News
09.09.2025
cellvie secures $5 Million in fresh capital from existing and new investors
Zurich, Switzerland – September 9th, 2025 – cellvie, a company pioneering therapeutics based on mitochondria, today announced the closing of a $5 million funding round, with participation from both existing and new investors. The round was led by Taiho Ventures, with major contributions from Kizoo Technology Capital, an existing investor, and Beiersdorf Venture Capital.
The fresh capital will enable cellvie to accelerate the clinical translation of its lead program in kidney transplantation, and to further hone its pipeline. A major share of the proceeds is earmarked for the transfer of the company’s proprietary mitochondria preparation process to a professional manufacturing partner to enable production under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) - a prerequisite for starting a clinical trial.
“The additional investment is a testament to the progress we have made in advancing mitochondria as a new therapeutic modality,” said Dr. Alexander Schueller, Founder and CEO of cellvie. “I am proud of the team’s accomplishments and thrilled about the support from old and new partners as we work to unlock the full potential of mitochondria.”
Sakae Asanuma, President & CEO of Taiho Ventures added “The platform-potential of mitochondria has been particularly compelling to us, offering the prospect of treating a wide variety of disease-pathologies beyond transplantation. This round will allow the company to keep up the pace and shorten the time to the clinic”.
cellvie developed off-the-shelf human cell line derived mitochondria as a scalable biologic and is advancing two main programs. The first targets ischemia-reperfusion injury, a leading cause of death worldwide that arises when blood supply returns to tissue after a period of restricted flow. Administering active mitochondria at the time of reperfusion was shown to rescue cells and protect organ function. The initial indication is in kidney transplantation, but the same underlying insult also occurs in conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, or complex surgical procedures - together affecting more than three million patients each year in the US and Europe alone, who could potentially benefit from the therapy. In parallel, supported by a CHF 1.5 million Innosuisse grant, the company is developing a mitochondria-enabled gene delivery platform that leverages the organelle’s unique biodistribution and efficient cellular uptake.
With this financing, cellvie is accelerating towards clinical translation of its lead asset. To support the next phase of development - including the completion of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in kidney transplantation - cellvie intends to initiate the next financing later this year.
About cellvie
Headquartered in Zürich, cellvie is a Harvard Medical School spin out and pioneer in mitochondria-based therapeutics, developing allogeneic cell-line derived frozen mitochondria as a scalable and shelf life stable medicinal product. The team is focusing on ischemia-reperfusion injury as the technology’s first application - a thus far intractable disease pathology and leading cause of death arising in heart attacks, stroke, or organ transplantation. cellvie believes in the platform potential of mitochondria honing a pipeline of applications in the fields of cell and gene therapy and longevity.
About Taiho Ventures
Taiho Ventures, LLC is a strategic corporate venture arm of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., focused on investing in early-stage companies and startups developing innovative therapeutic technologies. With a focus on oncology and related areas, Taiho Ventures supports entrepreneurs advancing transformative treatments with strong clinical and scientific potential.
About Kizoo Technology Capital
Kizoo Technology Capital is a venture capital firm supporting breakthrough biotech and rejuvenation technologies, with a focus on companies developing therapies to reverse age-related damage and extend healthy human lifespan. Kizoo actively supports companies that target the root causes of aging through science and innovation.
About Beiersdorf AG
Beiersdorf, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, has been shaping innovative skin care and skin research for over 140 years. More than 22,000 employees worldwide drive the success of leading international brands such as NIVEA, Eucerin, La Prairie, and Hansaplast, complemented by Aquaphor, Coppertone, and Chantecaille. With its subsidiary tesa SE, the company is also a globally leading manufacturer of technical adhesive tapes and provides self-adhesive solutions. Guided by its purpose “Care Beyond Skin”, Beiersdorf pursues a clear sustainability agenda aiming for Net Zero emissions by 2045 and fostering a more inclusive society.
Zurich, September 9th, 2025
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