We’re thrilled to congratulate so many of our clients as they have secured a spot in BioSpace’s NextGen Bio Class of 2024!

This exclusive list showcases the most promising new life science companies in the United States, all of which launched between September 2022 and September 2023 with Series A funding. They were considered for this esteemed list based upon BioSpace’s criteria for finance, partnership, pipeline, growth potential and innovation.

The startups featured in BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2024 are already leaving a significant mark on the industry, and we couldn’t be prouder to have our clients among them. As we step into the new year, we look forward to witnessing the continued impact and success of these innovative companies.

Among the list are 15 BioProcure and Prendio clients: Rapport Therapeutics, Aera Therapeutics, ReNAgade Therapeutics, Kate Therapeutics, Convergent Therapeutics, Matchpoint Therapeutics, Ascidian Therapeutics, Alterome Therapeutics, Actio Biosciences, Initial Therapeutics, as well as a few others!

Read on to learn more about the innovative achievements being made by these Life Science Startups to Watch!

Rapport Therapeutics, a partnership of Third Rock Ventures and Janssen Neuroscience, earned a spot with a Phase I program targeting drug-resistant seizure disorders. The startup's differentiator lies in its highly specific therapies utilizing receptor-associated proteins (RAPs), which make it both more effective and better tolerated. It recently secured an impressive $150 million in Series B financing, just six months after a $100 million Series A announcement. 

https://www.rapportrx.com/ 

Aera stepped into the field of gene therapy delivery backed by foundational technology from scientists Feng Zhang and Jason Shepherd. Founded by Zhang and ARCH Venture Partners, with leadership including former Alnylam Oncology Head Akin Akinc as CEO and John Maraganore as board chair, Aera will set out to examine genetic medicine modalities while prioritizing patient impact. 

https://aeratx.com/ 

With the rise of the potential of RNA, ReNAgade Therapeutics seeks to go one step further and deliver RNA medicines to inaccessible tissues and cells. The leadership is spearheaded by former head of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Amit Munshi, with former Alnylam and Moderna leader, Peter Smith, alongside him. ReNAgade, armed with a $300 million launch, formed a joint venture with BioSpace Class of '22 member Orna Therapeutics, leading to a subsequent Orna-Merck collab leveraging their combined technology. 

https://renagadetx.com/ 

Kate Therapeutics stands out in the biotech scene, with goals of developing AAV-based treatments for complex heart and muscle conditions. They distinguish themselves with the innovative DELIVER platform, featuring MyoAAV capsids developed by CSO and co-founder Sharif Tabebrodbar. Astellas partnered with Kate for the development, production, and commercialization of their KT430, which targets X-linked myotubular myopathy. 

https://www.katetherapeutics.com/ 

Convergent Therapeutics established itself in the cancer therapeutics space with their focus on developing radiopharmaceutical-based therapies aimed at treating various cancers, notably prostate cancer. Its lead candidate, CONV01-α showcases promising results in a Phase I trial for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. They are backed by major funders RA Capital Management and OrbiMed. 

https://convergentrx.com/ 

Matchpoint Therapeutics, backed by Sanofi and Vertex, is dedicated to developing precision small-molecule medicine. By utilizing the Advanced Covalent Exploration platform, chemoproteomics, and machine learning they are able to identify new covalent binders and build out the existing knowledge of covalent compounds. With financing ample enough to last through 2025, Matchpoint is well-positioned for continued advancements. 

https://matchpointtx.com/ 

Ascidian, led by CEO Romesh Subramanian, addresses genetic disorders by efficiently replacing mutated exons with wild-type exons through RNA trans-splicing, offering an approach distinct from traditional gene therapies. This exon swap in the RNA transcripts encodes proteins, allowing for it to target ABCA4 retinopathy.  

https://ascidian-tx.com/ 

Alterome Therapeutics, based in San Diego, is tackling hard-to-reach cancer targets in the "alterome,” hence their name. Their unique tool, The Kraken, gives detailed insights into how molecules interact at the atomic level, making predictions for ligand activity and binding modes. They are guided by Scientific Advisory Board member Paul Workman, a pioneer of precision cancer treatment.  

https://www.alterome.com/ 

Actio Biosciences stands out by focusing on rare diseases, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2C. With their proprietary technology and deep genetics expertise, they are developing therapies addressing shared biology in both rare and common diseases. CEO David Goldstein highlights that Actio's approach aims to address challenges in drug discovery by de-risking and guiding therapeutic expansion from rare diseases to more common conditions. 

https://actiobiosciences.com/ 

Initial Therapeutics distinguishes itself by targeting undruggable proteins through its STOPS platform. This allows them to find small molecules that stop the creation of target proteins, avoiding the need to deal with fully formed proteins' activity or complex structures. Launched by Apple Tree Partners, Initial Therapeutics brings innovation to drug discovery. 

https://initialtx.com/ 

Unlock more time for your scientists to focus on breakthroughs and major innovations like these with BioProcure and Prendio! Built with years of experience collaborating with scientists and finance leaders in the life science industry, Prendio’s procurement software combined with BioProcure’s outsourced services is the ultimate way to cut costs effectively, getting your team back in the lab where they belong. Schedule a demo to learn more.