The archive · Bio & Materials · Product decision · 2025–2026
Aerska bets 'brain shuttles' can deliver RNA meds to the brain; $70M raised
EF-backed Dublin biotech Aerska raised $21M seed then $39M Series A to shuttle RNAi medicines across the blood-brain barrier for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Aerska
What the business is
Aerska is a Dublin/London biotech developing RNA interference (RNAi) medicines for brain diseases, using antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates with 'brain shuttles' that cross the blood-brain barrier, initially targeting genetically driven Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Starting capital：$21M seed (Oct 2025, co-led by Age1, Backed VC, Speedinvest); $39M Series A (Feb 2026); $70M total by May 2026
How it started
Aerska launched in October 2025, founded by RNA veterans Jack O'Meara (former CEO of Ochre Biotech) and Stuart Milstein, who helped lead Alnylam's brain delivery program, plus research chief Mike Perkinton, former head of discovery for AstraZeneca Neuroscience. The name comes from a Gaelic proverb about collective strength.
What happened
The launch round raised $21M, co-led by Age1, Backed VC and Speedinvest, with Blueyard, Lingotto, Norrsken VC, Kerna, PsyMed, Saras and Ada Ventures participating. In February 2026 Aerska closed a $39M Series A co-led by EQT Life Sciences' LSP Dementia Fund and age1, bringing total funding to $60M; in May 2026 GHIC added $10M, taking it to $70M, all to advance the platform toward the clinic.
How it ended up
Still building toward the clinic: $70M raised and the antibody-oligo conjugate platform progressing toward clinical development; no drug candidate in trials or revenue yet.
Background
Aerska, launched in Dublin in October 2025, is betting that the blood-brain barrier — not the disease itself — is the bottleneck for genetic medicines in neurology. The company combines RNA interference (RNAi) chemistry with antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates and proprietary 'brain shuttles' that cross the barrier, aiming for systemic delivery (intravenous or subcutaneous) with deep, uniform brain distribution, initially against genetically driven forms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The team is made up of RNA veterans: CEO Jack O'Meara previously ran Ochre Biotech, co-founder Stuart Milstein helped lead Alnylam's brain delivery program, and research head Mike Perkinton led discovery at AstraZeneca Neuroscience. The launch round raised $21M, co-led by Age1, Backed VC and Speedinvest with Blueyard, Lingotto, Norrsken VC, Kerna, PsyMed, Saras and Ada Ventures; the company name comes from a Gaelic proverb about collective strength.
In February 2026 Aerska closed a $39M Series A co-led by EQT Life Sciences' LSP Dementia Fund and age1, bringing total funding to $60M; in May 2026 GHIC added $10M, taking it to $70M. The proceeds support the antibody-oligo conjugate platform as it progresses toward the clinic, and Entrepreneurs First lists Aerska in its 2025 portfolio news.
What has to be true
- The blood-brain barrier is a documented structural bottleneck: RNAi has succeeded in the liver but genetic medicines still can't reach the brain, so solving delivery unlocks the whole CNS category.
- Founder pedigree matched the problem: O'Meara, Milstein and Perkinton came from Ochre, Alnylam and AstraZeneca, carrying exactly the RNA and neuroscience experience the platform needs.
- A platform rather than a single drug: brain-shuttle delivery applies across neurological diseases, which is why capital came from a dementia-focused fund and a global-health investor.
- De-risking through precedent: big pharma deals for barrier-crossing technology — GSK, Biogen, and AbbVie's $1.4B purchase of Aliada — validated the space before Aerska's launch.
What can be applied
Attack the delivery bottleneck, not the disease: whoever solves the structural problem of getting genetic medicines into the brain owns every therapy built on top of it.
Aftermath
As of September 2026, Aerska is pre-clinical and building toward the clinic: $70M raised, headquarters in Dublin with research in London, and a Series A that funds its antibody-oligo conjugate platform and brain-shuttle delivery work, including GHIC-funded platform work on payload selectivity. The company has not disclosed clinical timelines, revenue, or a lead candidate beyond targeting genetically driven Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Sources
- Irish biotech launches with $21M to shuttle RNAi meds to brain
- A new biotech aims to get RNA drugs into the brain
- EQT Life Sciences co-leads USD 39 million Series A in Aerska
- GHIC Announces $10M Investment in Aerska
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