In a landmark announcement set to reshape the trajectory of oncological drug development, the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund revealed the winners of its 2025 Venture Competition, bestowing recognition upon two revolutionary biotechnological startups: ResNovas Therapeutics and Chiara Biosciences. These early-stage companies stand at the forefront of cancer therapy innovation, aiming to unlock new therapeutic avenues through advances in targeted protein degradation (TPD), a field that promises to address some of the most recalcitrant cancer targets.
ResNovas Therapeutics, co-founded by a team boasting distinguished scientific and entrepreneurial credentials including Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., operates at the cutting edge of TPD by engineering novel molecular glues—small molecules that facilitate the proximity of specific proteins to degradation machinery selectively. This novel approach is poised to expand the druggable proteome far beyond traditional inhibitors, potentially revolutionizing treatment-resistant malignancies such as RAS-driven tumors, which have long evaded effective therapies due to their complex signaling pathways and mutational landscapes.
The technological cornerstone of ResNovas lies in its ability to rationally design effectors that recruit cellular degradation pathways, enabling the selective elimination of oncogenic proteins. By employing induced-proximity mechanisms distinct from the conventional proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) modalities, this platform offers nuanced control over target specificity and pharmacodynamics, laying the groundwork for precision oncology interventions with reduced off-target toxicity.
Parallel to this, Chiara Biosciences emerges with its proprietary CURE-PRO™ platform, a transformative technology that addresses key limitations of first-generation targeted protein degraders. By utilizing a “puzzle-piece” strategy, Chiara can overcome constraints related to molecular size and geometric configuration, which have historically impaired oral bioavailability and central nervous system penetration. This capability not only facilitates novel degrader pairings but also broadens therapeutic applicability across diverse cancer types including lung, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic malignancies.
Chiara’s approach capitalizes on an intricate understanding of protein conformational dynamics to design degrader molecules that synergistically bind oncogenic proteins, offering a pathway to oral delivery—a critical feature that enhances patient compliance and therapeutic index. Their platform’s ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier further extends the potential to treat metastatic tumors within the CNS, a frontier notoriously difficult to target effectively with conventional chemotherapeutics or biologics.
The selection process for the AIM-HI Venture Competition was highly competitive and rigorous, with a global pool exceeding 80 early-stage oncology ventures from 18 countries. The adjudication involved multiple expert committees encompassing selection, judging, and investment due diligence, bringing together key opinion leaders, seasoned life sciences experts, and investors unified in the mission to identify companies with scientific merit and transformative clinical potential.
Distinctive to AIM-HI’s model is its commitment to fostering an inclusive ecosystem in which all applicants receive substantive feedback, either in detailed written form or via personalized consultations. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement and ensures that innovation is nurtured even beyond the cohort of winners, catalyzing broad impact within cancer research and entrepreneurial communities.
The forthcoming recognition of ResNovas Therapeutics and Chiara Biosciences will take place during the prestigious 2025 NFCR Global Summit and Award Ceremonies for Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This event situates these breakthroughs within the nexus of scientific excellence and strategic investment, amplifying their visibility and catalytic potential.
AIM-HI’s leadership underscores the significance of these prize winners. Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, highlighted the companies as emblematic of the bold innovation the fund was established to accelerate. The unified vision of AIM-HI is to bridge the often-daunting gap between groundbreaking scientific discovery and clinical translation—a formidable challenge in oncology that requires not just funding but mentorship, strategic guidance, and global collaboration.
Both winner companies lauded AIM-HI’s role in validating their scientific strategies and invigorating their developmental trajectories. Michelle Arkin, Ph.D., co-founder of ResNovas Therapeutics, emphasized the momentum provided by AIM-HI’s recognition, which emboldens their mission to transform patient outcomes where previous treatment paradigms have faltered. Similarly, Kirsten Flowers, CEO of Chiara Biosciences, stressed how the support fosters engagement with experienced partners critical to accelerating the journey from bench to bedside.
The depth of expertise within the AIM-HI Venture Competition’s leadership and advisory committees is notable, reflecting a multidisciplinary consortium committed to advancing cancer therapeutics. Members include prominent figures from academia, industry, venture capital, and clinical research, collectively ensuring that evaluations and strategic advice are grounded in scientific rigor and market insight.
Reflecting on prior years, the AIM-HI Venture Competition has consistently propelled disruptive companies, with past winners such as HDAX Therapeutics and March Biosciences already demonstrating the program’s capacity to identify foundational innovations that challenge existing cancer treatment infrastructure.
The AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, a non-profit entity initiated by the National Foundation for Cancer Research in 2019, is uniquely positioned as a facilitator of oncology innovation. By providing critical resources that extend beyond mere capital—mentorship, networking, and an ecosystem of support—it addresses the complex pipeline challenges that often hinder novel cancer therapies from progressing into clinical and commercial success.
Founded in 1973 by Nobel Laureate Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi and entrepreneur Franklin Salisbury Sr., the National Foundation for Cancer Research champions high-risk, high-reward cancer research that traditional funding mechanisms may overlook. The foundation’s impact is underscored by its commitment to pioneering projects that have driven significant advancements in cancer detection, treatment, and prevention over the last five decades.
In the current biomedical landscape, the convergence of cutting-edge molecular biology, chemistry, and computational design leveraged by AI and machine learning platforms is redefining what is possible in drug discovery. Both ResNovas Therapeutics and Chiara Biosciences exemplify this paradigm shift, employing innovative chemical biology approaches to target the cancer proteome with unprecedented specificity and efficacy.
This dual award arrangement highlights a strategic recognition of complementary technological syllabi—molecular glues and puzzle-piece targeted degraders—each providing novel mechanistic insights and practical applications toward overcoming cancer’s complexity and heterogeneity. The innovators behind these companies are positioning themselves at the threshold of what may become new platforms for cancer therapeutics with tangible patient impact.
As the oncology research community eagerly anticipates the forthcoming NFCR Global Summit, the spotlight will remain fixed upon these pioneering entities, whose breakthrough science is poised to advance the frontier of cancer treatment and ultimately contribute profound improvements in patient survival and quality of life.
Subject of Research: Targeted protein degradation in cancer therapy development
Article Title: Breakthrough Innovations in Targeted Protein Degradation: Unveiling the 2025 AIM-HI Venture Competition Winners
News Publication Date: October 9, 2025
Web References:
– https://www.aim-hiaccelerator.org
– https://www.nfcr.org/events/global-summit-2025/
– https://www.NFCR.org
References: Not provided in source text
Image Credits: AIM-HI Accelerator Fund
Keywords: Life sciences, targeted protein degradation, oncology startups, cancer therapeutics, molecular glues, CURE-PRO platform, drug discovery, precision oncology, proteolysis-targeting chimeras, clinical translation
