Helex Raises $3.5M to Advance Kidney Gene Therapies

Helex, a therapeutics startup operating across the US and India, has secured an oversubscribed $3.5 million Seed round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and a network of global investors. This latest investment brings the company’s total funding to over $6 million to date.

The new capital will enable Helex to accelerate preclinical development of its lead therapeutic candidate, further advance its proprietary kidney-targeted LNP (lipid nanoparticle) delivery platform and Epic-Cure 3D genome-based drug design system, and broaden its pipeline across additional genetic kidney diseases.

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Born out of ASPIRE-BioNEST at the University of Hyderabad, Helex is redefining how chronic and rare kidney disorders are treated. The company is developing programmable, non-viral LNP therapeutics capable of delivering genetic payloads directly to kidney cells—an achievement long considered one of the most complex challenges in drug delivery system.

Its technology integrates deep-learning–driven modelling, proprietary genomics and bioinformatics data, and high-throughput sequencing from gene-edited cells to design, validate, and deliver disease-specific guide RNAs (gRNAs).

By enabling precise kidney-targeted genetic delivery, Helex aims to unlock a new generation of curative, targeted therapies for millions of patients lacking effective treatment options.

Founded in 2021 by Dr. Poulami Chaudhuri (CEO), Rohini Kalvakuntla (CBO), and Anirudh Nishtala (COO), Helex’s leadership team combines deep expertise in LNP delivery systems, genome editing, molecular biology, and drug development, along with strategic experience in healthcare policy and advanced therapy commercialization.