Biotech firm Athernal Bio raises £3.5m from Delin Ventures
At a glance
This article covers launch funding on 1 October 2025 for Athernal Bio, a Cambridge-based biotech developing targeted immunotherapies for high-risk clonal haematopoiesis, founded by Nirupa Desai and Ieuan Walker. The company raised £3.5m from lead investor Delin Ventures.
What does Athernal Bio do?
Athernal Bio develops targeted immunotherapies to treat high‑risk clonal haematopoiesis in vulnerable patient groups. Its primary use is to target and remove abnormal blood cell clones to prevent progression to blood cancer.
Why is Athernal Bio useful?
Problem
People with high-risk clonal haematopoiesis risk progression to acute myeloid leukaemia and other blood cancers. There are no targeted treatments to prevent this progression.
Solution
Athernal Bio explains that it is developing targeted immunotherapies to treat high-risk clonal haematopoiesis before cancer becomes established. The programme aims to validate efficacy in vivo and advance to clinical trials for high-risk patient groups.
How much did Athernal Bio raise?
Athernal Bio raised £3.5m in launch funding from founding investor Delin Ventures. This makes it the 1st largest funding round in October 2025 (4 recorded). The deal is also 265th among UK investments this year (475 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 1 October 2025.
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Who invested in Athernal Bio?
The key investors were:
- Delin Ventures: A venture capital firm that invests in life sciences and longevity-focused biotechnology companies. It is the founding investor in Athernal Bio.
In the funding announcement, Jonathan Hay from Delin Ventures said:
Clonal haematopoiesis represents a pivotal yet underserved frontier in oncology and longevity. Delin is committed to supporting Athernal Bio because the science is compelling, patient need is urgent, and the potential clinical impact could be substantial.
The investor added that with an approach designed to intervene before cancer develops in high-risk patients and a team experienced in drug development, Athernal Bio is positioned to deliver a first targeted therapy in this emerging field, and that Delin will continue to support the company.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of biotech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of biotech angel investors in the UK
Who founded Athernal Bio?
The founders of Athernal Bio are Nirupa Desai, MD, PhD, Ieuan Walker, MD and Colin Freund. Colin Freund is the CEO.
In the funding announcement, Colin Freund, CEO of Athernal Bio explained:
Athernal Bio is pioneering the treatment of high-risk clonal haematopoiesis with targeted immunotherapies. This represents a meaningful shift in oncology, moving away from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
The company continued the funding will allow it to advance into in vivo validation and accelerate its path toward the clinic.
In the funding announcement, Nirupa Desai, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Athernal Bio said:
CH is a well-recognised precursor to blood cancer, but no targeted treatment options currently exist. Patients can often live for years under the weight of knowing their condition could progress to AML, without any way to intervene.
The company continued it aims to develop an immunotherapy that directly targets high-risk CH to stop cancer before it starts.
Where is Athernal Bio based?
Athernal Bio is based in Cambridge, UK.
What sector is Athernal Bio in?
Athernal Bio operates in the biotech sector. Biotechnology develops medicines and therapies using living cells and biological processes. Simply put, it makes medical treatments using biology to prevent and treat illness.
Key trends and challenges in Biotech:
Shift towards early intervention and prevention in oncology
Biotech companies are developing therapies to stop cancer early, for example targeting clonal haematopoiesis that affects 10-20% of over-65s.
Biomarker and patient identification
Detecting high-risk people needs precise biomarkers and wide screening, like targeted blood tests for older adults.
Regulatory and trial-design barriers for preventive therapies
Prevention trials require years of follow-up and new endpoints, delaying approvals and increasing costs.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the biotech startups in the UK.
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