Axelyf, Inc., a next-generation RNA therapeutics biotech, has raised $2.6 million in seed funding, a round led by Brunnur Ventures with participation from Omega ehf and Silfurberg ehf. The round is set to expand to $4.1 million this fall, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company’s pioneering work in RNA drug delivery.

Pioneering a New Era of RNA Delivery

Founded in 2022 in Iceland and now headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts, with an R&D arm still in Iceland, Axelyf is working to solve one of the biggest challenges in biotech: how to deliver RNA safely and effectively to tissues beyond the liver. Their proprietary AXL technology is at the heart of this mission.

AXL is a library of novel ionizable lipids built to achieve higher penetration, better potency, and improved safety. In preclinical studies, these lipids have demonstrated four to five times higher gene editing efficiency than the industry benchmark LP-01 - currently used in Phase 3 trials. Even more impressive, this was achieved at lower doses and without triggering liver toxicity, an obstacle that has long slowed broader adoption of RNA-based therapeutics.

Complementing this chemistry innovation, Axelyf has built ANNA™ (Artificial Network for Nanoparticle Assessment), an AI-driven model designed to predict lipid nanoparticle performance. ANNA has already outperformed previous computational methods in optimizing formulations, giving Axelyf a dual advantage: stronger delivery vehicles and faster, smarter iteration cycles.

It’s here that founders across industries can take an important lesson. Breakthroughs often happen not by focusing on one lever of innovation but by deliberately layering technical mastery with systemic tools that accelerate learning and reduce risk. Axelyf’s team understood that developing better lipids alone would not be enough. By pairing chemistry with AI-driven predictability, they built a platform that investors and partners can trust - not just a promising drug component, but an ecosystem for scaling future therapies. For any founder, the real defensibility comes not from a single innovation but from orchestrating multiple layers that solve the downstream challenges competitors overlook. That approach creates both scientific credibility and business resilience.

Transforming the RNA Therapeutics Landscape

RNA therapeutics represent one of the fastest-growing frontiers in medicine. But despite scientific enthusiasm, the sector has been bottlenecked by delivery challenges - especially in extrahepatic tissues. Axelyf’s AXL lipids and ANNA platform directly address these hurdles, offering a pathway for RNA therapies to reach new disease categories, from autoimmune conditions to complex genetic disorders.

Dr. Örn Almarsson, CEO of Axelyf and former delivery science leader at Moderna during the COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough, is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation. His experience navigating RNA delivery at scale has given Axelyf the operational clarity to avoid pitfalls that slow many biotechs.

Strategic Backing and Next Steps

The participation of Brunnur Ventures and the addition of founding partner Árni Blöndal to Axelyf’s board bring both capital and seasoned strategic guidance. This is a critical asset in an industry where investor expertise often matters as much as funding itself.

With the new capital, Axelyf plans to:

• Advance AXL-003, its lead autoimmune candidate, into non-human primate studies.
  
• Expand development of biodegradable and extrahepatic lipid nanoparticles.
  
• Build strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical partners seeking superior RNA delivery platforms.
  

These steps will not only strengthen the company’s pipeline but also position it as a preferred partner for larger players in the biotech ecosystem.

The Broader Implications

Axelyf’s trajectory highlights a truth that transcends biotech: innovation thrives where precision and scalability intersect. For startups across sectors, the blueprint is clear - pair breakthrough ideas with tools that derisk execution, and build credibility by solving industry-wide bottlenecks, not just niche problems.

With this $2.6M seed round (and its expected $4.1M extension), Axelyf has moved closer to becoming a critical enabler in the RNA therapeutics revolution. By blending rigorous science, AI-powered prediction, and strategic investor alignment, the company is setting the stage for RNA therapies to reach more patients, more safely, and more effectively than ever before.