• KyDo has secured a seed extension financing from existing investors, including management and founders, to further strengthen its covalent-allosteric oncology platform.
• New compelling preclinical data of KyDo’s lead program further underscore its potential to deliver best-in-class oncology therapeutics.

November 4th, 2026, Dortmund, Germany – KyDo Therapeutics GmbH (KyDo), a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel covalent-allosteric small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of genetically defined cancers, today announced that it has secured a seed extension financing from its existing investors, including members of the management team and the company’s founders.

The financing follows a series of promising new preclinical data supporting the potential of KyDo’s lead program and provides the company with additional runway to advance its development activities and generate further value-defining data.

“We are very pleased to have secured the continued support of our existing investors at this important stage of the company’s development,” said Matthias Stein-Gerlach, CEO of KyDo Therapeutics. “The decision of our investors, including management and our founders, to further support KyDo reflects their confidence in the scientific progress we have achieved and in the potential of our approach. The latest data have further strengthened our conviction that our covalent-allosteric approach may offer a differentiated opportunity to address important limitations of current targeted cancer therapies.”

The new financing will enable KyDo to continue advancing its lead program towards DC nomination, while further characterizing the therapeutic potential and differentiation of its proprietary compounds.

KyDo’s drug discovery platform is based on covalent-allosteric modulation of a clinically validated cancer target. By combining the advantages of covalent binding with allosteric target modulation, the company aims to develop highly potent and selective inhibitors with the potential to overcome resistance mechanisms and address cancer variants for which effective treatment options remain limited.

KyDo will continue to engage with investors and potential strategic partners as the company advances its lead program and builds the data package required for future investments and partnering opportunities.

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About KyDo Therapeutics GmbH

KyDo Therapeutics GmbH (KyDo) is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company based in Dortmund, Germany, focused on the discovery and development of novel covalent-allosteric small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. KyDo’s proprietary approach aims to address a clinically validated and highly relevant oncology target.

KyDo was jointly founded by Lead Discovery Center GmbH (LDC) and scientists from the Rauh Lab at TU Dortmund University. The company successfully completed a €4.45 million seed financing round in 2025, led by i&i Biotech Fund I SCSp together with KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-II) and with participation from VORNvc and TU capital. In 2026, KyDo was awarded the MATWIN prize for the best drug-based innovation project in oncology.

Further information at: https://kydo-tx.com

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KyDo contact:

KyDo Therapeutics GmbH

Dortmund, Germany

Dr. Matthias Stein-Gerlach

E-Mail: info@kydo-tx.com

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Heidelberg, Deutschland, 25. August 2026 – Revier Therapeutics („Revier“ oder „das Unternehmen“) gab heute den erfolgreichen Abschluss einer Seed-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 6 Millionen € sowie die offizielle Aufnahme seiner Geschäftstätigkeit bekannt. Das Unternehmen hat den ersten therapeutischen Ansatz entwickelt, der selektiv Histondeacetylasen (HDACs) der Klasse-IIa zur Behandlung kardiometabolischer Erkrankungen adressiert. Die Finanzierungsrunde wurde vom KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II angeführt, unter Beteiligung des High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), VORNvc sowie privater Investoren über Revier Invest Heidelberg.

Die Mittel aus der Finanzierungsrunde werden die Weiterentwicklung der präklinischen Pipeline von Revier im Bereich kardiometabolischer Erkrankungen unterstützen. Dazu gehören das Leitprogramm zur Behandlung der Herzinsuffizienz mit erhaltener Ejektionsfraktion (HFpEF) sowie ein zweites Programm für atherosklerotische kardiovaskuläre Erkrankungen (ASCVD). Darüber hinaus sollen die operativen, wissenschaftlichen und klinischen Strukturen des Unternehmens ausgebaut werden.

