Seed round co-led by Elaia, Pfizer Ventures and Bpifrance

Machine-learning platform enables signal peptide-informed discovery of small molecules that selectively inhibit protein secretion allowing for the degradation of disease-related proteins at the point of synthesis

Enodia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing novel small-molecule therapies for targeted protein degradation at the point of synthesis, today announced it has raised €20.7 million (US$25 million) in a Seed financing. The round was co-led by Elaia, Pfizer Ventures and Bpifrance, as part of the InnoBio investment strategy, with participation from Wallonie Entreprendre, Argobio Studio, MACSF, The Institut Pasteur, InvestSud, Sambrinvest and Mission BioCapital.

Enodia’s proprietary discovery platform, built on Institut Pasteur science, uses machine learning to selectively modulate the SEC61 translocon, where secreted and transmembrane proteins are directed into the secretory pathway at the point of synthesis. This enables intervention upstream of disease, without compromising vital physiological functions, and before damage occurs. Leveraging a large chemical space spanning several families of well-characterized inhibitors, together with a tailored library of signal-peptide cell lines, the company integrates machine-learning-driven selectivity, proteomics-based secretome analysis and structural validation to guide rational drug design. This innovative strategy allows Enodia to unlock previously undruggable secreted and membrane protein targets to treat high-unmet-need conditions.

“We are grateful for the strong support and confidence from our investors, which reflects their conviction in our scientific approach and team,” said Yves Ribeill, Chief Executive Officer of Enodia Therapeutics. “This financing supports the advancement of our small-molecule approach to modulating the SEC61 translocon, with machine learning enabling greater selectivity in targeted protein degradation than previous approaches. Over the next year, we plan to progress our lead program toward preclinical candidate selection, thereby establishing a key value inflection point and the foundation for subsequent IND-enabling development.”

Florian Denis, Partner at Elaia, commented: “Enodia’s rational, proteomics-enabled drug design approach provides strong confidence in the team’s ability to repeatedly translate complex SEC61 biology into truly differentiated drug candidates, supported by a highly experienced management team. Beyond individual programs, the platform unlocks exceptionally deep and expandable therapeutic opportunities across a broad range of disease areas, creating significant long-term pipeline and partnering potential.”

“Our investment reflects strong interest in Enodia’s differentiated approach addressing disease by controlling protein secretion and enabling precise targeting of pathogenic proteins,” said Irena Melnikova, Partner at Pfizer Ventures. “We are pleased to support Enodia’s efforts to rapidly advance a broad pipeline of SEC61-targeted small-molecule medicines across inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders, and beyond.”

Enodia Therapeutics was created by Argobio Studio and The Institut Pasteur, with early platform and translational validation further supported by the Mission BioCapital Platinum Program.

“Enodia is tackling a significant unmet medical need by targeting the secretion pathway at the initiation of protein synthesis,” said Olivier Martinez, Senior Investment Director at Bpifrance. “Built on strong scientific foundations from the Institut Pasteur and further developed within France’s Argobio ecosystem, the company’s selective approach to pathogenic secreted and membrane-associated proteins illustrates the type of rigorous, translational innovation we want to support.”

Valentin Tonnel, Investment Manager, WE Venture Life Sciences on behalf of the Walloon public investor consortium: “This investment in Enodia reflects WE Venture Life Sciences’ strategy to support breakthrough biology at a very early stage, in close collaboration with leading specialized investors. Enodia’s SEC61 platform, selected by Argobio, illustrates how cutting-edge scientific discoveries can be translated into transformative therapeutic solutions. We are pleased to contribute to the development of this program alongside our partners Sambrinvest and InvestSud within the Walloon region, where a mature life sciences ecosystem offers strong conditions for successful execution.”

About WE Venture Life Sciences

WE Venture Life Sciences is a public-backed venture capital fund specialized in Life Sciences and based in Wallonia, Belgium. We support breakthrough health innovations by backing visionary researchers and entrepreneurs, our “Local Heroes”, who turn scientific excellence into real-world solutions.

By investing across all stages in bold, high-potential companies, WE Venture Life Sciences accelerates the emergence of next-generation health technologies and contributes to positioning Wallonia as a vibrant, internationally connected life sciences hub. For more information visit our LinkedIn WE Life Sciences.

About Bpifrance and InnoBio funds

Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses - at every stage of their development - through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export).

InnoBio funds are investment funds dedicated to life sciences, managed by Bpifrance, which is also one of the LPs alongside pharmaceutical companies and institutional investors. These funds aim to invest in companies developing innovative products, close to or in early clinical development, with the objective of bringing them to clinical proof of concept. InnoBio funds take minority equity stake in companies and can lead or co-lead the investment rounds. For more information, please visit: bpifrance.com.

About Pfizer Ventures

Pfizer Ventures (PV), the venture capital arm of Pfizer Inc., invests in innovative companies developing breakthrough science and technologies aligned with Pfizer’s strategic priorities. PV seeks to remain at the forefront of life sciences advances, looking to identify and invest in emerging companies that are developing compounds and technologies that have the potential to enhance Pfizer’s pipeline and shape the future of the pharmaceutical industry. For more information visit pfizer.com/about/partners/venture-investments

About Elaia

Elaia is a European full stack tech and deep tech investor. We partner with ambitious entrepreneurs from inception to leadership, helping them navigate the future and the unknown. For over twenty years, we have combined deep scientific and technological expertise with decades of operational experience to back those building tomorrow. Our joint venture with Lazard, Lazard Elaia Capital, enables us to support exceptional founders at any stage. From our offices in Paris, Barcelona and Tel Aviv, we have been active partners with over 100 startups including Criteo, Mirakl, Shift Technology, AQEMIA and Alice & Bob.

Learn more at elaia.com.

About Enodia Therapeutics

Enodia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing potentially best-in-class small-molecule therapies that enable the degradation of disease-driving proteins at the point of synthesis before they have a damaging effect. The company’s platform combines a proteomics-informed understanding of the secretome with machine-learning–enabled selectivity to support rational drug design. Rooted in pioneering research from the Institut Pasteur and built by Argobio, Enodia is advancing a pipeline initially focused on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, with additional opportunities across oncology and viral infections enabled by the same underlying biological mechanism. For additional information please visit: enodiatx.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260108938000/en/

"This financing supports the advancement of our small-molecule approach to modulating the SEC61 translocon, with machine learning enabling greater selectivity in targeted protein degradation than previous approaches," said Enodia's CEO, Yves Ribeill.