Cassidy Bio is a biotechnology startup that wants to change how gene-editing therapies are designed. The company came out of stealth mode on Thursday and announced it raised $8 million in a Seed funding round.
The startup says artificial intelligence (AI) is key to making genetic medicine work on a larger scale. The funding round was led by Ahren Innovation Capital, with support from lool Ventures, 10D VC, and AION Labs’ venture-seeding program, which includes AstraZeneca and Merck KGaA.
Genome editing has made some breakthroughs, but Cassidy Bio says progress is still limited. The company points to slow, manual design processes and ongoing challenges with choosing targets, delivery, effectiveness, and accuracy.
Cassidy Bio’s solution is an AI-powered genomic foundation model. This tool is designed to help therapy developers gain “clinical confidence” right from the very first steps of designing a treatment.
At the heart of Cassidy Bio’s platform is a system that combines its own lab data, large-scale genomic information, and advanced machine learning. This system predicts the best combinations of guides, enzymes, and delivery methods for different therapies.
By moving from trial-and-error to predictive modeling, Cassidy Bio aims to create a scalable workflow for genome editing. This approach could speed up the development of safer and more reliable treatments.
“The promise of genome editing will only be realized when we move beyond isolated successes and build a foundation that can scale,” said CEO Rom Kshuk. “Clinical confidence at the earliest stages of design is essential if we are to unlock the full potential of this field and bring therapies to millions of patients who stand to benefit.”
Cassidy Bio was founded by Kshuk, CRISPR scientist Ayal Hendel, PhD, and AI researcher Yaniv Shmueli, PhD. The company also announced a scientific advisory board featuring senior experts from Editas Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Ultima Genomics, and Intellia Therapeutics. Cassidy Bio says its platform, which is continuously tested and improved through lab experiments, is already helping create highly precise guide RNAs using top-tier gene-editing systems.
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