise to connect data and ideas, thereby advancing hibernation science toward the development of new therapies.”

True Ventures, established in 2005, is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm primarily investing in early-stage technology startups. The firm manages over $2 billion in assets, providing seed and Series A financing to high-potential, rapidly growing companies in today’s market. True Ventures was named “Venture Capital Firm of the Year” in 2018 by the National Venture Capital Association.

Longevity Fund was established in San Francisco, California, in 2011 as an early-stage biotechnology venture capital fund focused on investing in companies developing therapies to extend human lifespan.

Boom Capital Ventures, founded in 2011, is an investment firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company supports deep-tech companies built on the foundation of network creators.

Pacific 8 Ventures, founded in 2015, focuses on healthcare sectors such as personalized medicine, genomic sequencing, smart devices, health IT, and insurance technology. The company invests in cutting-edge technologies including AI/machine learning, 3D printing, robotics, and blockchain, with the aim of fundamentally transforming healthcare delivery.

(Compiled by Li Chengping)