Why it matters: The ETH Zurich spinout is trying to replace the complex process used by current gene-edited cell therapies with an off-the-shelf injection that edits cells directly inside the body.
- Such an approach could avoid removing and modifying a patient’s stem cells, chemotherapy-based conditioning and subsequent transplantation – major contributors to the cost, complexity and toxicity of current treatments.
Zoom in: Backbone Ventures led the round, with OCCIDENT as co-lead. Another VC, Kickfund, Venture Kick, Zürcher Kantonalbank, FONGIT, ETH Foundation and private investors also participated. The total includes CHF 2.25 million from investors and CHF 150,000 in non-dilutive funding.
What’s next: Most of the proceeds will fund preclinical proof-of-concept studies for IB-003, which Immitra describes as a potential one-time treatment for an inherited anemia. The company has not disclosed the specific disease, molecular target or development timeline.
How it works: Immitra says its technology is mutation agnostic, meaning it is intended to produce an off-the-shelf treatment for patients with the same disease regardless of their specific underlying mutation.
- The company combines this editing approach with a digital platform used to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Backstory: Immitra was founded in 2025 as a spinout from the laboratory of ETH Zurich genome-editing researcher Jacob Corn. Its roots include Ariya Bio, an earlier ETH project investigating CRISPR-based reactivation of fetal hemoglobin for beta-hemoglobin disorders. ETH Foundation says Ariya Bio continued as Immitra in 2025, but Immitra has not confirmed whether IB-003 uses the same mechanism.
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