Terremoto Biosciences is a technology company.
Terremoto Biosciences has raised $255.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Terremoto Biosciences has raised $255.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Terremoto Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2021 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializing in covalent drug discovery and development.[1][2][3] It creates highly targeted small-molecule medicines using lysine-based covalency to achieve unmatched selectivity, potency, and efficacy against known drug targets and previously undruggable ones in oncology and genetic diseases.[1][2][4] The company serves the healthcare industry by developing best-in-class and first-in-class precision therapies, backed by $250M in funding from investors like OrbiMed, Third Rock Ventures, EcoR1 Capital, Cormorant Capital, and Novo Holdings, with its Series B round of $175M raised about 8 months ago as of mid-2025.[3] With 41 employees and a leadership team experienced in drug discovery and regulatory approval, Terremoto has advanced to clinical stages, including a next-generation PARP1 inhibitor showing clinical benefits in homologous recombination repair-deficient breast cancer patients.[2][3]
Terremoto Biosciences was established in 2021 by pioneers in covalent chemistry who helped pioneer lysine-based targeting, aiming to expand tractable drug targets beyond the rare cysteine amino acid to more abundant ones like lysine found in nearly all proteins.[1][4] Key leadership includes CEO Paul Baum, previously involved in cancer drug development at Pfizer and Schering-Plough, bringing deep expertise to translate science into therapies.[4] The idea emerged from recognizing limitations in existing covalent drugs, which mostly target cysteine, prompting a shift to lysine for broader applicability against undruggable diseases; early momentum came via a $75M Series A in 2022, followed by the oversized $175M Series B in 2023/2024, fueling clinical progress.[3][4]
Terremoto rides the wave of precision oncology and targeted protein degradation, where covalent chemistry unlocks "undruggable" targets amid rising demand for therapies beyond immunotherapy and ADCs.[1][4] Timing aligns with post-2020 biotech funding resurgence and advances in medicinal chemistry, amplified by needs for better PARP inhibitors amid resistance in HRD cancers.[3] Market forces like aging populations, genetic disease prevalence, and investor appetite for platform biotechs (evidenced by $250M raised) favor it, while its lysine innovation influences the ecosystem by broadening small-molecule potential, potentially accelerating first-in-class approvals and partnerships.[2][3][4]
Terremoto is poised for milestone readouts and potential partnerships, with its PARP1 program and pipeline expansions targeting oncology/genetic diseases likely driving Phase 2 data in 2026.[3] Trends like AI-aided chemistry and combo therapies will amplify its platform, evolving its influence from pioneer to category leader in covalent drugs. As a seismic shift in targeting, Terremoto's lysine engine promises to redefine undruggable targets, delivering the superior medicines its founders envisioned.[1][5]
Terremoto Biosciences has raised $255.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Terremoto Biosciences's investors include Bioluminescence Ventures, MPM Capital, OrbiMed, Pfizer Venture Investments, RA Capital, Samsara BioCapital, Third Rock Ventures, Vida Ventures.
Terremoto Biosciences has raised $255.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $180.0M Series B in November 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2023 | $180.0M Series B | Bioluminescence Ventures, MPM Capital, OrbiMed, Pfizer Venture Investments, RA Capital, Samsara BioCapital, Third Rock Ventures, Vida Ventures | |
| May 1, 2022 | $75.0M Series A | Bioluminescence Ventures, MPM Capital, OrbiMed, Pfizer Venture Investments, RA Capital, Samsara BioCapital, Third Rock Ventures, Vida Ventures |