Heavenly for Cellestial Health as it raises pre-seed funding
Summary
The equity round was led by Zinc VC, with the latest investment tranche supported by SFC Capital and independent angel investors from Alma Angels, a community supporting female founders.The funding will enable Cellestials mission to revolutionise how it treat brain disorders by shifting the therapeutic focus towards the inclusion of astrocytes in drug development.On top of this equity round, Cellestial was awarded \xa3340k in early-stage grant funding from Parkinsons UK and Cambridge Enterprise - the Universitys commercial arm - to further validate the strength of its science and commercial potential.Founder and CEO, Dr Nat Hastings and her team have built on years of academic research to validate their first drug target in Parkinsons disease. The company is developing brain-permeable small molecule drugs designed to restore normal astrocytic network function, a promising new pathway for neurodegenerative conditions.To drive its pipeline expansion, Cellestial Health has partnered with leading drug discovery experts including Charles River Discovery UK and the o2h discovery.A recent Kickstarter Award from o2h discovery enabled Cellestial Health to advance the development of its astrocyte-targeted small molecule pipeline. This collaboration brings together o2hs expertise in early-stage drug discovery and synthesis with Cellestials innovative approach to neuroprotective therapeutics.Dr Hastings said: Our approach stems from the urgent need for treatments that go beyond symptom management in Parkinsons. By targeting astrocytes essential brain cells that have traditionally been neglected in drug development, were opening new possibilities.Natalie Pankova, MD Deeptech & Healthcare, Zinc, said: Cellestial Healths approach to advancing the understanding and treatment of brain disorders that affect millions of people worldwide is at the core of Zincs investment thesis around tackling the most complex health challenges we face. We are delighted to be partnering with Nat and the team on their journey to impact at scale with a disruptive innovation that has the potential to improve the lives of millions.