Artica Therapeutics Closes €12M Seed Investment to Develop Covalent Therapeutics for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders

Artica Therapeutics B.V. (Artica), a biotechnology company unlocking the power of medicines with insurmountable binding characteristics, today announced it has raised €12 million in Seed financing. The round was co-led by Thuja Capital and Seroba, with participation from InnovationQuarter and founding investor BGV. Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance Artica’s small molecule pipeline of novel covalent therapies. Artica’s board of directors will include Michel Briejer (Thuja), Alan O’Connell (Seroba), Diede Brunen (BGV), and Tjeerd Barf (Artica).

At Artica, we have created a unique approach to developing covalent drugs. We have more than a decade of experience in covalent binding technology, unique assay capabilities, ability to select optimal targets and importantly a track record of successful delivery of approved and marketed covalent-based drugs. We have a patient-centric approach, and the primary goal is to advance our innovative new drug candidates for patients suffering from severe inflammatory or immunological conditions. We are confident that we have the right partners in our syndicate to support us in executing our vision.

Tjeerd Barf, co-founder and CEO of Artica

Artica’s team harbours top-notch expertise regarding covalent drug development, which is an important reason to invest in Artica. We are extremely happy to be able to support Artica’s mission to develop better treatments addressing unmet medical needs.

Michel Briejer, Managing Partner at Thuja

Alan O’Connell, a Partner at Seroba said: “We have been tracking the covalent space for some time and were attracted by the ability of Artica to harness its huge potential. We believe this approach can help identify the next generation of therapies required to address the significant unmet needs in autoimmune disease,” he added, “The quality and track record of the Artica team was also a key attraction, and we look forward to working with Tjeerd and the team to unlock the promise of their technology.”

About Artica Therapeutics

Artica Therapeutics B.V. and its seasoned team started operations in 2020 and was supported by pre-Seed financing from BioGeneration Ventures. Artica is dedicated to developing novel small molecule medicines for inflammatory and autoimmune indications. Artica is at the forefront of covalent binding technology as well as in label-free cellular-based screening approaches. The unique combination of these capabilities allows rapid progression of the best drug candidates that have unprecedented and superior characteristics, creating novel and highly selective therapies for patients with unmet medical need.

About Thuja Capital

Thuja Capital Management (Thuja Capital) manages several venture capital funds aimed at building and scaling companies in the fields of (bio)pharmaceuticals, medtech and digital health. In addition to generating a financial return for its investors, Thuja’s investments aim to positively impact the health and well-being of patients. Thuja serves physicians and patients worldwide by providing capital and support to daring entrepreneurs with ground-breaking product concepts.

About Seroba

Seroba is a European life sciences venture capital firm based in Dublin and Paris, investing its fourth Fund. We focus on value creation through backing cutting-edge biotech and medtech innovation that will transform the treatment of unmet medical needs. Our team has deep industry and operational experience and an extensive global network. We like to work with entrepreneurs who share our passion for success and for investors who share the same goal of improving human health while driving financial returns.

Further information about Artica Therapeutics

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