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HexemBio raised $10.4 million in seed funding led by Draper Associates, CEO Gabriel Levesque Tremblay tells Axios Pro exclusively.

Why it matters: The startup is tackling a foundational problem in aging: the decline of blood stem cells that underpin the immune system.

The big picture: HexemBio is part of a growing wave of regenerative-focused startups.

Follow the money: SOSV and Seraphim joined the raise, which gives HexemBio over 24 months of runway, per Tremblay.

Funds will support investigational new drug-enabling studies and compliant manufacturing.

How it works: Based in New York City and Berkeley, HexemBio developed what it calls a "synthetic human yolk sac" to recreate the environment in which blood stem cells first form.

By temporarily placing a patient's own stem cells near this regenerative environment outside the body, the technology restores youthful function before returning the cells through a standard IV infusion.

Between the lines: Aging itself isn't an FDA indication, so HexemBio is starting with specific forms of blood cancer, wherein improving transplant outcomes has clearer regulatory pathways.

What they're saying: "This isn't a pure longevity company with no endpoint," says Draper Associates principal Michelle Kwok. "This is grounded in real science."

The intrigue: HexemBio's approach — restoring cells rather than reprogramming them — could sidestep the safety concerns that have dogged gene editing and cell therapies.

What's next: The company still faces a long road from elegant biology to real-world outcomes.

HexemBio will need to prove not just efficacy, but manufacturability and consistency, as it targets first-in-human trials in 2027.

Exclusive: HexemBio raises $10.4M seed for stem cell rejuvenation

The startup is tackling a foundational problem in aging, related to blood stem cells.

Illustration of a mouse pushing a beaker off a counter.

HexemBio raised $10.4 million in seed funding led by Draper Associates, CEO Gabriel Levesque Tremblay tells Axios Pro exclusively.Why it matters: The startup is tackling a foundational problem in aging: the decline of blood stem cells that underpin the immune system.

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Exclusive: HexemBio raises $10.4M seed for stem cell rejuvenation

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