„Trotz bedeutender Fortschritte in der Herz-Kreislauf-Medizin stehen Millionen von Patientinnen und Patienten mit HFpEF und ASCVD nach wie vor nur begrenzte zielgerichtete Behandlungsoptionen zur Verfügung“, sagte Prof. Dr. Eva van Rooij, Mitgründerin und Chief Executive Officer von Revier Therapeutics. „Wir sind überzeugt, dass die nächste Generation kardiometabolischer Therapien an den zugrunde liegenden krankheitstreibenden biologischen Mechanismen ansetzen muss, um wirksame und langfristige Lösungen für Patientinnen und Patienten zu schaffen. Unsere Mission ist es, das wissenschaftliche Potenzial der Hemmung von Klasse-IIa-HDACs in eine Pipeline neuartiger Therapeutika zu überführen und unsere führenden Programme zügig in Richtung klinischer Entwicklung voranzutreiben. Damit wollen wir langfristigen Nutzen für Patientinnen und Patienten sowie für das gesamte Gesundheitssystem schaffen.“

HDACs sind Enzyme, die bei einer Vielzahl schwerwiegender Erkrankungen eine wichtige funktionelle Rolle spielen. Wegweisende wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse, darunter grundlegende Arbeiten der Arbeitsgruppe von Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Backs an der Universität Heidelberg, wissenschaftlicher Gründer von Revier, haben den spezifischen Einfluss von Klasse-IIa-HDACs auf kardiometabolische Erkrankungen aufgezeigt.

Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Backs, wissenschaftlicher Gründer von Revier Therapeutics, ergänzte: „Während HDAC-Inhibitoren der ersten Generation mehrere HDAC-Klassen gleichzeitig adressierten und dadurch dosislimitierende Nebenwirkungen verursachten, richten sich die First-in-Class niedermolekulare Verbindungen von Revier selektiv gegen Klasse-IIa-HDACs. Diese Wirkstoffe hemmen gezielt die krankheitsfördernde enzymatische Aktivität und erhalten gleichzeitig die essenziellen Funktionen der Klasse-IIa-HDACs sowie der kanonischen Klasse-I-HDACs. Dieser präzise Wirkmechanismus wurde mit dem Ziel entwickelt, therapeutische Wirksamkeit mit einem günstigen Sicherheitsprofil zu verbinden.“

„Der differenzierte Ansatz von Revier, Klasse-IIa-HDACs bei kardiometabolischen Erkrankungen selektiv zu hemmen, hat das Potenzial, die therapeutischen Möglichkeiten der HDAC-Biologie zu erschließen und gleichzeitig die Limitationen früherer Ansätze mit Klasse-I-HDAC-Inhibitoren zu überwinden“, sagte Dr. Michael Hamacher, Managing Partner und CFO des KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II. „In Kombination mit einem herausragenden Führungsteam und umfassender wissenschaftlicher Expertise bietet sich dem Unternehmen die einzigartige Chance, krankheitsmodifizierende Therapien zu entwickeln und den Behandlungsstandard für Patientinnen und Patienten mit HFpEF, ASCVD und verwandten kardiometabolischen Erkrankungen nachhaltig zu verändern.“

Die Seed-Finanzierung umfasst die Unterstützung eines Netzwerks regionaler Stakeholder und Investoren, angeführt vom Unternehmensentwickler Daniel Stern (Gründer von Revier Invest Heidelberg). Dies unterstreicht die strategische Bedeutung der Biotechnologie sowohl für die Region als auch für das Land Baden-Württemberg.

Im Zuge des Unternehmensstarts stellte Revier zudem sein Führungsteam vor, das renommierte Expertinnen und Experten aus den Bereichen Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung, Wirkstoffentwicklung, klinische Entwicklung und Biotechnologie vereint.

Das Führungsteam umfasst:

• Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Backs, Wissenschaftlicher Gründer – Direktor des Instituts für Experimentelle Kardiologie der Universität Heidelberg, Direktor des Helmholtz-Instituts für Translationale AngioCardioScience (HI-TAC) sowie Professor am Deutschen Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung (DZHK).
• Prof. Dr. Eva van Rooij, Chief Executive Officer – Serienunternehmerin im Biotechnologiesektor und Professorin für Molekulare Kardiologie am Universitätsklinikum Utrecht mit umfassender Expertise in der translationalen Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung.
• Dr. Mike Nolan, Chief Technology Officer – Korrespondierender Autor der ersten Publikationen zu selektiven Klasse-IIa-HDAC-Inhibitoren mit mehr als 20 Jahren Industrieerfahrung in Wirkstoffforschung, innovativen Forschungsplattformen und Unternehmensgründungen.
• Dr. Matthias Dewenter, Chief Scientific Officer – Experte für translationale Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung sowie die präklinische Entwicklung innovativer Therapieansätze für Herzinsuffizienz und kardiometabolische Erkrankungen.
• Prof. Dr. med. Norbert Frey, Chief Medical Officer – Direktor der Klinik für Kardiologie, Angiologie und Pneumologie des Universitätsklinikums Heidelberg, translationaler Forscher und Leiter klinischer Studien mit jahrzehntelanger Erfahrung in der Entwicklung neuer Therapien für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen.

