Aerska - Why we invested

We’re thrilled to share that Aerska has raised a $21 million in seed, co-led by Age1 and Backed VC, with participation from Blueyard, Lingotto Innovation, Kerna, Norrsken, PsyMed, and Speedinvest. 

But Ada Ventures was actually Aerska’s first investor. We invested at the end of last year, and before some of the leading health-tech investors in the world, because we were blown away by the team and their vision to redefine how neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are treated. 

As a pre-seed investor, we pride ourselves on spotting talent and vision and we’re excited to follow-on and support Aerska’s next phase of growth.

What Aerska does

Aerska develops RNA interference (RNAi) medicines that silence disease-causing genes to treat, delay, and prevent disorders of the brain. Historically, delivering genetic medicines to the central nervous system has been blocked by the blood–brain barrier; RNAi has succeeded in the liver, but its potential in the brain has remained out of reach... until now.

Aerska’s platform uses proprietary “brain shuttles” to enable systemic RNAi delivery and neuronal uptake. Because the method of delivery they're developing is straightforward and accessible, Aerska moves us closer to silencing harmful genes at scale, bringing conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s into therapeutic range.

Why it fits the Ada thesis

Aerska’s research is a meaningful step toward healthy ageing. We’re entering an era in which living to 100 could become far more common: from ~14,000 centenarians in 1950 to ~750,000 today, with millions projected in the coming decades. Preserving cognitive health is essential to quality of life at any age, and shifting from reactive care to preventative medicine is critical. We wrote about this in our piece on Bio-infrastructure here - Aerska is a strong fit with this thesis. 

We believe Aerska’s technology can be transformative. This is exactly the kind of ambitious, science-led innovation we back at Ada Ventures.

We believe in Aerska’s team and their ability to execute on the vision. They are experienced operators with relevant breakthroughs in RNAi and CNS drug discovery, plus they have a track record of major pharma partnerships. They've left important roles and groundbreaking companies to start Aerska.

• Jack O’Meara, CEO & Co-Founder — Co-founded Ochre Bio; closed $1B+ in pharma partnerships and advanced an RNAi pipeline for liver disease.
• Stuart Milstein, Co-Founder — RNAi pioneer; initiated brain-delivery efforts at Alnylam and developed industry-standard siRNA chemistry.
• Mike Perkinton, VP, Head of Research — 30+ years in neuroscience R&D; former Head of Discovery and Executive Director, Bioscience at AstraZeneca Neuroscience.
• David Coughlan, VP, Head of Early Development — 20+ years advancing programmes to clinical proof-of-concept; previously Head of Translation at Ochre Bio and CTO at Afimmune.

How did the investment happen?

I’ve been fortunate to have got to know Jack O’Meara for the last couple of years now and have been consistently impressed by his impact at Ochre Bio across technology, partnerships, and revenue. He’s also an Ada healthcare growth angel, which helped us build a strong relationship. Jack is a valued part of Ada Ventures and has forged close ties with portfolio founders including Alasdair Thong at MultiOmic.

Looking ahead

Aerska has already assembled a top-tier team and investor syndicate including Age1, a leading US longevity fund. Next up: progressing their first medicine into the clinic, initiating trials, and delivering value to patients.

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