LongeVC invests in biotech to develop therapeutics in infectious diseases and oncology HelixNano

Latvian LongeVC has invested in the US AI-driven platform HelixNano, which allows to development of mRNA vaccines and therapies to boost the immune system’s power to fight infectious diseases, oncology, and other indications. 

Founded in 2013 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, by Hannu Rajaniemi, Nikolai Eroshenko, and Plural venture partner Carina Namih (who has left HelixNano, but continues to be involved as a member of the startup's board), HelixNano at first developing cancer immunotherapeutics, but pivoted in 2021, it to work on Covid-19 vaccines.

mRNA therapeutics focuses on creating the mRNA molecules that contain the instructions for making a protein. These molecules are placed inside tiny particles that are then introduced into the human body. The particles release the mRNA molecules into the cells, and the cells begin to produce the protein. The body recognizes this protein as foreign and produces an immune response that helps the body fight off the disease.

HelixNano's investors include Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI (creator of the ChatGPT AI language model), US-based startup accelerator YCombinator, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. 

LongeVC is a venture company with offices in Riga and Lugano (Switzerland). It was established in 2016 by Garri Zmudze, Sergey Jakimov, and Ilya Suharenko. A €35M fund backs startups at the early and seed stages across the US and Europe.