Ausführliche Biografien stehen auf der Website des Unternehmens zur Verfügung.

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Über Revier Therapeutics

Revier hat den ersten therapeutischen Ansatz entwickelt, der selektiv auf Klasse-IIa-HDACs zur Behandlung kardiometabolischer Erkrankungen abzielt. Die oral verfügbaren niedermolekularen Wirkstoffe des Unternehmens wurden entwickelt, um die krankheitsverursachende enzymatische Aktivität gezielt zu hemmen, während gesunde biologische Funktionen erhalten und kanonische HDAC-Hemmung vermieden werden. Revier entwickelt eine Pipeline neuartiger Wirkstoffe, die gezielt in Krankheitsprozesse eingreifen. Die ersten Indikationen sind Herzinsuffizienz mit erhaltener Ejektionsfraktion (HFpEF) und atherosklerotische kardiovaskuläre Erkrankungen (ASCVD). Ziel des Unternehmens ist es, eine neue Klasse von Therapien zu etablieren, welche die kardiometabolische Gesundheit direkt verbessert und Patientinnen und Patienten langfristigen, lebensrettenden Nutzen bietet.

Weitere Informationen unter www.revier.bio.

Über den KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II (KHAN-II)

KHAN-II ist ein Venture-Capital-Fonds für Frühphaseninvestitionen im Bereich Life Sciences mit Fokus auf First-in-Class-Therapien für Erkrankungen mit hohem medizinischem Bedarf. Der Fonds arbeitet mit akademischen Innovatoren in ganz Europa zusammen. Verwaltet von Khanu Fondsverwaltung und unterstützt durch ein erstklassiges Team für Wirkstoffforschung, profitiert KHAN-II von einem einzigartigen Zugang zu Forschungseinrichtungen der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft sowie führenden europäischen Forschungsinstitutionen. Gemeinsam mit der Lead Discovery Center GmbH treibt der Fonds die effiziente Entwicklung neuer Wirkstoffe voran.

Zu den Investoren von KHAN-II zählen der Europäische Investitionsfonds (InvestEU Equity und ERP-EIF Facility), Akros Pharma, die Max-Planck-Förderstiftung sowie die Thyssen’sche Handelsgesellschaft.

Weitere Informationen unter info@khanu.de

Über den HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds

Deutschland und Europa brauchen ein neues Wirtschaftswunder, wir legen das Fundament. Wir sind der aktivste VC-Investor Deutschlands und finanzieren die Deep-Tech-, Life-Sciences- und Digital-Tech-Unternehmen, die technologische Souveränität sichern und industrielle Substanz schaffen. Von der ersten Idee bis zur internationalen Skalierung begleiten wir mutige Gründer:innen als Multi-Stage-VC-Plattform – nahtlos, verlässlich und langfristig.

350 aktive Startups, 200+ Exits und 5 Unicorns. Über 10 Mrd. € Folgefinanzierungen mobilisiert. Gemeinsam mit dem DTCF bündeln wir mehr als 3 Mrd. € Fondsvolumen – und machen aus deutschen und europäischen Innovationen globale Tech-Champions.

Weitere Informationen unter HTGF.de, auf LinkedIn sowie auf der Website des Zukunftsfonds.

Über VORNvc

VORNvc ist ein Venture-Capital-Fonds mit Sitz in Dortmund, an dem verschiedene Sparkassen aus dem Umland (derzeit die Sparkassen Hamm, Volme und Ruhr, UnnaKamen, an der Lippe und Dortmund), die NRW.BANK als Förderbank für Nordrhein-Westfalen und private Unternehmer beteiligt sind. Er wird gezielt in junge, wachstumsstarke Unternehmen, die mit ihren Ideen den Mittelstand von morgen prägen können, investieren.

Weitere Informationen unter www.vorn.vc

Über Revier Invest Heidelberg

Revier Invest Heidelberg wurde kürzlich von einer Gruppe aus neun privaten Investoren aus der Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar, Lünen und Detroit gegründet, um Wachstumskapital für die weitere Expansion von Revier bereitzustellen. Darüber hinaus unterstützt das von Daniel Stern geführte Managementteam die Business-Development-Aktivitäten des Unternehmens in Baden-Württemberg, dem Heimatstandort von Revier und einer der führenden Innovationsregionen Deutschlands.

