Tau Ventures recently invested in Kerna Labs, a Bay Area biotech startup innovating in the field of mRNA therapeutics. Founded in 2024, Kerna Labs is focused on enhancing mRNA therapeutics through AI powered design. Here’s why Kerna Labs represents a transformative opportunity in the biotech sector:
1. Game-Changing Technology: UTR Sequencing and Manufacturing
Kerna Labs stands out for its focus on using foundation models of RNA to find mRNA sequences with vastly improved half-life, translatability, tissue-specificity and manufacturability.. Kerna does not try to just optimize the untranslated regions (UTRs) or the coding sequence, but the entire sequence together. UTRs, which flank the coding sequence, are particularly significant because they govern translation efficiency, mRNA stability, and cellular localization. By leveraging its proprietary models and data Kerna Labs generates mRNA sequences that significantly enhance mRNA translatability and half-life.
This technological innovation aligns with findings from recent scholarly research, which highlight the importance of UTR engineering in improving mRNA therapeutic efficacy. For example, a 2022 study in Nature Biotechnology underscores how precise UTR design can increase protein expression without altering the therapeutic payload, thus providing safer and more effective treatments.
2. A Standout Team of Experts
The Kerna Labs leadership team combines deep technical expertise with entrepreneurial vision. Second-time founder and CEO Julia Peng provides strategic direction, while CTO Amit Deshwar, a former Deep Genomics executive and scientist, brings years of experience in AI-driven biotech innovation. Cofounder Melissa Moore, former CSO of Moderna and a highly respected voice in the RNA field, contributes extensive domain knowledge.
Their collective expertise has enabled Kerna Labs to design a unique dual-pronged strategy: collaborating with industry leaders to optimize external RNA therapeutics and developing an internal pipeline of groundbreaking protein replacement therapies.
Kerna founders Amit Deshwar (CTO), Melissa J Moore, Julia Peng (CEO), and Michael Swift (Founding Scientist).
3. An Exploding Market Opportunity
The mRNA therapeutics market continues to expand, fueled by advancements in vaccine development and delivery. However, persistent challenges such as limited translatability and short half-life hinder the widespread adoption of mRNA technology.
Kerna Labs addresses these issues head-on. By focusing on sequence design, the company enhances the stability and efficiency of mRNA sequences, unlocking new possibilities for protein replacement therapies. Kerna Labs is positioned as a key player in enabling the next wave of mRNA innovation. We’re excited to support their journey toward improving the next wave of therapeutic efficacy at large.
Primary author of this article is Sharon Huang, with support from Amit Garg. Originally published on “Data Driven Investor,” we are happy to syndicate on other platforms. These are purposely short articles focused on practical insights (we call it gl;dr — good length; did read). Many of Amit’s writings are at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amgarg/detail/recent-activity/posts and he would be stoked if they get people interested enough in a topic to explore in further depth. If this article had useful insights for you, comment away and/or give a like on the article and on the Tau Ventures’ LinkedIn page, with due thanks for supporting our work. All opinions expressed here are our own.
