Enodia Raises €20.7M to Target Disease Proteins at Point of Synthesis

PARIS, France – January 08, 2026 – Enodia Therapeutics, a biotechnology firm pioneering a new method for drug discovery, has successfully secured €20.7 million (US$25 million) in seed financing. The funding round, co-led by heavyweight investors Elaia, Pfizer Ventures, and Bpifrance, will accelerate the company’s mission to develop small-molecule therapies that degrade disease-causing proteins at their point of synthesis.

The investment represents a significant vote of confidence in Enodia’s highly differentiated platform, which leverages machine learning and proteomics to intervene before harmful proteins can cause damage. The company was created and incubated by Argobio Studio, a European venture builder dedicated to translating breakthrough academic science into globally competitive biotech companies.

“We are grateful for the strong support and confidence of our investor syndicate, and in particular for Argobio’s long-term commitment and company-building approach,” said Yves Ribeill, Chief Executive Officer of Enodia Therapeutics. “With this financing, we are well positioned to progress our lead program to preclinical candidate selection over the coming year, representing an important value inflection point for Enodia.”

A New Frontier in Protein Degradation

Enodia is entering the bustling field of targeted protein degradation (TPD), but with a fundamentally different strategy. The dominant TPD technologies, such as PROTACs and molecular glues, are designed to find and destroy fully formed proteins that are already active within the cell. Enodia’s technology works further upstream, targeting proteins as they are being made.

The company’s platform focuses on selectively modulating the SEC61 translocon, a critical channel in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. This channel acts as the primary gateway for secreted and transmembrane proteins to enter the cellular machinery that prepares them for their final function. By designing small molecules that selectively block this gateway for specific disease-driving proteins, Enodia can divert them for immediate degradation by the cell’s natural disposal system, the proteasome.

This “point of synthesis” intervention, rooted in foundational research from the prestigious Institut Pasteur, holds the potential to unlock a vast array of previously “undruggable” targets. Many challenging diseases are driven by secreted proteins or those embedded in cell membranes, which are notoriously difficult to address with conventional drugs or even existing TPD methods. Enodia’s approach aims to prevent these proteins from ever reaching a state where they can cause harm.

To achieve the necessary precision, the company integrates machine learning and artificial intelligence with proteomics-based secretome analysis. This allows for a deep understanding of which proteins are being produced and secreted, while AI algorithms help design highly selective inhibitors. This rational, data-driven drug design is key to avoiding the potential toxicity of broadly inhibiting a vital cellular process like protein secretion.

Argobio's Blueprint for European Biotech Success

Enodia’s successful financing is also a major validation for its creator, Argobio Studio. The Paris-based venture builder operates on a model designed to bridge the gap between Europe’s world-class academic research and the global biopharmaceutical market. Argobio identifies promising science, co-founds companies around it, and embeds its own experienced team to accelerate development with industrial rigor.

Enodia is the third company launched by Argobio to secure a significant seed round in the past eight months, demonstrating the consistency and effectiveness of its studio model. It follows Elkedonia, which raised €11.25 million in June 2025 to develop novel antidepressants, and Laigo Bio, which secured €11.5 million in December 2025 for its precision membrane protein degradation platform.

“Enodia is the third of eight companies created by Argobio to achieve seed financing, underscoring the strength and consistency of our studio model,” said Daniel Sobral, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Argobio. “Our operational venture-building approach is designed to rapidly translate Europe’s leading scientific innovation into globally competitive biotech companies. Enodia is a strong example of this model, based on exceptional foundational research from Institut Pasteur and built by Argobio.”

This string of successes highlights a growing trend of structured, hands-on venture creation that can de-risk early-stage science and attract top-tier international investment to the European continent.

Strategic Capital Signals a Shift in Drug Discovery

The composition of Enodia’s investor syndicate speaks volumes about the perceived potential of its technology. The co-leadership includes Elaia, a deep-tech focused venture capital firm; Pfizer Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer; and Bpifrance, the French national investment bank backing innovative domestic enterprises.

The involvement of Pfizer Ventures is particularly noteworthy. Corporate venture arms often invest in technologies that align with their parent company’s future strategic interests. This investment signals that major pharmaceutical players are actively seeking next-generation platforms that can overcome the limitations of current drug discovery methods. Enodia’s focus on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, with future applications in oncology and viral infections, aligns with several of Pfizer's core therapeutic areas.

This strategic backing provides Enodia with more than just capital. It offers invaluable industry expertise, networking opportunities, and a potential pathway for future partnerships or acquisition. The syndicate, which also includes Wallonie Entreprendre, MACSF, Institut Pasteur, InvestSud, Sambrinvest, and Mission BioCapital, provides a robust financial and strategic foundation for the company's ambitious goals.

The investment allows Enodia to build out its industrial capabilities and advance its pipeline, initially focused on high-unmet-need conditions in inflammation and immunology. As the broader TPD market is projected to grow into a multi-billion dollar industry within the next decade, Enodia's unique mechanism positions it as a compelling and potentially disruptive player in the race to drug the undruggable.