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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Clinical-stage biotech company, neuropsychiatric treatments for depression, substance use disorders, ketamine, 5-HT2a.
Freedom Biosciences is a United States-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation neuropsychiatric therapeutics, primarily focusing on ketamine and 5-HT2a-based treatments for depression and related substance use disorders. The enterprise leverages over 20 years of clinical research licensed from Yale University, building upon prior scientific work that directly contributed to the landmark FDA approval of the antidepressant Spravato. Operating with a core team of 1 to 10 employees, the firm emerged from stealth operations in 2022 after securing $10.5 million in seed financing to advance its clinical-stage programs toward market commercialization. The company's development pipeline currently includes its lead compound FREE001, a novel ketamine-based formulation targeting severe major depressive disorder, while its executive leadership maintains strategic ties to specialized investment firms like PsyMed Ventures. Freedom Biosciences was founded in 2021 by Dr. John Krystal and Dina Burkitbayeva.
Freedom Biosciences has raised $11.0M across 1 funding round.
Freedom Biosciences has raised $11.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Freedom Biosciences has raised $11.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $11.0M Seed in August 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2022 | $11M Seed | MBX Capital | 8VC, Arkitekt Ventures, Initialized Capital, Mystic Ventures, The HIT Forge, Balaji Srinivasan, Marat Kichikov, Dina Burkitbayeva, Village Global, Yale University | Announced |
Freedom Biosciences has raised $11.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Freedom Biosciences's investors include MBX Capital, 8VC, Arkitekt Ventures, Initialized Capital, Mystic Ventures, The Hit Forge, Balaji Srinivasan, Marat Kichikov, Dina Burkitbayeva, Village Global, Yale University.
Freedom Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation ketamine-based and psychedelic therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders.[1][2][3] Co-founded by Dr. John Krystal, Chair of Psychiatry at Yale University, and Dina Burkitbayeva, it focuses on combination therapies leveraging ketamine, 5-HT2A agonists, and other compounds to improve safety and efficacy over existing treatments, serving patients underserved by current antidepressants.[1][3] The company, founded in 2021 and based in San Francisco, has raised $10.5M in funding, launched from stealth in 2022, and maintains a pipeline of clinical and preclinical programs with early clinical data, positioning it for growth in the burgeoning psychedelics space.[1][2][3]
Freedom Biosciences emerged in 2021 from the vision of co-founders Dr. John Krystal, a pioneering researcher in ketamine's antidepressant effects and Yale Psychiatry Chair who contributed to patents underlying Janssen's Spravato, and Dina Burkitbayeva, co-founder of PsyMed Ventures with expertise in novel antidepressants investments.[1][2][3] Alongside Hunter Bouchard and Morgan Springer, they assembled a team to capitalize on ketamine's promise, launching publicly from stealth in 2022 backed by investors like MBX Capital, Village Global, PsyMed Ventures, and LongeVC.[3] Early traction included securing $10.5M in funding and appointing Dr. David Hough, former J&J executive who oversaw Spravato strategy, as Chief Medical Officer to advance the pipeline.[2][3]
Freedom Biosciences rides the psychedelics and neuropsychiatric therapeutics wave, fueled by growing recognition of ketamine (e.g., Spravato) and psychedelics for treatment-resistant depression amid a mental health crisis affecting millions.[1][3] Timing aligns with regulatory shifts, post-pandemic demand for rapid-acting antidepressants, and investor interest in biotech platforms addressing unmet needs in psychiatry, where traditional SSRIs fall short.[1][2] Market forces like AI-driven discovery and longevity investing (via backers like LongeVC) favor its small-molecule approach, positioning it to influence ecosystem shifts toward combination therapies that could redefine mental health treatment standards.[3]
Freedom Biosciences is poised to advance its pipeline into later-stage trials, potentially delivering breakthroughs in ketamine combinations for depression and addiction, with Dr. Hough's leadership accelerating clinical milestones.[2][3] Trends like psychedelic decriminalization, AI-optimized drug discovery, and integrated mental-physical health (echoing LongeVC's thesis) will shape its path, amplifying influence as it scales from $10.5M-funded startup to market disruptor.[3] Watch for partnerships or FDA progress tying back to its mission of transformative neuropsychiatric treatments that restore lives.[1]