Dublin-based biotech Aerska has closed a €32 mn Series A round to advance its brain shuttle platform for RNAi therapeutics targeting central nervous system diseases.
The financing was led by EQT Dementia Fund and age1, with participation from Iaso Ventures and existing investors. Total capital raised now stands at €50 mn, months after the company announced its Seed round in 2025.
Chief executive and co-founder Jack O’Meara said systemic administration of RNAi therapies to the brain opens a new route for treating neurodegenerative disease.
“The ability to systemically administer RNAi therapies to the brain unlocks a powerful new approach to treating neurodegeneration,” said Jack O’Meara.
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.
Jack O’Meara, CEO & Co-Founder, Aerska
The company is focusing on genetically driven forms of Alzheimer’s and other severe CNS disorders.
Founded in 2025, Aerska is developing antibody-oligo conjugate technology designed to move RNAi medicines across the blood-brain barrier.
The platform uses proprietary brain shuttle mechanisms to enable intravenous or subcutaneous dosing while achieving broad and sustained gene knockdown within the brain.
The company argues that overcoming delivery constraints is central to unlocking RNA therapeutics for neurological disease. Its approach targets gene silencing at the source of pathology rather than downstream symptom control.
Philip Scheltens, partner and head of the Dementia Fund at EQT Life Sciences, said the strategy of early genetic intervention positions the company to address populations underserved by current therapies.
For families facing diseases like Alzheimer’s, Aerska’s approach offers hope for preserving cognitive function and quality of life
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,” Philip Scheltens noted.
As part of the financing, Arno de Wilde, Philip Scheltens and Alex Colville will join Aerska’s board.
Aerska is an Irish biotechnology company developing RNA-based medicines for diseases of the brain, especially genetically driven neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s.
It focuses on getting RNA interference (RNAi) drugs safely and efficiently across the blood-brain barrier using “brain shuttle” technology.
