• 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, Germany, August 25, 2026 – Revier Therapeutics (“Revier” or “the Company”) announced today the closing of a €6 million seed financing and the launch of its operations. The Company has established the first therapeutic approach to selectively target class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases. The financing was led by the KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II, with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), VORNvc, and private investors through Revier Invest Heidelberg.

Funding from the round will support development of Revier’s preclinical cardiometabolic pipeline, including its lead program in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its second program in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) as well as the build out of its operational, scientific and clinical functions.

“Despite significant progress in cardiovascular medicine, millions of patients with HFpEF and ASCVD still face limited targeted treatment options,” said Prof. Eva van Rooij, PhD, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Revier Therapeutics. “We believe the next generation of cardiometabolic medicines needs to address the underlying disease-driving biology to deliver impactful and long-term solutions for patients. Our mission is to translate the scientific potential of class IIa HDAC inhibition into a pipeline of novel therapies and rapidly advance our lead programs toward the clinic to create long-term value for both patients and the broader healthcare ecosystem.”

HDACs are enzymes that play a functional role in a variety of severe diseases. Pioneering discoveries, including foundational work at Heidelberg University led by Prof. Johannes Backs, MD, Revier’s scientific founder, defined the specific impact of class IIa HDACs on cardiometabolic diseases.

Prof. Johannes Backs, MD, scientific founder of Revier Therapeutics added: “While first generation HDAC inhibitors broadly targeted multiple HDAC classes resulting in dose-limiting side effects, Revier’s first-in-class small molecules selectively target class IIa HDACs. These compounds specifically inhibit the disease-driving enzymatic activity while preserving the essential functions of class IIa HDACs and canonical class I HDACs. This precise mode of action is designed to be therapeutically effective while maintaining a beneficial safety profile.”

“Revier’s differentiated class IIa HDAC strategy in cardiometabolic disease has the potential to unlock the therapeutic promise of HDAC biology while overcoming limitations associated with earlier class I HDAC approaches,” said Michael Hamacher, PhD, Managing Partner and CFO at KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II. “Combined with an exceptional leadership team and deep scientific expertise, the company has a unique opportunity to deliver disease-modifying medicines and reshape the standard of care by providing durable benefit for patients with HFpEF, ASCVD and related cardiometabolic disorders.”

The Company’s seed financing includes support from a coalition of regional stakeholders and investors led by the business developer Daniel Stern (founder of Revier Invest Heidelberg), underscoring the strategic importance of biotechnology for both the local community and the state of Baden‑Württemberg.

In conjunction with the company launch, Revier announced its leadership team, bringing together renowned experts in cardiovascular science, drug discovery, clinical development and biotechnology.

Key leadership includes:

• Johannes Backs, MD, Scientific Founder – Director of the Institute of Experimental Cardiology at Heidelberg University, Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Translational AngioCardioScience (HI-TAC), and Professor of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK).
• Eva van Rooij, PhD, Chief Executive Officer – A serial biotechnology entrepreneur and Professor of Molecular Cardiology at University Medical Center Utrecht, with extensive expertise in cardiovascular translational research.
• Mike Nolan, PhD, Chief Technology Officer – A corresponding author of the initial publications describing selective class IIa HDAC inhibitors with 20+ years of industry experience in drug discovery, innovative research platforms, and company creation.
• Matthias Dewenter, MD, Chief Scientific Officer – An expert in translational cardiovascular research and the preclinical development of novel therapeutic approaches for heart failure and cardiometabolic disease.
• Norbert Frey, MD, Chief Medical Officer – Director of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology at Heidelberg University Hospital, translational researcher, and clinical trial leader with decades of expertise advancing new treatments for cardiovascular disease.

Full biographies are available on the company website.

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About Revier Therapeutics

Revier has established the first therapeutic approach to selectively target Class IIa HDACs to treat cardiometabolic diseases. Our orally available small molecules are designed to inhibit the pathogenic enzymatic activity while preserving healthy biological function and avoiding canonical HDAC inhibition. We are advancing a pipeline of novel disease modulators starting with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) as our initial indications. Our goal is to define a new class of treatments that directly improve cardiometabolic health and provide life-saving, long-term benefits for patients with related diseases.

Find more information at www.revier.bio.

About KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II (KHAN-II)

KHAN-II is an early-stage life sciences venture fund focused on first-in-class therapies for high unmet medical needs, partnering with academic innovators across Europe. Managed by Khanu Fondsverwaltung, a world-class drug discovery team, it leverages unique access to Max Planck and leading European research, and teams up with the Lead Discovery Center GmbH for effective drug development. KHAN-II is backed by the European Investment Fund (InvestEU Equity and ERP-EIF Facility), Akros Pharma, Max Planck Foundation, and Thyssen’sche Handelsgesellschaft.

Further information at info@khanu.de

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds 

Germany and Europe need a New Wirtschaftswunder, we are laying the foundations. We are Germany’s most active VC investor, funding deep-tech, life sciences and digital tech companies that secure technological sovereignty and build industrial strength. From the initial idea through to international scaling, we support bold founders as a multi-stage VC platform – seamlessly, reliably and for the long term.

350 active start-ups, 200+ exits and 5 unicorns. Over €10 billion in follow-on funding mobilised. Together with DTCF, we represent more than €3 billion in fund volume – and turn German and European innovations into global tech champions.

More information at HTGF.de or on LinkedIn. 

About VORNvc

VORNvc is a venture capital fund based in Dortmund set up by local savings banks, NRW.Bank and private investors. The experienced management team invests in technology-driven start-ups across multiple financing rounds. In addition to capital, VORNvc provides access to regional networks and SME expertise to drive the region’s economic transformation.

Further information at www.vorn.vc

About Revier Invest Heidelberg

A group of nine private investors from the Rhine-Neckar region, Lünen, and Detroit has recently established Revier Invest Heidelberg to provide growth capital for Revier’s continued expansion. In addition, its management team led by Daniel Stern is supporting the company’s business development activities throughout Baden-Württemberg, Revier’s home state and one of Germany’s leading innovation hubs.

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Contact: pr@lead-discovery.de

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High quality of the research team and the strong support

The company CasInvent Pharma was established in 2020 as a spin-off of Masaryk University (MU) in cooperation with the investment partner i&i Prague. “The investment of €1.3 million further confirms the quality of the scientific project that was created and developed for several years at Masaryk University. The establishment of the spin-off company CasInvent Pharma was thus a logical step to advance, and ultimately commercialize, these efforts. I am very pleased that the Technology Transfer Office of MU was part of such an important achievement,” says Radoslav Trautmann, Head of Technology Transfer Department, Masaryk University.

“We are looking forward to our first investment in a Czech start-up and our first co-investment with the recently launched i&i Biotech Fund. From the beginning, we were impressed by the high quality of CasInvent’s research team, the strong support from Masaryk University, and the biotech incubator i&i Prague to make this investment possible. With our deep experience in preclinical development of small molecules, we will be able to make valuable contributions to the design and achievement of the key R&D milestones. We look forward to working with Vojtěch, Alexander and the R&D team,” comment Michael Krebs and Peter Nussbaumer, managing partners of KHAN-I.

CasInvent Pharma is i&i Bio’s most recent investment announced this year. It marks yet another successful cooperation with the biotech incubator i&i Prague, one of the main investors of i&i Bio. “We are excited to welcome another promising Czech project to our portfolio. The ability of this spin-off to convince renowned international investors confirms its ambition to be successful on a global scale. It is great to be part of this journey. We are also pleased to use our investment to support research that could help treat serious diseases such as leukemia in the future,” says Ivan Vohlmuth, one of the partners of i&i Bio.

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About i&i Bio

i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European Life Sciences companies focused on drug discoveries, 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 €45M 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 the close cooperation with the fund’s sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies.

For more information visit www.inibio.eu

About European Investment Fund

i&i bio 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 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 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 are able to continue their growth and development in the medium to long-term.

About KHAN-I

KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-I) is an early-stage life sciences venture fund with € 70 millions under management. Our 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, academic spin-offs as well as pharma licensing and partnering.

KHAN-I received an investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) with support of InnovFin Equity, 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.

For more information visit www.khanu.de

About of Masaryk University Technology Transfer Office

Masaryk University Technology Transfer Office is a specialised department of Masaryk University that helps to transfer knowledge and technology into practice. The Office supports the university’s cooperation with the commercial sphere, the creation of spin-off companies and the successful commercialisation of university research.

For more information visit www.muni.cz/en

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

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