CrestecBio, aiming to develop polymer drugs to protect the brain and organs, raises 250 million JPY in seed round

From left: Director Tetsuro Honda, CEO Aiki Marushima, and Director Katsutoshi Kobayashi. CrestecBio, a company aiming to develop polymer drugs to protect the brain and organs (headquartered in Tsukuba, Ibaraki; CEO Aiki Marushima), has raised a total of 250 million JPY in its seed round. This round involved third-party allotment of shares to investors including Real Tech Fund 4 (managed by UntroD Capital Japan), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), NextG Investment Limited Partnership (managed by KSP), and NTA Investment Limited Partnership (managed by Newsight Tech Angels). CrestecBio is a venture company founded in December 2021 to develop polymer drugs researched at the University of Tsukuba. The company has been expanding its candidate compounds and disease pipelines, focusing on the development of neuroprotective drugs for ischemic stroke. With this funding, the company will accelerate non-clinical trials and manufacturing preparations for 'CTB211', its lead pipeline candidate. Furthermore, to strengthen its development structure and governance, the company transitioned to a company with a board of directors effective April 1, 2026. By welcoming Katsutoshi Kobayashi as a new director, the company has established a new management structure including CEO Aiki Marushima, Director Tetsuro Honda, and Auditor Izumiho Takeda, aiming to solidify its business foundation and accelerate R&D.