In a bold move redefining the frontiers of RNA-based therapeutics, HAYA Therapeutics has announced a $65,000,000 Series A funding round, led by an elite syndicate including Sofinnova Partners, Earlybird Venture Capital, Eli Lilly and Company, ND Capital, LifeLink Ventures, Apollo Health Ventures, Longview Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, 4See Ventures, Bernina BioInvest, and Schroders Capital. The round is a significant endorsement of HAYA’s mission to develop precision medicines that target the regulatory genome - a largely uncharted territory in genomic science.

Founded by Samir Ounzain, HAYA Therapeutics is built on groundbreaking insights into long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) - the so-called "dark matter" of the genome. By tapping into this hidden layer of genetic regulation, the company is pioneering a new class of RNA therapeutics aimed at reprogramming disease-driving gene expression.

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The Unlocked Potential of the Regulatory Genome

While traditional RNA therapeutics have focused on coding regions of DNA, HAYA’s approach goes deeper. Their discovery engine targets lncRNAs that control cellular identity and state - positioning the company to tackle diseases that current modalities cannot reach.

The company’s lead program focuses on fibrotic diseases, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition that affects over 25 million people worldwide and has no approved disease-modifying therapies. HAYA’s ability to modulate fibrosis at its genetic root offers hope for a disease that has long baffled researchers and clinicians.

According to Global Market Insights, the global RNA therapeutics market was valued at approximately $6.2 billion in 2021, with projections expecting it to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8%, reaching nearly $12 billion by 2030. Much of this growth is driven by increasing interest in non-coding RNA targets, including lncRNAs, as researchers uncover their vast influence over gene expression and disease pathology.

Further data from Evaluate Pharma indicates RNA therapeutics could represent 15% of all newly approved drugs by 2030, emphasizing the field’s momentum. In particular, the fibrosis therapeutics market is expected to hit $15.8 billion by 2026, reflecting the enormous unmet need.

"We’re not just targeting genes - we’re targeting the genomic architecture that determines whether those genes turn on or off," said Ounzain.

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What Makes HAYA Different?

"We’re not just targeting genes - we’re targeting the genomic architecture that determines whether those genes turn on or off," said Ounzain.

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What Makes HAYA Different?

Where most biotech startups latch onto known disease genes or well-characterized pathways, HAYA is blazing its own trail through the unexplored regulatory genome. Their proprietary discovery platform identifies functional lncRNAs and develops oligonucleotide therapeutics that silence or modulate them.

This gives HAYA two massive advantages:

1. Novelty – They’re uncovering new drug targets with IP and competitive barriers built in from day one.
   
2. Tissue Specificity – Their therapeutics show selective activity in diseased tissues, minimizing off-target effects.
   

That’s not just smart science - it’s de-risked drug development.

And here’s something most early-stage founders overlook: When you design from a novel mechanism of action, you gain leverage in downstream partnerships. Pharma isn’t just buying pipeline - they’re buying platform architecture. HAYA’s roadmap gives it platform value at biotech scale.

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Founders, Take Note: Platform vs. Product Thinking

For any biotech founder building at the frontier, HAYA’s strategy offers a powerful lesson: Start with an infrastructure-level hypothesis, not just a molecule.

Their long non-coding RNA platform isn’t just a tool to make drugs - it’s a lens to interrogate entire disease systems. That transforms the risk profile of each asset, and more importantly, it sets up the company to generate multi-asset pipelines under a single scientific umbrella.

Investors increasingly want to see not just asset potential, but platform leverage. That means founders should:

• Build modular discovery systems that unlock multiple indications
  
• Design early experiments to validate platform translatability, not just individual hits
  
• Partner where execution is capital-intensive, but retain core IP
  

HAYA’s capital-efficient structure - with partnerships spanning pharma, academia, and clinical sites - demonstrates how to scale both depth and breadth without burning cash unwisely.

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Series A Backers Bring More Than Just Capital

The $65M round was not just about check sizes - it’s about strategic alignment. Investors like Eli Lilly bring clinical and commercial scale, while others like Sofinnova and Earlybird add deep domain expertise in RNA biology and European biotech ecosystems.

This syndicate positions HAYA for:

• Clinical advancement of lead candidates in fibrosis and cardiometabolic disease
  
• Expansion into new therapeutic areas like oncology and immunology
  
• Global presence across the U.S., Europe, and Asia
  
• Potential licensing or M&A in 3–5 year horizons
  

With Phase 1 trials for their HFpEF candidate expected soon, HAYA is now shifting from a discovery-stage company to a clinical-stage one. That transition is notoriously treacherous - but also where the biggest value inflection happens.

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A Rare Play in Deep Biology

Most biotech startups chase low-hanging fruit. HAYA is climbing the evolutionary tree.

Targeting the regulatory genome is not only scientifically ambitious - it’s a bet on redefining the entire architecture of medicine. As AI, genomics, and RNA tech converge, HAYA stands at the intersection, building tools and therapies the field didn’t even know it needed a decade ago.

For other deep tech or biotech founders, the key takeaway is this: The most defensible innovations often start with the questions no one else is asking.

And when you align that contrarian insight with scalable technology, capital follows.