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§ Private Profile · Basel, Switzerland
Rhygaze is a technology company.
RhyGaze is focused on gene therapy for vision restoration, utilizing optogenetic proteins and gene therapy tools to restore sight for patients with retinal diseases.
Rhygaze has raised $97.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Rhygaze has raised $97.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Rhygaze has raised $97.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $86.0M Series A in January 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2025 | $86M Series A | — | Edward VAN Wezel, BGV (biogeneration Ventures), Forbion, Novartis Venture Fund, Seventure Partners | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2024 | $11M Seed | — | Edward VAN Wezel, BGV (biogeneration Ventures), Forbion, Novartis Venture Fund, Seventure Partners | Announced |
Rhygaze has raised $97.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Rhygaze's investors include Edward Van Wezel, BGV (BioGeneration Ventures), Forbion, Novartis Venture Fund, Seventure Partners.
RhyGaze is a biotechnology company developing gene therapies for retinal diseases causing blindness, with a lead candidate using optogenetics to restore light sensitivity in cone cells responsible for high-acuity vision.[1][2][3] Based in Basel, Switzerland, and Philadelphia, PA, USA, it serves patients with various genetic forms of blindness by delivering a novel light-sensor gene specifically to damaged cone cells, aiming to repair their light-detection ability and potentially restore functional vision.[2][4] The company has shown strong growth momentum, securing a CHF 10 million seed round in 2024 co-led by BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) and Novartis Venture Fund (NVF), followed by an $86 million Series A led by GV (Google Ventures), Arch Venture Partners, and F-Prime Capital.[3][5][6]
RhyGaze emerged as the first spin-out from the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), founded on pioneering research by IOB scientists Botond Roska, M.D., Ph.D., Bence György, M.D., Ph.D., and Charles Gubser, who combined optogenetic proteins—engineering photosensitivity into cells—with targeted gene therapy tools for the human eye.[1][3][4] The idea originated from IOB's deep retinal biology expertise, addressing how cone cells lose light sensitivity across multiple blindness-causing diseases, with intellectual property exclusively licensed from the institute.[2][3] Early traction came swiftly with the 2024 seed funding, enabling initial development, and pivotal leadership was added via CEO Katherine High, former co-founder and head of R&D at Spark Therapeutics, which developed Luxturna—the first FDA-approved gene therapy for a genetic disease.[3][4]
RhyGaze rides the optogenetics and gene therapy wave in ophthalmology, targeting a massive unmet need in retinal diseases affecting millions worldwide, where cone-targeted restoration could enable high-acuity vision beyond mutation-specific fixes.[2][3][4] Timing aligns with regulatory successes like Luxturna and maturing AAV vectors for eye delivery, amplified by market forces such as aging populations driving blindness prevalence and investor appetite for platform therapies with multi-disease potential.[3][4][6] It influences the ecosystem by validating IOB's model for academic spin-outs, accelerating biotech innovation in Basel's hub, and paving the way for optogenetics in neurodegeneration beyond vision.[1][5]
RhyGaze is poised to advance its lead candidate into first-in-human trials, supported by Series A funds for tox studies, endpoint validation, and safety/efficacy testing, potentially yielding proof-of-concept data in 2-3 years.[3][6] Trends like AI-optimized vectors and combo therapies will shape its path, expanding addressable patients and de-risking scale-up. Its influence could evolve from pioneer to category leader if preclinical vision restoration translates clinically, transforming blindness treatment globally and inspiring more IOB spin-outs—echoing its mission to restore vision and change lives.[1][3][4]