Helex Raises $3.5M Seed Funding to Advance Gene Therapies for Global Kidney Disease

Helex, a biotech startup focused on genetic kidney diseases, has raised $3.5 million in a seed funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and other global investors, bringing its total funding to over $6 million. The company is developing programmable non-viral lipid nanoparticle (LNP) therapeutics that deliver gene-editing therapies directly to kidney cells, aiming to treat Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), a progressive genetic disorder affecting over 12 million people worldwide. Helex's lead candidate is a single-dose gene-editing therapy designed to halt or significantly slow ADPKD progression, potentially reducing the need for dialysis or kidney transplants. The startup integrates AI-driven drug design with deep learning models trained on proprietary genomic and bioinformatics data to create targeted genetic payloads. Helex aims to make gene therapies accessible and affordable, planning partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies for late-stage development and licensing. The company sees its approach as a transformative new hope for patients who currently rely only on symptom management, addressing a significant unmet medical need in kidney disease treatment.