AI Startup Cracks RNA Delivery Beyond the Liver

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-13

Cambridge-based Undecimal Bio just raised €16 million ($18 million) to tackle one of biotech's toughest challenges: getting RNA medicines to the right cells. The spin-out from Eleven Therapeutics is expanding DELiveri, its AI-powered platform that identifies conjugates capable of directing siRNA therapeutics to specific cell types. ### The $18 Million Bet on Smarter RNA Delivery The seed round was co-led by 4BIO Capital and IQ Capital, with participation from Verve Ventures, Harel Tech, Entree Capital, Kerna Ventures, and Saras Capital. The funding will also advance Undecimal's renovascular programs and grow the team at their labs in the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. "The hard problem in RNAi was never the silencing, it was getting the molecule to the right cell," says Dr. Yaniv Erlich, CEO and co-founder. "Our in-vivo validated DELiveri platform can screen large chemical spaces at an unprecedented pace, generating massive data for our legions of AI agents to decipher the structure-activity relationship and score the best candidates." ### Why RNA Delivery Beyond the Liver Matters RNA interference has revolutionized treatments for liver diseases, but reaching other tissues has been a major roadblock. DELiveri changes that by screening vast combinatorial libraries of candidate ligands. Cells act as molecular radars, detecting productive delivery at single-molecule resolution. Then, agentic AI analyzes the data to identify conjugates that can carry siRNA into target cells. Undecimal is initially focusing on renovascular diseases, where existing treatments mostly address symptoms rather than underlying causes. Targeted siRNA delivery could bring genetic medicine's precision to these conditions, enabling durable, target-specific silencing of disease-driving pathways. The company was founded in 2026 and pairs massive-scale combinatorial chemistry with transformer-based AI. Its board includes representatives from 4BIO Capital, IQ Capital, and Harel Technologies, along with co-founders Dr. Yaniv Erlich and Shaul Ilan. Verve Ventures joins as an observer. ### Riding the Wave of European RNA Investment Undecimal's round is part of a surge in European biotech funding. In 2026 alone, several RNA and AI-driven startups have raised significant rounds: - Dublin-based Aerska secured €32 million Series A for RNA interference medicines targeting neurological diseases. - Paris-based WhiteLab Genomics raised €23.2 million Series B for AI-driven genomic medicine design and delivery. - Cambridge-based STORM Therapeutics closed a €47.5 million Series C to advance RNA-modifying cancer treatments. - UK's Thalia Therapeutics secured €3.1 million for its RNA therapeutics portfolio. - London-based Helical raised €8.4 million for its AI-powered pharmaceutical R&D platform. Other investments include Spain's Gate2Brain, Belgium's Sightera Biosciences, and the UK's Houdini Bio. Together, these announcements represent approximately €125.9 million in 2026 funding, rising to €141.9 million with Undecimal's round. ### What's Next for Undecimal Bio? With fresh capital, Undecimal plans to expand its team and push its renovascular programs forward. The company believes targeted siRNA delivery holds the potential to bring digital-like precision to genetic medicines. If successful, it could open doors to treating a wide range of diseases that currently have limited options. For now, all eyes are on whether DELiveri can truly crack the code of delivering RNA beyond the liver. If it does, the implications for patients could be enormous.