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§ Private Profile · Chicago, IL, USA
Clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics for immuno-oncology, inflammatory diseases, and genetic disorders using SNA technology.
Exicure is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Chicago, Illinois, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, that develops therapeutics for immuno-oncology, inflammatory diseases, and genetic disorders using proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) technology. The company's nanotechnology platform enables nucleic acids to enter cells without triggering an immune response, supporting a clinical pipeline that includes a lead program currently in a Phase 1b/2 trial for advanced solid tumors. The biotechnology enterprise has secured significant capital to advance its research, including a $14.8 million financing round in 2015 and a subsequent $31.3 million private placement completed across 2017 and 2018. These strategic funding initiatives were backed by prominent investors such as Bill Gates, AbbVie Ventures, and Luye Pharma. Originally established as a Northwestern University academic spinout named AuraSense Therapeutics, the company was founded in 2009 by researchers David Giljohann and Chad Mirkin.
Exicure has raised $83.2M across 6 funding rounds.
Exicure has raised $83.2M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Exicure has raised $83.2M across 6 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $11.2M Other Equity in November 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2017 | $11.2M Venture Round | Luye Pharma | Craig Mundie, Eric Lefkofsky, Eager Info Investments, Knoll Capital Management, Purple Arch Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2017 | $20M Series U | — | 500 Global, Global Innovation Fund, Hustle Fund, Inovia Capital, Kapor Capital, Learn Capital, Lightbank, Shawn Byers, Freada Kapor Klein | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2015 | $15M Series U | — | 500 Global, Hustle Fund, Inovia Capital, Kapor Capital, Learn Capital, Lightbank, Shawn Byers, Freada Kapor Klein | Announced |
| Feb 4, 2015 | $18M Series C | — | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2014 | $14M Series C | — | Global Innovation Fund, Bill Gates, Boon Hwee KOH, Craig Mundie, David R. Walt, Patrick Ryan, Rathmann Family Foundation | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2011 | $5M Series B | — | Innovation Endeavors | Announced |
Exicure has raised $83.2M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Exicure's investors include Luye Pharma, Craig Mundie, Eric Lefkofsky, Eager Info Investments, Knoll Capital Management, Purple Arch Ventures, 500 Global, Global Innovation Fund, Hustle Fund, iNovia Capital, Kapor Capital, Learn Capital.
# Exicure: A Biotechnology Company, Not a Technology Company
Exicure is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, not a technology company. It develops nucleic acid therapies—specifically immunomodulatory and gene-regulating drugs—rather than software, hardware, or digital technology products.[1][2]
Exicure is an early-stage biotechnology firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, focused on developing a new class of therapeutic drugs using its proprietary spherical nucleic acid (SNA™) architecture.[2] The company addresses challenging diseases across inflammatory disorders, genetic disorders, and oncology by leveraging nucleic acid therapeutics—a biological approach to drug development rather than a technology platform.[2]
The company's core mission centers on helping patients access more effective treatments by overcoming a fundamental challenge in nucleic acid therapeutics: safe and effective cellular delivery.[2] Exicure operates a dedicated 30,000 square-foot in-house facility in Chicago that includes automated high-throughput nucleic acid synthesis and screening capabilities, enabling rapid drug discovery and development.[1]
Exicure operates within the nucleic acid therapeutics sector, a growing field addressing previously intractable genetic and inflammatory diseases. The company's SNA platform represents an advancement in drug delivery—a critical bottleneck limiting the therapeutic potential of RNA-based treatments. By solving delivery challenges, Exicure enables broader application of nucleic acid therapies across multiple disease areas and tissue types, potentially expanding the addressable market for this therapeutic modality.