Boston-based Modulight Biotherapeutics announced the closing of a $12.2 million seed financing round. The company stated the funds will accelerate the development of its optogenetic technology platform and advance its therapeutic pipeline toward clinical trials.
The investment was led by Jibe Ventures and LocalGlobe, with participation from several other venture firms, including Nexus Neurotech Ventures and RedSeed VC.
Current treatments for neurological conditions, such as drugs or electrical stimulation, often act broadly on the brain. Modulight’s approach aims to be far more precise. “The brain is extraordinarily complex and we cannot continue to treat it nonspecifically,” said Dr. Yotam Eldar, CEO of Modulight. He added that the company’s technology allows for “precise circuit-based neuromodulation of the neural pathways underlying different neurological conditions.”
How the Optogenetic Platform Works
The company’s platform represents a fundamental shift from existing neuromodulation methods. It uses optogenetics, a technique that involves genetically modifying specific neurons to express light-sensitive proteins called opsins. These modified neurons can then be controlled with light, allowing clinicians to target dysfunctional neural circuits with high precision without damaging surrounding tissue.
The core of the platform is a proprietary inhibitory opsin, eOPN3, designed for clinical use. According to the company, eOPN3 enables pathway-specific neuromodulation and has shown high efficacy in multiple animal models of pain, epilepsy, and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. As an initial proof of concept, Modulight is developing a treatment for trigeminal pain, a severe and often drug-resistant facial pain disorder.
Dr. Eldar confirmed that the new capital will enable the company to “enhance the preclinical development of our optogenetic switch for the treatment of trigeminal pain and initiate IND-enabling studies, manufacturing and discussions with the FDA.” An Investigational New Drug (IND) application is a critical step required to begin human clinical trials in the United States.
The investment has drawn support from specialists at the intersection of neuroscience and engineering. “Modulight’s optogenetic neuromodulation platform represents a fundamentally new way to target neural circuits with cell-type and pathway-level precisions, something long sought but until now technically out of reach,” said Dr. John Propst of Nexus NeuroTech Ventures.
Recent Funding Activity in Biotech
The funding for Modulight is part of a wider trend of investment in innovative health technologies. Earlier this month, European biotech AAVantgarde Bio recently closed a $141 million Series B round for genetic therapies targeting inherited retinal diseases.
In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, the UK’s PACE initiative launched a new £6 million funding round. Israeli startup CustoMED raised $6 million to advance AI-powered 3D printing for orthopedic surgery. Cidara Therapeutics secured a funding award worth up to $339 million from the US BARDA agency for an influenza preventative, and Denmark’s BOOST Pharma raised $3.55 million to develop a stem cell therapy for brittle bone disease.
