Octant Bio
Emeryville, US · Founded 2017 · 69 employees on LinkedIn · 12 known investors
Octant is a therapeutics company that develops small molecule drugs to treat protein misfolding diseases. Using synthetic biology, high-throughput chemistry, and AI/ML, the company's Navigator platform studies how target proteins interact within living human cells to enable drug discovery for rare diseases and oncology.
Also known as Octant
Founders & leadership
Octant Bio was founded in 2017 by Sri Kosuri and Ramsey Homsany.
Investors · 12
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountSeries BOct 2025
8VC, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Casdin Capital
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Octant is a small molecule therapeutics company focused on modulating the function of complex cellular mechanisms that drive disease, rather than on binding molecules to purified isolated target proteins. The company engineers biology and chemistry at large scale to alter cellular function directly, and has concentrated its internal pipeline on correcting diseases of protein misfolding and mistrafficking.
The company's disclosed lead program is OCT-980, an oral small molecule designed to correct protein misfolding caused by rhodopsin gene mutations, the underlying cause of rhodopsin-associated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RHO-adRP). RHO-adRP is described as among the most severe and prevalent forms of inherited retinal disorder in the retinitis pigmentosa group, which causes progressive vision loss and can lead to blindness, and for which no treatment options currently exist. Octant reports preclinical studies showing efficacy, including restoration of retinal structure in animal models, and a favorable safety profile. An integrated Phase 1/2 clinical study is planned; the Phase 1a healthy-volunteer stage was initiated as of the first quarter of 2026 and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT07408232.
Business model
The company develops its own internal therapeutic programs, advancing small molecule candidates from discovery into clinical development.
Traction
OCT-980 has completed preclinical studies reported to show efficacy, including restored retinal structure in animal models, and a favorable safety profile; its Phase 1a healthy-volunteer study was initiated as of Q1 2026.
Latest developments
The Phase 1a healthy-volunteer portion of the integrated Phase 1/2 study of OCT-980 was initiated as of Q1 2026 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07408232).
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market
Market position
Octant positions itself in precision medicine for genetic disease, with OCT-980 described as a first-in-disease oral small molecule for RHO-adRP, an indication with no existing treatment options.
Rather than optimizing binding to a purified protein target and inferring downstream effect, Octant screens and engineers at the level of cellular function and mechanism, applied at large scale.
Technology
Octant applies engineering of biology and chemistry at large scale to measure and modulate cellular function, in contrast to conventional approaches that screen for binding to a purified target protein. This function-first approach is applied to complex cellular mechanisms underlying disease, with internal focus on correcting protein misfolding and mistrafficking.
Go-to-market
Octant recruits scientists, engineers and operators directly and invites inbound contact at ahoy@octant.bio; it describes itself as a team of technologists and builders working on drug discovery approaches.
Patients with genetic diseases caused by protein misfolding and mistrafficking, initially individuals with rhodopsin-associated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 1
by search overlap
Companies competing with Octant Bio for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
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 | 2021 | $316.6K |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Institutes of Health | Phase I | 2020 | $246.9K |
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.
Timeline · 1
launches, deals, and filingsOctant initiated the Phase 1a healthy-volunteer portion of a planned integrated Phase 1/2 clinical study of OCT-980, an oral small molecule for rhodopsin-associated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, registered as NCT07408232.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Octant Biooctant.bio · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Octant Bio do?
- Octant develops next-generation small molecule therapeutics targeting cellular mechanisms of protein misfolding disease.
- Who founded Octant Bio?
- Octant Bio was founded by Sri Kosuri, Ramsey Homsany in 2017.
- Who are Octant Bio's investors?
- Octant Bio's investors include Andreessen Horowitz, +ND Capital, 8VC, Carbon Silicon, Catalio Capital Management, LP, Fifty Years, Flucas Ventures, Metaplanet and 4 more.
- Where is Octant Bio headquartered?
- Octant Bio is headquartered in Emeryville, US.