MILAN– NanoPhoria Bioscience, a Milan-based biotechnology company developing advanced nanomedicine therapeutics, has announced the first close of its €83.5 million Series A financing round — the largest Series A ever raised by an Italian biotech company. The round was co-led by XGEN Venture, Sofinnova Partners, and CDP Venture Capital, with participation from Panakès Partners and one undisclosed investor.
The funds will support the continued development of NanoPhoria’s lead therapeutic candidate, NP-MP1, through IND-enabling studies, early clinical trials, GMP manufacturing scale-up, and regulatory programs. NP-MP1 is a first-in-class peptide designed to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) by targeting cardiac L-type calcium channels to improve cardiac contractility and ejection fraction.
Delivered via NanoPhoria’s proprietary lung-to-heart nano-in-micro delivery platform, NP-MP1 has shown strong efficacy in preclinical models of heart failure. By directly targeting cardiomyocytes, the therapy addresses a root cause of HFrEF rather than merely treating symptoms. The condition affects millions worldwide and carries a five-year mortality rate of roughly 40 percent.
“This financing is a transformational milestone for NanoPhoria,” said Claudio De Luca, CEO and co-founder of the company. “It enables us to accelerate clinical development of NP-MP1 and expand our pipeline. Our innovative delivery platform allows us to reach cellular targets in the cardiomyocyte that were previously inaccessible, bringing us closer to life-changing treatments for patients living with serious cardiac and chronic conditions. We are profoundly grateful to our scientific founders, investors, board, and Chair, Suman Shirodkar, whose vision has helped shape NanoPhoria’s progress and ambition.”
“This investment perfectly aligns with XGEN’s strategy to lead early financing rounds in the most innovative Italian startups that address true medical needs,” said Paolo Fundarò, Managing Partner at XGEN Venture. “NanoPhoria’s science offers a novel, practical way to deliver potent therapeutics directly to the heart, and we’re excited to partner with such an outstanding syndicate of investors.”
“NanoPhoria’s platform has the potential to redefine treatment paradigms in cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, which is why we are thrilled to invest,” added Henrijette Richter, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners. “This financing builds on the early support from my colleague Lucia Faccio, whose work through the Sofinnova Telethon Strategy was instrumental in helping NanoPhoria take shape. The investment underscores Sofinnova’s broader commitment to backing world-class European science from early creation to late-stage growth.”
With this Series A financing, NanoPhoria plans to expand its proprietary nano-in-micro delivery platform beyond heart failure, targeting additional indications where precision delivery of peptide therapeutics can offer meaningful clinical benefits.
