Dublin’s Aerska, a BioTech company using brain shuttle technology to develop RNA medicines for CNS diseases, today announced the close of a €32 million ($39 million) Series A financing to improve delivery of RNAi interference (RNAi) therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier for treating neurological diseases.
The round was led by EQT Dementia Fund and age1, with participation from Iaso Ventures, alongside existing investors. This brings total funds raised to €50 million ($60 million) to-date, months after its Seed funding announcement in 2025.
“The ability to systemically administer RNAi therapies to the brain unlocks a powerful new approach to treating neurodegeneration,” said Jack O’Meara, CEO and co-founder, Aerska. “Partnering with EQT Dementia Fund further strengthens our path to the clinic as we work to translate this capability into meaningful therapies for the treatment of genetically-driven forms of Alzheimer’s disease and other devastating brain disorders.”
Aerska’s latest financing sits within a broader pattern of European funding activity in 2025 focused on neurological and CNS-related therapeutics, where several companies pursuing genetic or molecular approaches attracted sizeable rounds.
Belgium- and France-based Axoltis Pharma raised €18 million to advance treatments for ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, while France-based EpilepsyGTX secured around €28 million to push forward gene therapies for severe epilepsy. In the UK, TRIMTECH Therapeutics announced approximately €28.6 million in funding to develop protein degrader therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Taken together, these rounds amount to roughly €90 million deployed into CNS and adjacent neurological biotech programmes during 2025, highlighting sustained investor interest in platforms addressing neurological disease biology and delivery challenges, with Aerska representing one of the few Ireland-based entrants in this funding cohort.
Founded in 2025, Aerska is leveraging advances in ‘brain shuttles’ to enable targeted delivery of next-generation RNAi therapeutics to the CNS. By silencing the genes that cause harm, Aerska aims to preserve the minds, protect the memories, and enable our loved ones to live longer, healthier lives.
Aerska’s antibody-oligo conjugate (AOC) platform is innovating systemically delivered RNA medicines capable of reaching the brain to treat neurological diseases at their source. The platform uses proprietary “brain shuttle” technology to overcome the blood-brain barrier, a fundamental challenge that has historically limited RNA therapeutics in CNS diseases.
This delivery approach is designed to enable intravenous or subcutaneous administration, achieving uniform and deep brain distribution with durable target gene knockdown, unlocking new therapeutic possibilities for neurological diseases.
“For families facing diseases like Alzheimer’s, Aerska’s approach offers hope for preserving cognitive function and quality of life,” said Philip Scheltens, Partner and Head of the Dementia Fund, EQT Life Sciences. “The team’s strategy of upstream intervention, combined with a focus on the genetic forms of neurological disease, positions them to transform outcomes for populations who have been underserved by current therapeutic approaches. We really look forward to working with this talented team to advance this groundbreaking platform.”
As part of the financing, Arno de Wilde, Managing Director at EQT, Philip Scheltens, Partner and Head of the Dementia Fund at EQT, and Alex Colville, General Partner at age1, will join Aerska’s Board of Directors.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/02/irish-biotech-startup-aerska-raises-e32-million-to-enable-our-loved-ones-to-live-longer/
