CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Stylus Medicine, a new biotechnology company focused on in vivo genetic medicines, has launched with $85 million in funding to develop precision therapies that could expand access to cutting-edge treatments such as CAR-T cell therapy.
Backed by a $45 million Series A extension and an earlier $40 million Series A round, Stylus emerged from stealth mode on Tuesday. Founding investors RA Capital Management and Khosla Ventures were joined by six new participants, including major pharmaceutical venture arms Chugai Venture Fund, Eli Lilly and Company, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC.
Stylus aims to tackle one of the field’s biggest limitations: the complexity and cost of ex vivo manufacturing and viral delivery. Instead, the company is developing a novel in vivo approach using therapeutic-grade recombinases and targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery to insert large, multi-functional genetic payloads directly into patient cells. The goal is to enable durable, precise gene expression without the logistical hurdles of traditional cell therapies.
“Stylus was founded to rethink how we deliver genetic medicines—making them safer, more scalable, and accessible to more patients,” said Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Stylus. “Our in vivo platform eliminates the need for viral vectors and cell harvesting, significantly simplifying the treatment process and unlocking the full potential of therapies like CAR-T.”
The company’s lead programs will focus on developing in vivo CAR-T therapies, with longer-term ambitions to broaden the reach of gene editing and cell engineering technologies to a range of serious diseases.
Stylus was incubated by RA Capital’s venture creation engine Raven in collaboration with Khosla Ventures. RA Capital partner and Raven president Joshua Resnick described Stylus as having “the right team, capital, and strategy” to deliver on the promise of scalable, curative therapies.
Dr. Nuwaysir brings over two decades of experience in cell and gene therapy, having led companies such as BlueRock Therapeutics (acquired by Bayer), Cellular Dynamics (acquired by Fujifilm), and Ensoma. He also previously chaired the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
Joining him as chief scientific officer is Jason Fontenot, Ph.D., an immunology and gene therapy expert whose previous roles include CSO at Sangamo Therapeutics and Immusoft. He also held leadership positions at Juno Therapeutics and Biogen.
Industry veteran Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., an operating partner at Khosla Ventures, praised the team’s leadership and vision. “The field of genetic medicine has made enormous progress, but delivery and scalability remain major obstacles,” he said. “Stylus is taking those on directly, with the potential to bring transformative therapies to millions.”
With its platform in early development, Stylus now turns its attention to building a pipeline of therapeutic candidates while working toward translating its technology into real-world clinical applications.
