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Kriya Therapeutics
Kriya Therapeutics, co-founded in 2019 by Shankar Ramaswamy, is a biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies for common chronic diseases.
Kriya Therapeutics
Kriya Therapeutics was founded in 2019 by Shankar Ramaswamy, Roger Jeffs, and Fraser Wright. Ramaswamy previously helped launch Axovant Sciences at Roivant; Jeffs was president and co-CEO of United Therapeutics; Wright co-founded Spark Therapeutics and oversaw development of Luxturna. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with its founding seed led by C.R. Sincock II's Transhuman Capital. Kriya develops one-time gene therapies for prevalent chronic diseases — geographic atrophy, thyroid eye disease, type 1 diabetes, MASH, and trigeminal neuralgia. Its strategy pairs validated biological pathways with AAV vector delivery. The company runs its own manufacturing, product design, and R&D. Confirmed backers include Patient Square Capital, Premji Invest, and QVT Family Office. Geographic focus is North America, with pipeline programs targeting conditions affecting millions worldwide. Since founding, Kriya has raised over $900 million in equity. As of early 2026, the leadership team numbers 17 named executives. In January 2026, Kriya appointed Sachiyo Minegishi as CFO (per the firm, January 2026). The company maintains scientific and strategic advisors from Stanford, UMass Medical School, Pfizer, and Orchard Therapeutics. Board members include Patient Square Capital partners and Premji Invest. Kriya's structural differentiator is its deliberate focus on large-market, non-orphan diseases — the opposite of most gene therapy companies. It also keeps manufacturing in-house rather than outsourcing to CDMOs. This vertical integration, combined with a leadership team that has shepherded multiple FDA-approved gene therapies, creates an unusual profile among preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical firms.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2019
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Palo Alto
Corporate office
Palo Alto, CA, United States
Principals
Shankar Ramaswamy
Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Roger Jeffs
Co-Founder and Vice Chairman
Fraser Wright
Scientific Co-Founder and Chief Gene Therapy Officer
Sachiyo Minegishi
Chief Financial Officer
Greg Di Russo
Chief Medical Officer
Britt Petty
Chief Manufacturing Officer
Michele Stone
Chief Scientific Officer
Brian Furmanski
Chief Development Officer
Mark Chen
Chief Operating Officer
Katherine Eade
Chief Legal Officer
C.R. Sincock, II
Founding Investor and Board Observer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Kriya Therapeutics?
Kriya is a biopharmaceutical company, not an investment firm. The CEO, Shankar Ramaswamy, leads overall strategy. The company is backed by institutional investors including Patient Square Capital and Premji Invest, whose board representatives participate in governance.
How does Kriya source its therapeutic programs?
Kriya targets diseases with validated biological pathways and high unmet medical need, focusing on ophthalmology, metabolic, and neurologic conditions. Its scientific co-founder Fraser Wright and chief scientific officer Michele Stone lead target selection. The company's advisors include leading gene therapy researchers from Stanford and UMass Medical School.
Is Kriya structured as a family office or a venture-backed biotech?
Kriya is a venture-backed biopharmaceutical company. Its founding seed investor, Transhuman Capital, is a family office venture capital fund. Other investors include Patient Square Capital, a healthcare-focused investment firm, and Premji Invest. Kriya itself is not a family office.
Does Kriya manufacture its own gene therapies?
Yes. Kriya has an in-house manufacturing capability led by Chief Manufacturing Officer Britt Petty, who previously oversaw gene therapy manufacturing at AveXis and Biogen. This vertical integration is a deliberate structural choice, distinguishing Kriya from many gene therapy companies that outsource manufacturing.
What investment stages does Kriya typically target?
Kriya does not make investments; it raises venture capital and private equity for its own pipeline. The company has raised over $900 million since 2019 across seed, multiple follow-on rounds, and later-stage financing.
Where does the underlying wealth behind Kriya come from?
Kriya is not a wealth-management entity. Its investors are institutional funds and family offices, including Patient Square Capital and Premji Invest. The capital is raised for drug development, not for managing a family's wealth.
What is Kriya's known posture on partnerships and licensing?
Kriya has not publicly disclosed specific licensing deals. The company's website references a board member with experience forming strategic ventures, and its legal team includes IP expertise. The company's strategy emphasizes internal discovery and manufacturing rather than external licensing.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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