Ono Venture Investment

Ono Venture Investment, established in 2020, serves as the corporate venture capital arm of Ono Pharmaceutical Company. Based in San Carlos, California, the firm focuses on investing in healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, with a particular emphasis on oncology, immunology, and neurology. Ono Venture Investment aims to support the development of innovative solutions in these sectors, building on Ono Pharmaceutical's commitment to delivering groundbreaking medicines.

Shunichiro Matsumoto

Executive Vice President

Hiroshi Yamamoto

President and CEO

Shunichiro Matsumoto

CEO

12 past transactions

Harness Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2025
Harness Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing a novel class of therapeutic RNAs known as SINEUPs®, which allow for precise upregulation of protein expression. This innovative technology provides a unique mechanism of action aimed at addressing challenging diseases, significantly broadening the druggable proteome. Harness Therapeutics focuses on central nervous system and ophthalmologic disorders but also sees potential applications across various therapeutic areas. By enhancing translation, their platform meets unmet medical needs and enables the creation of differentiated products that cannot be achieved with existing technologies.

AIRNA

Series A in 2024
AIRNA is a biotech company that is pioneering RNA editing therapies to improve the health of individuals suffering from both rare and common ailments.

Mozart Therapeutics

Series A in 2023
Mozart Therapeutics is a biotechnology startup dedicated to developing disease-modifying therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company focuses on a novel regulatory CD8 T cell network to create innovative CD8 Treg modulators aimed at treating a range of autoimmune conditions. By targeting a specific subset of T-lymphocytes, Mozart aims to restore long-term immune balance and prevent the progression of damage caused by autoreactive immune responses. Its pipeline includes first-in-class CD8 Treg modulators designed to delay the onset of autoimmune diseases and improve patient outcomes through advanced treatment options.

Violet Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2023
Violet Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage company focused on drug discovery for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It utilizes a unique platform that employs barcoded viral tracing to identify, map, and analyze cellular connectomes at a large scale. This innovative approach allows for detailed insights into cell-cell interactions at the single-cell level, which is crucial for advancing treatments for neuroinflammation. Co-founded by Mass General Brigham Ventures and researchers from Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Violet Therapeutics is dedicated to developing novel therapeutic targets that can lead to significant breakthroughs in CNS disease treatment.

Curreio

Series A in 2023
Curreio is a biotechnology company focused on drug discovery through advanced structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy. The company offers a platform that enables researchers to observe biological structures in their native state by freezing them without staining. This innovative approach facilitates the discovery and analysis of potential life-saving drugs, leveraging structural analysis techniques to enhance the drug development process. By providing cutting-edge technology, Curreio aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of drug discovery efforts in the biotechnology sector.

Mediar Therapeutics

Series A in 2023
Mediar Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on developing antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis. Founded in 2019, the company aims to provide innovative solutions by targeting key fibrotic mediator proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis in chronically damaged organs. Through its research and development efforts, Mediar seeks to enable medical practitioners to halt and potentially reverse critical fibrosis and related conditions, addressing a significant unmet need in the field of fibrotic diseases.

Switch Therapeutics

Series A in 2023
Switch Therapeutics is a biotechnology company established in 2020 and located in San Francisco, California. The company focuses on developing innovative RNA interference (RNAi) therapies aimed at transforming the treatment of various diseases, particularly those affecting the central nervous system and other systemic conditions with significant unmet medical needs. By integrating nucleic acid nanotechnology with RNAi science, Switch Therapeutics creates biomarker-gated genetic medicines designed to activate RNA molecules and therapies specifically in targeted cells. This targeted approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of treatments for central nervous system diseases, providing healthcare providers with advanced therapeutic options.

Casma Therapeutics

Series C in 2022
Casma Therapeutics, Inc. specializes in developing innovative therapeutic strategies centered on the natural cellular process of autophagy and lysosomal flux. By focusing on enhancing autophagy, the company aims to improve the clearance of unwanted proteins, organelles, and pathogens, thereby addressing the progression of various diseases. Its research targets several serious medical conditions, including lysosomal storage disorders, muscle disorders, inflammatory disorders, and neurodegeneration. Founded in 2017 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Casma Therapeutics is dedicated to creating effective treatment options that meet significant unmet medical needs in the field of drug discovery and development.

Photys Therapeutics

Series A in 2022
Photys Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing bifunctional small molecules that provide precise control over protein post-translational modifications. This innovative platform allows for the restoration of protein function, repair of cellular signaling pathways, and enhancement of the body's natural disease-fighting abilities. Co-founded by prominent chemist Amit Choudhary from the Broad Institute and the Longwood Fund, Photys is supported by a scientific advisory board that includes renowned experts from institutions such as MIT, Salk Institute, and Berkeley. The company's unique approach aims to advance therapeutic options in the healthcare industry, particularly by targeting kinases and potentially phosphatases, to address various diseases effectively.

Immunitas Therapeutics

Series B in 2021
Immunitas Therapeutics, Inc. is focused on developing targeted therapies for cancer patients through innovative single-cell analyses. Founded in 2019 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company utilizes a single-cell sequencing platform to explore the biology of immune cells within human tumors. This approach allows Immunitas to identify novel drug targets rooted in human biology and create key biomarkers that assist in selecting patients who may benefit from their therapies. By translating laboratory findings into clinical applications, Immunitas aims to address longstanding challenges in oncology and improve treatment options for complex cancers. The company is advancing multiple programs toward early human studies, leveraging expertise in antibody discovery and engineering to develop effective treatments.

Curreio

Venture Round in 2021
Curreio is a biotechnology company focused on drug discovery through advanced structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy. The company offers a platform that enables researchers to observe biological structures in their native state by freezing them without staining. This innovative approach facilitates the discovery and analysis of potential life-saving drugs, leveraging structural analysis techniques to enhance the drug development process. By providing cutting-edge technology, Curreio aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of drug discovery efforts in the biotechnology sector.

Mediar Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2021
Mediar Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on developing antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis. Founded in 2019, the company aims to provide innovative solutions by targeting key fibrotic mediator proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis in chronically damaged organs. Through its research and development efforts, Mediar seeks to enable medical practitioners to halt and potentially reverse critical fibrosis and related conditions, addressing a significant unmet need in the field of fibrotic diseases.
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