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Welcome to our 2024 Impact Report – a look at what our portfolio companies have done to move the needle. This year’s edition highlights the grit, progress and potential of impact startups in a world that feels anything but predictable. It’s a snapshot of where we are, what we’ve learned, and why we believe the case for impact has never been stronger.
Few challenges are greater than Alzheimer’s – a disease that robs millions of memory, movement, and independence. That’s why we’re proud to back Aerska, an Irish biotech developing a new generation of RNA therapies to tackle neurodegeneration at its root.
The Problem
Alzheimer’s is one of the most devastating diseases of our time. By 2050, more than 150 million people are expected to live with dementia. Yet today, there are still no cures. Existing treatments can only slow decline in some patients – often with heavy side effects. For families, it means years of care and emotional strain. For society, it’s a looming health and economic crisis.
The Solution
Aerska is developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapies designed to silence the genes that drive brain diseases, before symptoms appear.
Delivering medicines to the brain has long been blocked by the blood-brain barrier. While RNAi has proven itself in the liver, its potential in the central nervous system has been limited by delivery. Aerska’s antibody-oligo conjugate (AOC) platform uses “brain shuttles” to cross that barrier, enabling systemic RNAi delivery, neuronal uptake, and durable gene knockdown in the brain.
“Neurological diseases remain one of the greatest challenges in medicine, with limited options to alter the course of disease. By integrating brain shuttles with RNA therapeutics, we aim to enable precise, durable gene silencing in the CNS; supported by technology to ensure patients get the right intervention for their stage of disease,” says Jack O’Meara, CEO & Co-Founder of Aerska.
The Round
Aerska has raised $21 million in seed financing, co-led by Age1, Backed VC and Speedinvest, with participation from Norrsken VC, Blueyard, Lingotto (Exor), Kerna, PsyMed and Ada Ventures. The Dublin-based company was founded by Jack O’Meara, Stuart Milstein and David Hardwicke and is led by a veteran team with deep experience in RNA medicines, neuroscience, and clinical development – leaders who have built companies, pioneered therapies, and steered programmes from the lab to the clinic.
