Ouroboros Family Founders Fund I has agreed to lead a $60 million Series A financing for Cytotheryx, a Mayo Clinic spinout developing a preclinical cell therapy platform to treat liver disease, with the deal unveiled during the 2026 Biotech Showcase in San Francisco. The company said the raise will fund the advancement of multiple programs toward the clinic, expand manufacturing infrastructure and GMP capacity, and support regulatory planning, alongside separate debt financing intended to grow its real estate footprint and enable additional manufacturing buildout.
Cytotheryx is developing a proprietary “bio-incubator” platform designed to produce scalable, functional human hepatocytes, and its pipeline includes a bioartificial liver support system for acute liver failure as well as “universal” liver cells intended for transplantation. Ouroboros said the investment aligns with its Community Wellness thesis and cited Cytotheryx’s platform differentiation and execution capabilities as key selection factors; subject to closing, Ouroboros plans to take a board observer seat and provide strategic advisory support through the development cycle.
“Cytotheryx represents a high-impact healthcare investment opportunity with substantial commercial potential,” said Richard Tannenbaum, managing partner at Ouroboros Family Founders Fund, pointing to limited existing solutions for significant unmet needs in liver disease. Cytotheryx CEO Dr. John R. Swart said the partnership and financing will provide resources to scale manufacturing and move multiple programs through critical development milestones on the path to clinical testing.
KEY QUOTES:
Cytotheryx represents a high-impact healthcare investment opportunity with substantial commercial potential. The Company has developed a differentiated technology platform that addresses a significant clinical need with limited existing solutions.
Richard Tannenbaum, Managing Partner, Ouroboros Family Founders Fund
We are pleased to partner with Ouroboros as we advance our cell therapy platform toward the clinic. This financing provides the resources necessary to scale our manufacturing capabilities and progress multiple programs through critical development milestones.
Dr. John R. Swart, CEO, Cytotheryx
