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§ Private Profile · Cambridge, United Kingdom
Maxion Therapeutics is a technology company.
Maxion Therapeutics develops protein therapeutics, employing its KnotBody® technology to create antibody-based drugs. This platform fuses naturally occurring cysteine-rich miniproteins, or 'Knottins', into antibody binding loops. This targets ion channel and GPCR-driven diseases, overcoming discovery limitations by enhancing drug multifunctionality, potency, selectivity, and manufacturability.
Established on April 16, 2020, Maxion Therapeutics was co-founded by Dr. John McCafferty, CTO, and Dr. Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt, CSO. Their insight combined Knottins' natural evolutionary advantages, known for specific binding to ion channels and GPCRs, with antibody engineering. This integration, stemming from their backgrounds in antibody discovery, aimed to unlock new therapeutic avenues.
The company addresses unmet medical needs in chronic pain, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular diseases, where current treatments prove insufficient. Maxion Therapeutics' vision is to deliver transformative, safe, and efficacious long-acting drugs. They aspire to provide therapeutic solutions for previously untreatable diseases by effectively modulating undruggable biological mechanisms.
Maxion Therapeutics has raised $93.5M across 3 funding rounds.
Maxion Therapeutics has raised $93.5M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Maxion Therapeutics has raised $93.5M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Maxion Therapeutics's investors include General Catalyst, Business Growth Fund, Hummingbird Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Jonathan Milner, BGF, LifeArc, Monograph Capital.
Maxion Therapeutics has raised $93.5M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $75.0M Series A in March 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2025 | $75M Series A | General Catalyst | Business Growth Fund, Hummingbird Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Jonathan Milner | Announced |
| Apr 19, 2023 | $2.5M Grant | — | — | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2023 | $16M Series A | BGF, LifeArc, Monograph Capital | Hummingbird Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Jonathan Milner | Announced |
Maxion Therapeutics is a Cambridge, UK-based biotechnology company developing KnotBody® therapeutics, which are antibody-like proteins fusing venom-derived knottins (cysteine-rich mini-proteins) with antibodies to target previously undruggable ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).[1][2][4] It serves patients with ion channel- and GPCR-driven diseases, including chronic pain affecting ~1.5 billion people worldwide (with 64% inadequately treated), autoimmune disorders impacting over 300 million, inflammatory conditions like atopic dermatitis and inflammatory bowel disease, and cardiovascular diseases.[2][3][4] The proprietary platform solves technical challenges in modulating these targets, enabling potent, selective, long-acting drugs where traditional antibodies have failed despite heavy R&D investment.[1][2] Growth momentum includes founding in 2020 and raising $72 million (£58 million) in an oversubscribed Series A in 2025, led by General Catalyst with participation from British Patient Capital, Solasta Ventures, Eli Lilly, LifeArc Ventures, Monograph Capital, and BGF; lead program MAX001 is in preclinical development for inflammatory diseases.[2][3]
Maxion Therapeutics was founded in 2020 by biotech veterans Dr. John McCafferty (CTO, co-founder, inventor of antibody phage display technology—2018 Nobel Prize contributor via co-inventor Sir Greg Winter—and co-founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology, acquired by AstraZeneca, and IONTAS, acquired by FairJourney Biologics) and Dr. Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt (CSO, co-founder).[2][3][4] The idea emerged from their invention of KnotBody® technology, combining knottins' natural ion channel modulation with antibodies' manufacturability and half-life to address untreatable diseases like chronic pain, autoimmunity, and heart conditions where ion channel dysfunction plays a key role.[1][2] Early traction built on McCafferty's prior platforms (phage and mammalian display), leading to the 2025 Series A oversubscription, board additions from General Catalyst and British Patient Capital, and preclinical advancement of MAX001.[2][3]
Maxion stands out in biologics discovery through its KnotBody® platform, leveraging state-of-the-art phage and mammalian display to create multifunctional therapeutics with superior attributes:
Maxion rides the ion channel and GPCR therapeutics wave, where ~1.5 billion suffer pain and 300+ million face autoimmunity, but small molecules fall short and antibodies have seen zero clinical approvals despite billions invested.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with advances in display technologies and mini-protein engineering, amplified by post-2020 biotech funding resurgence; its 2025 Series A reflects investor confidence in platforms tackling high-unmet-need targets amid rising inflammatory and chronic disease burdens.[2][3] Maxion influences the ecosystem by pioneering KnotBody® for "undruggable" targets, potentially shifting biologics paradigms like phage display did for antibodies, and fostering collaborations (e.g., Eli Lilly investment).[2][4]
Maxion's preclinical momentum positions it for IND filings on MAX001 within 2-3 years, expanding its pipeline into clinic for pain, autoimmunity, and cardio via KnotBody® scalability.[2][3] Trends like AI-driven discovery and mini-protein hype will accelerate its path, with GPCR/ion channel focus capitalizing on aging populations and biologics dominance. Influence may grow through partnerships or acquisitions, mirroring founders' exits, evolving from platform pioneer to multi-asset biotech powerhouse—transforming untreatable diseases into addressable markets as its Series A fuels proof-of-concept data.[2][4]