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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Nodus focuses on the development of inhibitors against novel “third-wave” DDR targets, a new set of proteins that have recently been discovered and are thought to play important roles in the response to DNA damage. With this new funding, Nodus will be able to accelerate the development of its PARG programme in collaboration with the Lead Discovery Center GmbH (“LDC”), continue the development of novel DDR targets and further expand the Company’s portfolio.

Ian Waddell, CEO of Nodus Oncology said: “Nodus is focused on developing the next wave of cancer therapeutics in the DDR space, bringing new and effective treatment options to patients. This funding will allow us to continue to accelerate our development programmes, including our PARG programme, and allow us to expand our innovative portfolio. I would like to thank our investors and founders for their ongoing support, and I am looking forward to working together to make a real difference in the fight against cancer.”

“This collaboration illustrates the value-creation opportunity presented by combining Cumulus’ business model, the drug discovery capabilities of the LDC in Dortmund, and the resources of the KHAN-I fund,” said Bert Klebl, Managing Director at KHAN-I, “We are looking forward to working with Nodus to accompany it in its growth journey.”

Bert Klebl and Michael Krebs will be joining Nodus’ Board of Directors as investor representative and observer, respectively.

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About Nodus Oncology
Nodus Oncology is a biotech company developing first- and best-in-class molecules targeting the DDR in patient sub-groups where molecular vulnerabilities exist. Founded by Cumulus Oncology, which contributes capital and oncology discovery and 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. 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 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
Founded in 2017, Cumulus sources novel oncology assets from academic institutes, commercial drug discovery groups, and biopharmaceutical companies. The company also identifies novel targets for drug discovery programmes that it 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. These NewCos are managed to key value inflection points by Cumulus, which also takes responsibility for further investment into each NewCo via its network of VC partners. The founding team consists of successful life science entrepreneurs, oncologists, scientists, and other oncology drug development and pharma sector business professionals. Asset classes of interest include small molecules and biologics that target known and novel pathways in cancer where there is a clear path forward into clinical development, often in molecularly selected sub-groups.

For more information visit: www.cumulusoncology.com

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

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