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Evolved metabolites hold the answers to medicines for vast numbers of diseases. We discover them.

Many of the proteins and signaling pathways that cause human disease are known, but have remained out of reach for drug discovery. Yet, evolution has created elegant solutions to many of these “undruggable” targets. Secondary metabolites – chemical compounds produced by microbes – can be used to uniquely inhibit proteins involved in human disease. Now, we have a way to find them and develop them into medicines.

Our Platform

Genomics

We are sequencing thousands of microbial genomes to build a diverse database.

Machine Learning

Our proprietary algorithm searches genomes for small molecule inhibitors of selected target proteins.

Synthetic Biology

Our unique heterologous expression (HEx) platform enables us to efficiently produce new molecules.

Drug Discovery

Our team of leading scientists optimizes these potent molecules and develop them into therapeutic compounds.

Transformative Medicines

We aim to bring to patients novel medicines with the power to treat some of the most challenging diseases.

Leadership

Our diverse team combines computational biology and experimental investigation with deep expertise at the intersection of these fields.

Meet our team on LinkedIn

Learn More

Board of Directors

David Goeddel, PhD, Chairman

Managing Partner, The Column Group

Maureen Hillenmeyer, PhD

CEO & Co-Founder, Hexagon Bio

Juan Jaen, PhD

President, Arcus Biosciences

Jakob Loven, PhD

Managing Partner, Nextech Invest

Brian Naughton, PhD

Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder, Hexagon Bio

Millie Ray, PhD

Partner, The Column Group

Alex Kolicich

Founding Partner, 8VC

Scientific Advisory Board

William C. Hahn, M.D., Ph.D.

William Rosenberg Professor of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

John Josey, Ph.D.

Venture Partner, The Column Group

Steven McKnight, PhD

Distinguished Chair in Basic Biomedical Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Marnix Medema, PhD

Professor of Bioinformatics at Wageningen University & Research

Eva Nogales, Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley; Senior Faculty Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Davide Ruggero, Ph.D.

Helen Diller Family Chair in Basic Cancer Research, UCSF
Professor, Department of Urology, UCSF

Frank C. Schroeder, Ph.D.

Professor, Boyce Thompson Institute
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University

Investors

We have assembled leading technology- and life science-focused investors who believe in and support our ambition to become the world-leading company in developing human therapeutics from metagenomes.

CPP Investments