New biopharma Mendra Inc., launched with a USD 82 million Series A financing round. The firm is adopting an in-licensing model to develop and launch therapies focusing on high-unmet-need rare diseases. The Series A round was co-led by OrbiMed, 8VC, and 5AM Ventures, with participation from Lux Capital and Wing VC.
The San Francisco-based company plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate core drug development challenges in rare diseases, including patient identification, clinical trial enrollment, and global market access, with the Series A proceeds earmarked for acquiring and advancing initial assets into development.
Joshua Grass, co-founder and CEO, said Mendra’s strategy combines deep rare disease experience with AI-driven capabilities across asset selection, clinical development, and commercialization to improve execution timelines and expand patient access worldwide.
Grass previously helped build BioMarin’s rare disease portfolio as a senior VP for business development, before going on to lead two other rare disease-focused biotechs to successful acquisitions as CEO: Modis Therapeutics (acquired by Zogenix in 2019) and Escient Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Incyte in 2024).
Mendra’s leadership team includes seasoned industry executives with backgrounds in rare disease drug development, global commercial launch experience, and AI software integration, positioning the company to bridge traditional biopharma development with data-enabled innovation.