At a time when funding for female-founded deeptech startups remains disproportionately low, Kyron.bio stands out. Its female founder is leading a science-first company tackling one of biologic medicine’s hardest challenges: immune rejection.
The biotechnology startup is aiming to solve molecular design problem by precisely engineering glycans—the sugar molecules that decorate the surface of therapeutic proteins.
Now it has announced a €5.5 million seed funding round, led by HCVC, with participation from Verve Ventures, Entrepreneur First, Saras Capital, and a range of experienced angel investors. The raise coincides with the launch of an EIC Transition project, supported by the European Innovation Council, giving the company a dual boost to advance its novel platform. Previously, the company raised €1.2 million in a pre-seed round.
The big problem: When the body fights the cure
At the heart of kyron.bio’s mission is a critical flaw in current antibody therapeutics. These are a key class of biologics designed to treat complex diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders by leveraging the precision of the immune system. But there’s a catch: the patient’s immune system can mistake these sophisticated therapies as threats and launch an attack.
This immune response is especially troublesome in chronic diseases where treatments are administered over long periods. For many patients, this means their bodies become resistant to therapies that could otherwise manage or cure their condition. Worse still, this immune reaction causes many promising drugs to fail in Phase I clinical trials, where safety is evaluated. According to a 2023 report by the European Medicines Agency, immunogenicity remains one of the leading causes of biologic drug attrition.
The breakthrough: Precision control of glycans
That’s where kyron.bio’s proprietary glycan-engineering platform comes in. The company has developed a method to exert unprecedented control over N-glycosylation, a natural process where sugar molecules are added to proteins in cells. In standard biopharma manufacturing, this process is inconsistent, producing a cocktail of glycan structures, some of which inadvertently trigger immune reactions or reduce the therapy’s effectiveness.
kyron.bio flips that script. By precisely defining which glycans are used, and ensuring over 97% consistency in the glycan structures on a drug’s surface, kyron.bio can prevent immune detection and improve therapeutic performance, all without altering standard manufacturing processes.
This plug-and-play solution is based on two core innovations:
- Novel engineered cell lines – The startup genetically modifies Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, commonly used in drug production, to fully control glycosylation. CHO cells are the workhorse of the biopharmaceutical industry, responsible for producing over 70% of therapeutic proteins globally due to their safety, scalability, and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications.
- A proprietary glycan-engineering toolbox – This allows the design of antibody drugs with improved resistance to immune attack and stronger performance, backed by robust IP. The toolbox enables pharmaceutical partners to design drugs with specific glycan “signatures” tailored for different therapeutic needs.
How kyron.bio transforms the future of drug design
With this level of molecular precision, kyron.bio opens up a new design space for biologics. This is especially significant for monoclonal antibodies, a rapidly evolving segment of biotech where drugs often feature complex, multi-target structures. These advanced designs offer potent benefits—but also raise the risk of immune rejection.
For pharmaceutical companies, kyron.bio offers a way to develop biologics that last longer, work better, and reach more patients, particularly those with conditions that require long-term therapy. In oncology, it could boost success rates in early clinical trials. In autoimmune disorders, it may enable life-long treatment options without fear of resistance.
The birth of this idea
Emilia McLaughlin, founder and CEO of kyron.bio, studied the rare parasite Trypanosoma brucei during her PhD at Institut Pasteur Paris. Very few labs in the world research these parasites, and after completing her doctoral work, Emilia saw an opportunity to apply her expertise in single-celled organisms to address challenges in drug development.
While working with the early-stage tech incubator Entrepreneur First, she engaged with major pharmaceutical companies and uncovered a critical bottleneck in drug design: the uncontrolled addition of sugar molecules (glycans) to the surface of therapeutics. Though glycans play a vital role in drug stability and function, their unpredictable nature compromises the safety, effectiveness and manufacturability of many medicines available today.
Emilia realised her deep knowledge of parasite biology could offer a solution. She founded kyron.bio to bring precision control of glycans to therapeutic drugs, paving the way for better, more reliable treatments for patients. The company partners with pharmaceutical companies to co-develop therapeutics with precision glycan engineering. This breakthrough approach gives drugmakers unprecedented control over glycosylation, unlocking new intellectual property opportunities and vastly improving drug performance.
As biologics become more powerful and more complex, the company offers a critical tool to ensure they are also safer, more reliable, and more accessible. With this funding round and EIC support, the startup is poised to bring its precision glycan engineering to the forefront of therapeutic design.
Alexis Houssou, Founder & Managing Partner at HCVC, said: “kyron.bio’s technology bridges a massive gap in therapeutics design. Their breakthrough in glycan control could shift the paradigm for antibody therapies, and we’re proud to support their vision.”
Dr. Emilia McLaughlin, CEO & Founder of kyron.bio, said: “To date, glycans have been massively under-exploited, limiting their potential in drug design. By achieving comprehensive control over glycosylation in a fully scalable manner, we have unlocked the possibility to use precision glycosylation in drug design. This transforms glycans into a design tool for the first time, opening up new treatment avenues for patients. Securing this fundraising round brings us closer to our goal of delivering precision glycan-engineered therapeutics to patients.”
