Tnuki Research · Updated July 2026
Which biotechs hired new research leadership in H1 2026 (and raised the money to back it)?
See which biotechs added new research leadership in H1 2026 and paired it with recent funding and lab expansion.
Why a new research chief is a buying signal
When a biotech names a new Head of R&D or Chief Scientific Officer, the first six months are a reset. New leaders rebuild their teams, re-examine inherited vendor relationships, and put their own stamp on how research gets done, which is precisely when they're open to new partners, platforms, and services.
What we cross-referenced
A leadership change alone is a soft signal. This map stacks it against two harder ones:
- A recent Series A/B raise — fresh capital means budget to deploy, not just intent.
- A lab build-out — new or expanding physical space signals research headcount and spend going up, now.
Companies showing all three are prioritized at the top; a leadership change plus one of the two lands in the middle tier.
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| Person | Company | Funding | Why now |
|---|---|---|---|
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)
|  BigHat Biosciences ↗ Growing 👥 51-200 AI-driven biologics company combining machine learning with automated wet-lab antibody design. | Series B $124.1M Series B extension closed Apr 28, 2025 (reported) · ~$99.3M total investment tracked (Crunchbase) · investors include Section 32, a16z, Amgen Ventures, BMS Last funding date Apr 28, 2025 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)
|  Antengene → Stable 👥 201-500 Commercial-stage biotech developing autoimmune, solid tumor, and hematology therapies. | Public Ticker Funding $80M upfront + near-term milestones from UCB (Mar 2026) · up to >$1.1B potential milestones Last funding date Mar 04, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Arbor Biotechnologies 👥 51-200 Gene-editing biotech developing next-generation genetic medicines for liver and CNS diseases. | Series C $73.9M Series C in March 2025; funding supports clinical development and CNS platform expansion. Last funding date 2025-03-18 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Medical Officer
|  Immutrin ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Biotech developing antibody therapy to deplete systemic amyloid deposits and reverse amyloidosis (ATTR-CM focus). | Series A £65M ($87M) Series A (Mar 24, 2026) · led by Frazier Life Sciences Last funding date Mar 24, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  GC Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Cell therapy company using TFome platform for programmable iPSC-derived medicines. | Series A $65M Series A (Sep 19, 2024) · $75M total · led by Cormorant Asset Management Last funding date Sep 19, 2024 | Reveal |
Reveal CSO / Interim COO
|  Infinitopes ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Clinical-stage precision cancer vaccine biotech using immunopeptidomics and AI/ML antigen discovery. | Seed $35.1M seed (Jan 2026) · co-led by Octopus Ventures & Amplify Bio · +$15.4M second close Last funding date Jan 21, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Head of Animal Operations
|  Neion Bio ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Biomanufacturing biotech engineering eggs as scalable biologics production systems. | Series A $23M Series A (Jun 11, 2026) · led by Caffeinated Capital · prior ~$11M seed/stealth reported Last funding date Jun 11, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Enodia Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Biotech developing small molecules that modulate SEC61 to redirect secreted/membrane proteins to early degradation. | Seed €20.7M Seed (Jan 2026) · co-led by Elaia, Pfizer Ventures, and Bpifrance Last funding date Jan 08, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Ailux ↗ Growing 👥 51-200 AI-native biotech building next-generation biologics/antibodies with proprietary AI platforms and wet-lab capabilities. | Acquired Up to $345M Eli Lilly bispecific-antibody collaboration (Nov 5, 2025) · wholly owned by XtalPi (2228.HK) Last funding date Nov 05, 2025 | Reveal |
Reveal Head of R&D
