Who founded Encepheal Therapeutics?

Encepheal Therapeutics was founded by Aaron Lazarus, Omeed Rahimi in 2015.

Who are Encepheal Therapeutics's investors?

Encepheal Therapeutics's investors include Y Combinator.

Where is Encepheal Therapeutics headquartered?

Encepheal Therapeutics is headquartered in Winston-Salem, US.

Encepheal Therapeutics

DefunctYC S19

Winston-Salem, US · Founded 2015 · 3 employees · 1 known investors

Find your way into Encepheal Therapeutics

521 people in our graph share verified history with the Encepheal Therapeutics team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Garry Tanunlockedknows Omeed Rahimi · together at Y Combinator (overlapped)

×9knows the team · via Y Combinator

knows the team · via 3M

knows the team · via The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

EncepHeal develops small-molecule medications targeting the dopamine transporter to treat stimulant addiction, including cocaine and methamphetamine, for which no FDA-approved treatments currently exist. The company uses allosteric modulators designed to reduce drug cravings without the addictive potential of earlier dopamine-targeting approaches.

Biotech Healthtech Therapeutics Drug discoveryUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S19)

Encepheal Therapeutics was founded in 2015 by Aaron Lazarus and Omeed Rahimi.

Aaron Lazarus in 𝕏Co Founder and Chief Executive Officer2015–2022Aaron Lazarus founded EncepHeal Therapeutics, a company developing medications for substance abuse treatment, and previously served as its CEO. He holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wake Forest University.

Omeed Rahimi inCo-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer2015–2022Omeed Rahimi holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and brings over a decade of experience in scientific research, pharmaceutical product development, and regulatory compliance across therapeutics, medical devices, and diagnostics.

Investors · 1

Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

Non-dilutive funding · 2 SBIR/STTR awards

Federal grants — no equity taken

Agency	Phase	Year	Amount
National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Institutes of Health	Phase I	2020	$339.6K
National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Institutes of Health	Phase I	2017	$454.2K

Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.

Frequently asked questions

What does Encepheal Therapeutics do?: EncepHeal develops small-molecule medications targeting the dopamine transporter to treat stimulant addiction, including cocaine and methamphetamine, for which no FDA-approved treatments currently exist. The company uses allosteric modulators designed to reduce drug cravings without the addictive potential of earlier dopamine-targeting approaches.
Who founded Encepheal Therapeutics?: Encepheal Therapeutics was founded by Aaron Lazarus, Omeed Rahimi in 2015.
Who are Encepheal Therapeutics's investors?: Encepheal Therapeutics's investors include Y Combinator.
Where is Encepheal Therapeutics headquartered?: Encepheal Therapeutics is headquartered in Winston-Salem, US.