SeaBeLife, a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drug candidates designed to inhibit cellular necrosis, has closed a pre-Series A funding round, raising €2 million ($2.25 million). The investment was led by the historical investor iXLife, with participation from other longstanding backers, including Breizh Angels, WeLikeStartup, Angels Santé, and the Business Angels des Grandes Ecoles.
This financial milestone is designed to accelerate the company’s progress toward initiating clinical trials for two of its lead drug programs: one targeting dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the other focused on severe acute hepatitis.
The round also successfully onboarded new strategic investors, notably INEXT and Femmes Business Angels, the latter being recognized as Europe’s first women-only business angels’ network. Following this funding announcement, Marie-Pierre Sbardella, the general secretary of Femmes Business Angels, will join the SeaBeLife Strategic Committee.
This funding marks a critical step for SeaBeLife, providing the necessary resources to advance the development of the two drug candidates through the subsequent phases. The company has publicly stated its intent to commence its first clinical trial in 2026. This development trajectory is fueled by the firm’s pioneering approach to drug discovery. SeaBeLife specializes in developing novel small molecules that are unique in their ability to simultaneously target two major regulated cell death pathways: necroptosis and ferroptosis. This dual-targeted strategy is considered first-in-class, as there is currently no other dual inhibitor targeting both of these pathways available on the market.
The strategic focus of SeaBeLife is to address key medical needs in acute, rare, or chronic indications where there are currently limited or no therapeutic alternatives for patients. The potential of the company’s technology was recently highlighted at the start of 2025 when it delivered promising preclinical efficacy results for its SBL03 drug candidate. This specific drug is being developed to treat geographic atrophy, which represents a severe and advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration. The successful preclinical data provide a strong foundation for the planned movement into human clinical trials.
The company’s leadership views this financing as a decisive step toward the clinical stage. It validates its ambition to create a new generation of cutting-edge treatments capable of offering substantial protection to organs by blocking these two critical forms of programmed cell death.
Following the close of the pre-Series A round, SeaBeLife is now actively preparing for a subsequent Series A funding round to maintain and sustain this significant development momentum. The renewed support from long-term partners and the introduction of new investors clearly signal market validation for the unique value and transformative potential inherent in the company’s dual-targeted approach to therapeutic development.
New board member: Marie-Pierre Sbardella, general secretary of Femmes Busi-ness Angels, joins the SeaBeLife Strategic Committee.
KEY QUOTES:
“The renewed backing from our longstanding investors, together with the addition of new partners, is a clear signal of confidence in our vision and development strategy, and I am extremely grateful for their support. This fundraising is a decisive step towards clinical trials and reinforces our ambition to create a new generation of cutting-edge treatments capable of blocking two major pathways for programmed cell death. We are now actively preparing for a Series A funding round to sustain this momentum.”
Morgane Rousselot, PhD, CEO and co-founder of SeaBeLife
“We have backed SeaBeLife for several years and the latest in vivo data validates the value and potential of the company’s dual-targeted approach. By simultaneously blocking two forms of regulated cell death, SeaBeLife uniquely shields organs from damage, highlighting its transformative potential to provide patients with rare or chronic diseases with a new therapeutic option.”
Jean-Pierre Kinet, chairman of iXLife
“We at INEXT are impressed by SeaBeLife’s disruptive technology, which concurrently blocks two regulated cell death pathways, protecting the organs from serious diseases. Its first-in-class approach, which is supported by promising preclinical results, positions Sea-BeLife as a key player in the future of biotech. We are proud to have contributed to this fundraising and to support the company’s growth.”
Eric Valat, chairman of INEXT