|  Mosaic Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Oncology therapeutics company developing synergistic precision drug combinations for biomarker-stratified cancers. | Series A $28M Series A (2023) · planned/active Series B referenced by company leadership sources Last funding date Apr 01, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Averna Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 51-200 RNA/LNP genomic medicine company developing safe-harbor gene insertion therapies. | Series A $82M Series A (Jun 25, 2024) · co-led by Novartis Venture Fund + Delos Capital · participation incl. OrbiMed, Insight Partners, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, CRISPR Therapeutics Last funding date Jun 25, 2024 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Alveus Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Clinical-stage biotech developing next-generation obesity and metabolic disease therapies for durable, tolerable outcomes. | Series A $160M Series A (Jan 8, 2026) · $197M total after oversubscribed second close (Feb 24, 2026) · led by New Rhein Healthcare Investors, Andera Partners, Omega Funds; Jeito Capital cornerstone in second close. Last funding date Feb 24, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
|  Poplar Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Clinical-stage immunology company developing next-generation anti-IgE antibody PHB-050 for atopic diseases. | Series A $45M Series A extension (Mar 2026) · $95M total Series A · led by Janus Henderson (extension) · new investor RA Capital · existing SR One/Vida/Platanus Last funding date Mar 03, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Technology Officer
|  Waypoint Bio ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 VC-backed cell therapy biotech building CAR-T and other cell therapies for solid tumors. | Series A $20M Series A (Jun 2026) · led by Amplify Partners · $34.5M total Last funding date Jun 01, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Vedana Therapeutics | Series A $46M Series A (Jun 2026) · co-led by Westlake BioPartners and Canaan Partners · Dawn Biopharma and Alexandria Venture Investments participated Last funding date Jun 17, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  BreezeBio ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Precision genetic medicines company using non-viral delivery to target clinically relevant tissues. | Series B $60M Series B (Feb 2026) · led by Yuanta Investment and DSC Investment · total investment reported around $120M Last funding date Feb 25, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Cofounder, Chief Scientific Officer, Board Director
|  Syntax Bio ↗ Growing 👥 1-10 Synthetic biology company programming stem-cell differentiation for next-generation cell therapies. | Series A $14.4M expanded Series A (Jun 2026) · >$25M total · new investors include Draper Associates, Allegis Capital, Mayo Clinic, Illinois Ventures Last funding date Jun 21, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Technology Officer
|  Fathom Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 AI and physics-based drug design company building small-molecule discovery programs. | Series A $47M Series A (Apr 2026) · led by Sutter Hill Ventures · Lilly Ventures later joined syndicate Last funding date Apr 27, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Founder, Board Director and Executive Advisor
|  Juvena Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Clinical-stage regenerative biologics company developing AI-enabled tissue-restorative therapies. | Series B $33.5M Series B (Jan 12, 2026) · $82.7M total raised (Crunchbase) · led by Bison Ventures Last funding date Jan 12, 2026 | Reveal |
Reveal Chief Scientific Officer
|  Mestag Therapeutics ↗ Growing 👥 11-50 Fibroblast immunology biotech developing therapies for cancer and inflammatory disease. | Series B $40M financing (Mar 2026) · >$95M total raised Last funding date Mar 17, 2026 | Reveal |
Frequently asked questions
Which biotechs hired new research leadership in H1 2026?
This research page identifies biotechs in H1 2026 that appointed a new Head of R&D or Chief Scientific Officer, with the change treated as a reset period for research strategy and execution.
How do you define a “buying signal” for biotech research leadership changes?
A new Head of R&D or CSO is a buying signal because it typically triggers team rebuilds, vendor re-evaluations, and new internal standards during the first six months.
What criteria are used to prioritize the biotechs on the map?
The prioritization is based on whether the leadership change is paired with a recent Series A/B raise and/or a lab build-out, with all three landing in the top tier.
Do you include biotechs that hired new research leaders but did not raise money?
Yes, but they are deprioritized: leadership change alone is treated as a soft signal, while leadership change plus a Series A/B raise or a lab build-out is a mid-tier signal.
What does the page look for regarding lab build-outs in H1 2026?
It flags new or expanding physical lab space as evidence that research headcount and spend may be increasing alongside the leadership transition.
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