Enodia Therapeutics has raised €20.7 million (about $25 million) in a seed financing to advance a discovery platform that uses proteomics and machine learning to develop small molecules that degrade disease-driving proteins at the point of synthesis. The round was co-led by Elaia, Pfizer Ventures, and Bpifrance as part of its InnoBio investment strategy, with participation from Wallonie Entreprendre, Argobio Studio, MACSF, The Institut Pasteur, InvestSud, Sambrinvest, and Mission BioCapital.
Based in Paris and built on science from the Institut Pasteur, Enodia’s platform is designed to selectively modulate the SEC61 translocon, a key gateway that directs secreted and transmembrane proteins into the secretory pathway. The company says its approach combines machine-learning-driven selectivity, proteomics-based secretome analysis, and structural validation to guide rational drug design, aiming to address previously “undruggable” secreted and membrane protein targets across high-unmet-need diseases.
Enodia said it plans to advance its lead program over the next year toward preclinical candidate selection as it builds a broader pipeline, initially focused on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, with additional opportunities in oncology and viral infections. The company was created by Argobio Studio and The Institut Pasteur, with early platform and translational work supported by Mission BioCapital’s Platinum Program.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are grateful for the strong support and confidence from our investors, which reflects their conviction in our scientific approach and team. 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.”
Yves Ribeill, Chief Executive Officer, Enodia Therapeutics
“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.”
Florian Denis, Partner, Elaia
“Our investment reflects strong interest in Enodia’s differentiated approach addressing disease by controlling protein secretion and enabling precise targeting of pathogenic proteins. 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.”
Irena Melnikova, Partner, Pfizer Ventures
“Enodia is tackling a significant unmet medical need by targeting the secretion pathway at the initiation of protein synthesis. 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.”
Olivier Martinez, Senior Investment Director, Bpifrance
“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.”
Valentin Tonnel, Investment Manager, WE Venture Life Sciences (Walloon public investor consortium)
