Syntax Bio announced an expanded Series A round and several leadership appointments across its executive team, board of directors, and scientific advisory board. The expanded round brings Syntax Bio’s Series A to $14.4 million and total funding to more than $25 million.
Syntax Bio is a synthetic biology company developing the next generation of cell therapies. The company’s proprietary Cellgorithm platform uses a CRISPR-based system to program and accelerate stem cell differentiation.
The expanded financing includes continued support from Astellas Venture Management, Illumina Ventures, DCVC Bio, Civilization Ventures, EGB Capital, Mansueto Office, and Portal Innovations.
New participants in the round include Draper Associates, Allegis Capital, LongGame, Mayo Clinic, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois Ventures, Exit Fund, Sigma Group, and Walder Ventures.
The funding will support further development of Syntax Bio’s Cellgorithm platform and help advance the company’s pancreatic beta cell therapy program for type 1 diabetes through preclinical proof of concept.
Syntax Bio also announced several leadership changes. Co-founder Ryan Clarke has transitioned from Chief Technology Officer to Chief Scientific Officer, where he will continue leading scientific strategy and stem cell therapy innovation.
Co-founder Nikolas Balanis has been elevated to Chief Technology Officer and will oversee the advancement of the company’s synthetic biology platform and AI-driven computational biology capabilities. Clarke and Balanis will report to John Craighead, who joined Syntax Bio as Chief Executive Officer in 2025.
The company also added Doug Doerfler and Pete Bodine to its board of directors. Doerfler is a biotechnology entrepreneur and executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience, including founding and leading MaxCyte. Bodine is Managing Director at Allegis Capital and has spent nearly two decades investing in and advising early-stage technology companies.
Melissa Carpenter and Everett Meyer have joined Syntax Bio’s scientific advisory board. Carpenter brings more than 30 years of experience in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, including prior leadership roles at ElevateBio, ViaCyte, Geron, and StemCells. Meyer is a physician specializing in stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy and serves as a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The financing and leadership additions come as Syntax Bio continues to build momentum through research and platform validation. The company recently announced a collaboration with Mayo Clinic, received a grant from Breakthrough T1D, and published peer-reviewed research in Science Advances describing its CRISPR-based Cellgorithm technology.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are pleased to expand our Series A with strong support from both new and existing investors. This financing enables us to accelerate sequential, endogenous gene activation technology, advance the first cell therapy discovered using the Cellgorithm platform and build collaborations to develop scalable regenerative medicines for serious diseases.”
John Craighead, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syntax Bio
“Syntax’s pioneering stem cell programming technology addresses the central constraint in regenerative medicine: the ability to reliably and efficiently generate functional cells at population scale. We are excited to support the company as it advances toward clinical translation and builds a category-defining longevity platform needed to realize century-long healthspans.”
Tim Draper, Founding Partner of Draper Associates
“These appointments strengthen our executive, strategic and scientific leadership at an important stage of growth. Ryan and Niko alongside co-founder Brad Merrill, Ph.D. have been instrumental in building Syntax Bio from the beginning, and these roles position each of them to lead the areas where they bring the greatest expertise and long-term value to the company. Doug and Pete bring deep experience in company building, capital formation and strategic oversight, while Melissa and Everett add leading expertise in stem cell biology and translational medicine. Together, this team strengthens our ability to scale Cellgorithm technology, advance our growing pipeline of cell therapies with collaborators and build a transformational cellular programming company.”
John Craighead, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syntax Bio
“Our focus is on building the future of regenerative medicine around cellular programming. With expanded capital and strengthened leadership, we are well positioned to accelerate Cellgorithm technology and pioneer cell therapies that eliminate disease and meaningfully extend healthy lifespans.”
John Craighead, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syntax Bio
