Biotech Cyclana Bio raises £5m co led by NfX and Eka VC
This article covers a pre-seed funding round on 20 October 2025 for Cyclana Bio, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company pioneering tissue-level approaches to women’s health, founded by Dr. Léa Wenger and Prof. Kevin Chalut. The company raised £5m in a round co-led by NfX and Eka VC.
What does Cyclana Bio do?
A whole tissue-based platform that builds functional disease models from menstrual fluid and lab samples. It uses AI and integrated data to identify targets for development of tissue-level treatments.
Why is Cyclana Bio useful?
Problem
Women face chronic, painful endometriosis that affects one in ten and lacks effective treatments. Disease biology at the tissue level is poorly understood, so drug discovery misses key targets.
Solution
Cyclana Bio explains that it builds whole-tissue disease models from menstrual fluid and lab work to study tissue mechanisms. This helps identify early biomarkers and druggable targets to develop better treatments.
How much did Cyclana Bio raise?
Cyclana Bio raised £5m in a pre-seed round, co-led by NfX and Eka VC alongside existing backers. This makes it the 24th largest funding round in October 2025 (55 recorded). By size, the round comes in 238th for 2025 (527 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 20 October 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Cyclana Bio?
Key investors include the following:
- NfX: A venture firm that invests in early-stage technology companies, often backing businesses that leverage network effects.
- Eka VC: An early-stage venture capital firm that backs science and technology startups.
- Cocoa VC: A seed-stage investor focused on supporting startups in healthcare and technology.
- Wilbe: A venture investor providing capital to early-stage life sciences and health-technology companies.
- Angel investors: A group of angel investors specialising in life sciences and women's health.
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 Cyclana Bio?
The founders of Cyclana Bio are Prof. Kevin Chalut and Dr. Léa Wenger.
In the funding announcement, Dr. Léa Wenger, CEO and Co-Founder of Cyclana Bio explained:
“Our mission at Cyclana is not just to close the gender health gap but propel women to the forefront of drug discovery. We are redefining how therapies are developed, starting with the basic science, by zooming out and studying disease at the level where it truly emerges: the tissue itself,”
The company continued that by raising venture capital as its first source of financing it is building a model with the patient at the centre and intends to generate a pipeline to bring new treatments to the clinic.
In the funding announcement, Prof. Kevin Chalut, CSO and Co-Founder of Cyclana Bio said:
“Our goal is not just to develop new treatments, but to change the framework of biomedical discovery itself. By starting with women’s health, we’re addressing one of the greatest unmet needs in medicine.”
The company continued that the approach aims to set the stage for a broader transformation in how chronic disease is understood and treated.
Where is Cyclana Bio based?
Cyclana Bio is based in Cambridge, UK.
What sector is Cyclana Bio in?
Cyclana Bio operates in the biotech sector. The sector uses biology to develop medicines, tests and health technologies. In plain terms, it turns scientific discoveries into treatments people can use.
Key trends and challenges in Biotech:
Tissue-level and organoid models
Researchers are using 3D tissue and organoid models to mimic human disease more accurately, helping find drug targets.
Under-researched women’s health conditions
Conditions like endometriosis affect one in ten women, yet biology remains poorly understood and treatments are limited.
AI and multi-scale data integration
AI combining genetic and imaging data can speed discovery but faces data quality and regulatory hurdles.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the biotech startups in the UK.
They've invested in Cyclana Bio
Get to know these biotech investors
| Investor | Sector | Stage | Activity | Team | Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 NfX | 5 investment(s) investment(s) | 8 contacts contacts | |||
 Eka VC | 1 investment(s) investment(s) | more info |
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