Arrakis has a simple but powerful vision: To extend small-molecule medicines into new realms of biology, unlocking that biology for medicine. Our approach builds on the existing sophisticated drug discovery toolkit developed for protein targets, which we are adapting and refocusing on discovering small-molecule compounds that act directly on RNA.
We are pioneering new territory, with an expedition led by a team of skilled scientists and drug development leaders who are inventive yet pragmatic. We are on a bold and exciting mission, a mission not without peril, but we have an energized, collaborative, creative and fearless team – a team that has consistently breached barriers and blazed new trails in search of solutions. We are now poised to realize the promise of bringing RNA into play for small-molecule drug discovery.
Pushing the frontier of this emerging field of science is gratifying, but our mission goes beyond the thrill of scientific discovery. We believe that by targeting RNA biology in new ways, we have the potential to impact millions of patients. Our platform will allow us to reach hundreds of biological targets not currently accessible to medicine, including known targets previously considered “undruggable.” Our destination is powerful new therapies for patients everywhere, by opening up a new path for discovering RNA-targeted medicines.
We are pioneering new territory, with an expedition led by a team of skilled scientists and drug development leaders who are inventive yet pragmatic. We are on a bold and exciting mission, a mission not without peril, but we have an energized, collaborative, creative and fearless team – a team that has consistently breached barriers and blazed new trails in search of solutions. We are now poised to realize the promise of bringing RNA into play for small-molecule drug discovery.
Pushing the frontier of this emerging field of science is gratifying, but our mission goes beyond the thrill of scientific discovery. We believe that by targeting RNA biology in new ways, we have the potential to impact millions of patients. Our platform will allow us to reach hundreds of biological targets not currently accessible to medicine, including known targets previously considered “undruggable.” Our destination is powerful new therapies for patients everywhere, by opening up a new path for discovering RNA-targeted medicines.
Location: United States, Massachusetts, Waltham
Employees: 51-200
Total raised: $113M
Founded date: 2015
Investors 4
| Date | Name | Website |
| - | Omega Fund... | omegafunds... |
| - | HBM Partne... | hbmpartner... |
| - | Canaan Par... | canaan.com |
| - | GV | gv.com |
Funding Rounds 2
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| 21.04.2019 | Series B | $75M | - |
| 27.02.2017 | Series A | $38M | - |
Mentions in press and media 19
| Date | Title | Description |
| 08.04.2020 | Arrakis, Roche sign $190M RNA-targeting platform technology deal | “We are excited to partner with Roche’s strong research and development teams,” Arrakis CEO Michael Gilman said in a statement. “Together, we share a common vision of accessing new drug targets at the RNA level and thereby discovering novel... |
| 11.12.2019 | Venture capital firm Omega Funds closes $438M Fund VI | “We believe this is the most exciting time to be investing in life sciences in a generation, but it requires diverse skills to capture the opportunity set,” Omega Managing Director Otello Stampacchia said in a statement. “At Omega, we have ... |
| 21.11.2019 | Ex-Editas CEO Katrine Bosley chairs Arrakis board; Cardurion touts Polaris investment | Katrine Bosley → After a surprise exit from Editas Medicine in January — which left many in shock and the stock plunging 21% $EDIT — ex-CEO Katrine Bosley will be heading the board of directors at Michael Gilman-led Arrakis... |
| 21.04.2019 | Arrakis spices up development efforts with $75M Series B round for RNA-targeting drugs | Michael Gilman, a partner in Atlas Venture, will become full-time CEO of the company, which is named for the fictional planet of Arrakis in Frank Herbert’s “Dune” science fiction series, the planet being the source of the fictional substanc... |
| 18.04.2019 | Pfizer Ventures Leads $75M Series B For Arrakis Therapeutics | WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arrakis Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of small-molecule medicines that directly target RNA, has completed a $75 million Series B financing co-led by venBio... |
| 18.04.2019 | Gilman buckles in as Arrakis raises $75M, gains momentum | Biotech veteran Michael Gilman “failed at retirement.” He sold his company Padlock Therapeutics to Bristol-Myers Squibb in early 2016 and contemplated calling it quits. Yet he found himself on the boards of two new biotechs, Obsidian Therap... |
| 18.04.2019 | Arrakis Therapeutics Raises $75M Series B Financing | WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arrakis Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of small-molecule medicines that directly target RNA, has completed a $75 million Series B financing co-led by venBio... |
| 18.04.2019 | Top startup news for today, Thursday, April 18, 2019 | Good morning! Below are some of the top tech startup news stories for today, Thursday, April 18. Samsung’s $2,000 folding phone is breaking for some users after two days of use. Last week, we wrote about Samsung when the company introduced... |
| 18.04.2019 | Arrakis Therapeutics Raises $75M Series B | WALTHAM, MA, Arrakis Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of small-molecule medicines that directly target RNA, has completed a $75 million Series B round. >> Click here for more funding... |
| 18.04.2019 | Arrakis Therapeutics Raises $75M in Series B Financing | Arrakis Therapeutics, a Waltham, Mass.-based biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of small-molecule medicines that directly target RNA, completed a $75m Series B financing. The round was co-led by venBio Partner... |
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