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Kontakt: pr@lead-discovery.de (für KHAN-II)

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CasInvent Pharma, a university spin-off focused on developing anti-cancer compounds, has successfully closed the Pre-Series A funding round, raising a total of € 1.6 million from both existing and new investors. Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from Masaryk University in Brno and with the support of i&i Prague, CasInvent Pharma specializes in the development of highly selective inhibitors targeting the casein kinase 1 enzyme family. These enzymes play an important role in several disease-related processes, including the migration of leukaemia cells into lymphoid organs. The small-molecule inhibitors are designed to target individual isoforms of CK1 and thereby selectively eradicate leukemic cells.

„It’s gratifying to have convinced both new and existing partners to support our quest in developing effective treatment options and giving hope to patients suffering from these cancers with a very low survival rate,“ says Alexander Scheer, CEO of CasInvent Pharma. He believes these inhibitors have the potential to treat patients with conditions like acute myeloid leukaemia, pancreatic cancer, certain types of breast cancer (TNBC), and other diseases with limited treatment options.

„The company’s ability to attract new investors reaffirms not just the project’s quality, but also the combined expertise of the team at CasInvent Pharma,“ says Ivan Vohlmuth, a partner at i&i Bio. „The team has worked really hard over the past 18 months and achieved promising data in the development of their CK1 inhibitor portfolio. We are pleased to continue to support the company,“ add Michael Krebs and Peter Nussbaumer from KHAN-I.

Joining the investment round, alongside i&i Bio, KHAN-I and i&i Prague, are two new partners: the Holeček Family Foundation and BIOINVESTIMED a. s. „Supporting this innovative project allows us to participate in the important development of new treatment methods and therapeutic strategies in the field of oncological diseases. At the same time, we are impressed that a Czech entity has embarked on this difficult and financially demanding path. With our engagement, we would like to motivate other investors to fund promising life science companies in the Czech Republic,“ says Ondřej Novák, Director of the Holeček Family Foundation.

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About CasInvent Pharma
CasInvent Pharma is a drug discovery spin-off company established in 2020 by Masaryk University and Bio-Innovation Centre i&i Prague, s.r.o. (Ltd). The mission of the company is to develop new therapeutic options for the treatment of resistant tumours. The CasInvent platform is based on the use of proprietary, best-in-class, highly selective inhibitors of enzymes belonging to the casein kinase 1 (CK1) family that are responsible for the regulation of different cellular mechanisms leading to resistance to targeted therapies.
Further information available at: www.casinvent.com

About i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio)
i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European life science companies focused on drug discovery, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. The Fund was created thanks to the cooperation of the biotech incubator i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund (see below). With over € 53 million under management, i&i Bio plans to invest in about 20 early-stage companies. i&i Bio is led by an experienced team of professionals with backgrounds in private equity, healthcare and venture capital, supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to global success. Thanks to close cooperation with the fund’s main sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies.
Further information available at: www.inibio.eu

About the European Investment Fund (EIF)
The Fund is supported by an investment from the EIF, with the support of

• lnnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of the EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing; and
• the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF), implemented by the EIF with the financial support of the Participating Member States. The objective of the EGF is to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring that companies in the Participating Member States have sufficient short-term liquidity available to weather the crisis and can continue their growth and development in the medium to long term.

Further information available at: EIF to invest €25 million to support biomedical tech transfer in Central Europe

About KHAN-I
KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-I) is an early-stage life sciences venture fund with € 70 million under management. Their mission is to create value through cooperative drug development partnerships with academic innovators in Europe. KHAN-I focuses on first-in-class therapies for attractive markets with a high unmet medical need. The fund is managed by Khanu Management GmbH, an experienced team of professionals with proven track records in early-stage
drug development and academic spin-offs as well as pharma licensing and partnering. KHAN-I received an investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) with the support of InnovFin Equity, and with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) under the Investment Plan for Europe.
KHAN-I is also supported by Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (AWS with funds provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Foundation for Research, Technology, and Development), Max Planck Foundation, and Thyssen’sche Handelsgesellschaft mbH. In addition, KHAN-I sustains a preferred partnership with the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft e.V.).
Further information available at: www.khanu.de

About i&i Prague
i&i Prague focuses on the transfer of new technologies into practice. It was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and is dedicated to innovations in the field of drug development, diagnostics and medical devices originating from academic institutions. It supports the creation of spin-off companies and the sale of licenses. So far, the company has participated in the creation of or otherwise supported 15 spin-off companies from 5 countries, has an equity stake in 9 of them and has invested over CZK 70 million. Overall, the spin-offs in i&i Prague’s portfolio have raised more than CZK 1.8 billion from other investors. In 2021, i&i Prague established the i&i Bio Investment Fund in cooperation with the European Investment Fund.
Further information available at: www.iniprague.com

Holeček Family Foundation
We support people with knowledge, experience and vision in areas we consider important for the development of our society. We provide support in the form of an open opportunity to receive funding from the Foundation and we leave it up to the beneficiaries to decide how to best use the support we grant. We would like to inspire others with our actions, because we believe that giving back to society brings value to us all.
Our main area of focus is the Czech educational system. Educated people are a prerequisite for the development of any society and there is therefore a close focus on educational projects in the Foundation’s activities. Good health is a prerequisite for a full and active life for all of us. Therefore, the quality of health care, social care and the health care system is also in the Foundation’s focus. Last but not least, the Foundation supports science and research projects as the main drivers of progress and development in any society. The Foundation mainly supports organisations such as universities or hospitals, which already have a strong potential in the fields mentioned above, but their funding does not always allow them to fully develop their potential. In addition to these main areas of focus, the Board of Trustees also looks at specific innovative projects with the potential of bringing new discoveries or practices.
Further information available at: www.holecekfoundation.cz

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Contact: pr@lead-discovery.de (for KHAN-I)

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Ian Waddell, CEO of Nodus Oncology said: “This is an exciting time for Nodus Oncology; this additional investment will help us to fast-track the development of our current DDR inhibitor programmes and grow our pipeline with exciting new first-in-class assets.”

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About Nodus Oncology
Nodus Oncology is a biotech company developing first- and best-in-class molecules focused on the DNA damage response (DDR) in patient sub-groups where molecular vulnerabilities exist. Founded by Cumulus Oncology, which contributes capital and oncology discovery as well as development expertise to the creation of new biotech companies, Nodus has received seed investment from both Cumulus Oncology and additional investors.
For more information visit: www.nodusoncology.com.

About KHAN-I
KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-I) is an early-stage life sciences venture fund with € 70 million under management. Their mission is to create value through cooperative drug development partnerships with academic innovators in Europe. KHAN-I focuses on first-in-class therapies for attractive markets with a high unmet medical need. The fund is managed by Khanu Management GmbH, an experienced team of professionals with proven track records in early-stage drug development and academic spin-offs as well as pharma licensing and partnering. KHAN-I received an investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) with the support of InnovFin Equity, and with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) under the Investment Plan for Europe. KHAN-I is also supported by Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (AWS with funds provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Foundation for Research, Technology, and Development), Max Planck Foundation, and Thyssen’sche Handelsgesellschaft mbH. In addition, KHAN-I sustains a preferred partnership with the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft e.V.).
For more information visit: www.khanu.de

About Cumulus Oncology
From securing pre-seed investment in 2020, Cumulus has continued to develop a capitally efficient business model. The company sources novel oncology assets from academic institutes, commercial drug discovery groups and biopharmaceutical companies. The Cumulus scientific and commercial team members identify novel targets for drug discovery programmes which the company funds, supports, and collaborates on. Following rigorous due diligence and market assessment activities, negotiations on deal terms and in-depth feasibility on the investment case, selected assets are spun out into newly created companies. An early focus on molecularly selected patient sub-groups, is a key aspect of the business model. The company incorporates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platforms into its decision-making process to prioritise targets and assets.
Cumulus contributes both early-stage capital and oncology drug development expertise and manages each spinout company to achieve key development milestones and value inflections. The companies created by Cumulus represent valuable investment opportunities for VCs that focus on the biotech sector. These VCs are important partners for Cumulus when the spinout companies reach key inflection points. The founding team at Cumulus consists of successful life science entrepreneurs, scientists and a range of oncology drug development and pharma sector business professionals.
Further information available at: www.cumulusoncology.com

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Contact: pr@lead-discovery.de (for KHAN-I)

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