CA-KENAI-THERAPEUTICS
29.2.2024 13:01:28 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Kenai Therapeutics, a biotechnology company leveraging induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to discover and develop a platform of allogeneic neuron replacement cell therapies for neurological disorders, today announced an $82 million Series A financing co-led by Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, Cure Ventures and The Column Group, with participation from Euclidean Capital and Saisei Ventures. Kenai Therapeutics previously raised seed funding under the name Ryne Bio.
“We are grateful for the support of a syndicate of leading life science investors and a team of industry veterans, including scientific co-founders Dr. Howard Federoff and Dr. Jeffrey Kordower, who see the promise in Kenai’s approach to treating central nervous system disorders,” said Nick Manusos, chief executive officer of Kenai Therapeutics. “Their guidance will be invaluable as we soon advance our lead candidate, RNDP-001, into the clinic for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.”
RNDP-001 is an iPSC-derived, allogeneic dopamine progenitor cell therapy for the treatment of both idiopathic and inherited forms of Parkinson’s disease, and has displayed robust survival, innervation, and behavioral rescue in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease. Proceeds from the financing will enable the Company to submit an IND for RNDP-001 and complete Phase 1 clinical trials, which will initiate within the year.
“Kenai’s proprietary platform leverages an emerging approach to treating central nervous system disorders by replacing neurons lost due to neurodegeneration,” said Jeff Jonas, M.D., chair and board member of Kenai Therapeutics and partner at Cure Ventures. “The potentially curative nature of RNDP-001 for Parkinson’s disease could dramatically alter outcomes for patients with very few treatment options.”
Beyond RNDP-001, Kenai is developing a robust pipeline of advanced off-the-shelf dopamine neuron replacement cell therapeutics for neurological disorders. The Company will continue to work with its contract manufacturing partner, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, a leading expert in iPSC technology and research, for manufacturing and development services.
“As a global leader in the field of iPSCs, we are thrilled to support the Kenai Therapeutics team to achieve progress in this promising area of science for patients with neurodegenerative diseases,” said Tomoyuki Hasegawa, president and chief executive officer at FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc.
“Kenai’s approach to treating Parkinson’s disease is meaningfully differentiated from competing cell therapy approaches and has disease-modifying potential for patients with limited, primarily symptomatic, treatment options,” said Jeff Goater, partner at The Column Group. “We are proud to be able to support Kenai in its mission to advance RNDP-001 to help families and patients suffering with this devastating disease.”
About Kenai Therapeutics
Kenai Therapeutics (Kenai) is a biotechnology company pioneering next generation approaches to cure neurological disorders. The Company utilizes allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, a Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough that enables scientists to manufacture many human cell types, in order to advance Kenai’s off-the-shelf neuron replacement therapeutics. By focusing on an iPSC technology platform, and forging partnerships with global leaders in surgical delivery and clinical development, Kenai is dedicated to advancing a best-in-class pipeline targeting neurological diseases. For additional information, please visit: www.kenaitx.com.
About Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) was created by the Alaska Legislature in 1980 as a quasi-independent state entity tasked with the important mission of prudently investing and managing the assets of the Alaska Permanent Fund. The Fund’s total assets are approximately $80 billion and are invested across a broad range of assets including equities, fixed income, alternatives and real estate. The Fund has been an active investor in biotechnology and life sciences dating back to 2013 and these assets now represent approximately 8% of APFC’s $15 billion private equity portfolio. For more information, please visit: www.apfc.org.
About Cure Ventures
Founded in 2021, Cure Ventures is a life sciences venture capital firm focusing on de novo company formation around groundbreaking curative technologies. Above all else, the Cure team leads with respect for people and for science. Led by highly accomplished industry veterans, Cure’s investment thesis is founded on three tenets: A seed funding model that allows Cure to de-risk the science and set companies up for success; genetic validation that increases the probability of success; and embedded Cure operators to drive the best day-to-day decision making in collaboration with founders. For more information, please visit: www.curevc.com.
About The Column Group
The Column Group (TCG) is a leading venture capital firm based in San Francisco that seeks to partner with exceptional scientific founders, entrepreneurs, executives, and investment organizations with a shared vision for building the next generation of drug discovery and development companies. TCG invests in disease-focused drug discovery companies with the potential to become leaders in their respective fields. These companies are strongly supported by the unique and complimentary skill sets of TCG’s team, which includes prominent authorities in the scientific, operational, and financial arenas. For more information, please visit: www.thecolumngroup.com.
About FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc.
FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of human iPSCs and iPSC-derived cells utilized in drug discovery, contract development and manufacturing services for cell therapies. For its partners, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics utilizes its iPSC platform to advance the progress of therapeutic candidates in the clinic and provides contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services. In addition to cell therapy, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics also offers life science research tools including the company’s inventoried iCell® products, which are available in almost any cell type and are sourced from multiple cell lines which can be applied for target identification as well as toxicity testing. The company also offers custom cell services and cell banking. FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics’ goal is to leverage the vast utility of iPSCs to advance human health and improve the quality of life for patients around the world. For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmcdi.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229997334/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
SES Announces Results of the Annual General Meeting2.4.2026 16:49:00 CEST | Press release
SES (the “Company”) held the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of Shareholders today in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. Following the recommendations made by the Board of Directors of SES, the shareholders have voted in favor of all resolutions, including the Company’s 2025 annual accounts and the proposed annual dividend of EUR 0.50 per A-share (EUR 0.20 per B-share). The total dividend amount comprises the interim dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share), which has already been paid to shareholders on October 16, 2025. The final dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share) will be paid to shareholders on April 16, 2026. “I would like to sincerely thank our shareholders for their active engagement, visionary support and continued confidence in SES’ strategy,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “The outcomes of today’s AGM underscore our shared commitment to a bold multi-orbit approach, with Medium Earth Orbit as the strategic backbone of a dynamically evolving global interco
Andersen Consulting styrker sine kompetencer med tilføjelsen af Lukkap2.4.2026 16:31:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting tilføjer samarbejdspartneren Lukkap, et konsulenthus med fokus på oplevelsesdrevne kompetencer, der er tilpasset kundernes skiftende behov inden for transformation af medarbejdere, kunder og det digitale område. Lukkap, der blev stiftet i 2009 og har hovedsæde i Spanien, leverer integrerede løsninger, der hjælper organisationer med at transformere, hvordan de betjener kunder, engagerer medarbejdere og frigør værdi gennem adfærdsindsigt og dataanalyse. Virksomhedens tværfaglige tilgang spænder over nytænkning af kunderejsen, effektive programmer for medarbejderoplevelser, talent- og ledelsesudvikling, prædiktiv analyse samt omfattende outplacement- og transitionsydelser. Lukkap arbejder på tværs af sektorer — herunder sundhedsvæsen, medicinalindustri, forbrugsgoder, detailhandel, finans og bankvæsen — for at opbygge menneskecentrerede strategier, der skaber målbare forretningsresultater. "Ved at kombinere vores erfaringsdrevne metode med Andersen Consultings globale
Forrester: Three Years Into GenAI, Enterprises Are Still Chasing Its True Transformative Value2.4.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
Low AI fluency, uneven adoption, and marginal productivity gains are limiting enterprise-scale impact According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) latest report, Accelerate Your AI Voyage, most enterprises are struggling to turn growing AI adoption and investment into measurable business impact. One of the key factors holding businesses back is low artificial intelligence quotient (AIQ) — Forrester’s measure of AI aptitude — with many employees lacking a clear understanding of how to use AI. Other barriers include an overemphasis on productivity-focused use cases, difficulty measuring impact, and siloed adoption within individual functions. While these challenges can leave firms frozen in doubt or indecision, the wait-and-see approach to AI adoption is no longer viable. To unlock AI’s full potential, organizations need to focus on four key areas: Define the business outcomes and success metrics for what they want AI to achieve; identify specific use cases for AI deployment aligned to those
The LYCRA Company Announces Strategic Partnership on Renewable LYCRA® Fiber2.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Agreement with Texhong Advances Sustainable Fiber Applications The LYCRA Company, a global leader in innovative and sustainable fiber solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Texhong International Group Limited (“Texhong”), one of the world’s largest suppliers of core-spun cotton textiles. Under the agreement, Texhong will exclusively partner with The LYCRA Company to bring Renewable LYCRA® fiber made with 30 percent plant-based content* to China’s core-spun yarn sector. This collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of bio-derived spandex across the global apparel and textile industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402505834/en/ The LYCRA Company announced a strategic partnership with Texhong International Group for renewable LYCRA® fiber. Pictured at the signing ceremony held in Shanghai (left to right): Jason Wang,
Brightfin Unifies Brand Following Proven Optics Merger, Delivering a New Standard for Technology Cost Optimization2.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
New identity reflects expanded vision to help CIOs “See Clearly. Spend Better.” Brightfin today announced that, following its merger with Proven Optics, the combined company will operate under a single brand: Brightfin. The unified company brings together deep expertise in Technology Expense Management (TEM) and IT Financial Management (ITFM) to help organizations better understand, manage, and reduce total technology spend. Technology spending will exceed $6 Trillion this year, and for most organizations, it remains one of the least understood. CIOs can tell you what they’re spending. Far fewer can tell you whether it’s working. “Over the past several months, we’ve brought these two businesses together around a shared purpose: help enterprise businesses better understand and optimize their technology spend,” said Joel Martins, CEO of Brightfin. “What we are seeing now is a shift. Visibility alone isn’t enough. Teams need to be able to act, tied to real financial outcomes. See Clearly.
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom