Booster Therapeutics Raises $20 Million to Advance Proteasome Activator Medicines for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Booster Therapeutics, a Berlin‑based biotechnology company developing a novel class of small‑molecule proteasome activator medicines, is drawing heightened attention after securing a series of strategic financings that are accelerating its efforts to tackle complex diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The company, which launched publicly in October 2024, has now amassed approximately $20 million in funding through a mix of venture capital investment and grant support, positioning it to advance its proteasome activation approach toward first‑in‑human studies.
At the heart of Booster’s funding story is a $15 million seed financing round led by life sciences investors Apollo Health Ventures and Novo Holdings, which provided the capital backbone for the company’s launch in late 2024. The syndicate also includes participation from additional venture partners such as Korify Capital and Novo Growth, reflecting a diverse investor base committed to supporting innovation in drug discovery.
This initial investment enabled Booster to establish its multidisciplinary team, build out its proprietary DGRADX™ drug discovery platform, and begin generating a library of small molecules designed to directly activate the 20S proteasome. According to company founders, this approach could offer broad therapeutic potential by restoring the cell’s natural protein «quality control» machinery — a mechanism that becomes compromised in many complex diseases involving protein accumulation.
In addition to its venture capital backing, Booster Therapeutics received a $5 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in November 2025. The foundation’s award is part of its Therapeutics Pipeline Program and is intended to support Booster’s progression of proteasome activator compounds toward a first‑in‑human Phase 1 clinical study. This grant underscores growing interest from the biomedical philanthropy community in Booster’s novel strategy for protein clearance as a potential means to address neurodegenerative disease.
Booster’s funding trajectory highlights the convergence of traditional venture investment and disease‑focused philanthropic support. Apollo Health Ventures, a transatlantic venture capital firm focused on data‑driven biotechnology and health tech ventures, was instrumental in shaping Booster’s early growth. Apollo’s company creation strategy provided both initial capital and strategic guidance that helped assemble a cross‑functional team of scientists and drug developers to pursue proteasome activation as a therapeutic modality.
Meanwhile, Novo Holdings, the life sciences and investment arm of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, has taken on a central role beyond merely providing capital. As a lead investor in the seed round, Novo Holdings has supported Booster by contributing operational expertise and a network of resources aimed at expanding the company’s scientific and clinical capabilities. Novo’s engagement reflects its broader mission to cultivate breakthrough biomedical innovations with the potential to transform treatment paradigms for debilitating diseases.
The involvement of venture investors such as Korify Capital, a Swiss growth‑oriented biopharma investor, and Novo Growth, a corporate venture arm supporting later‑stage life science companies, further demonstrates Booster’s appeal across different segments of the investment community. This breadth of backing — from early‑stage builders to clinical development supporters — reinforces confidence in Booster’s platform and the commercial potential of proteasome activators.
Industry observers note that the combination of venture capital and grant funding is particularly valuable for companies like Booster that are pursuing innovative mechanisms of action with potential applications in multiple disease areas. The company’s leadership has emphasized that the funding enables a dual focus on both foundational research and translational development, laying the groundwork for future clinical milestones.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s grant, for example, is earmarked specifically for advancing Booster’s most promising proteasome activator candidates into first‑in‑human trials — a key validation step for the company’s therapeutic strategy. With this support, Booster is planning to initiate Phase 1 studies that will evaluate safety, tolerability, and initial biological activity in humans, bringing the company one step closer to delivering potential disease‑modifying treatments.
Looking ahead, Booster’s leadership has indicated that continued funding will be critical to propel its pipeline through clinical development and expand into additional indications driven by proteasome dysfunction. With a strong investor syndicate and a clear path toward clinical translation, Booster Therapeutics is positioning itself as a noteworthy player in the rapidly evolving field of protein‑targeting therapeutics.
