Curi Bio Raises $10M Series B to Expand Human‑Relevant Preclinical Platforms for Drug Discovery

Curi Bio, a Seattle‑based biotechnology company advancing human‑relevant preclinical platforms for drug discovery and development, has secured $10 million in Series B funding to scale its integrated discovery tools and expand its global commercial reach. The financing comes as demand grows among biopharmaceutical developers for predictive human data that can help bridge the gap between early research and clinical outcomes, aiming to reduce costly late‑stage failures in therapeutic R&D.

The Series B round was led by DreamCIS, a Seoul‑based contract research organization (CRO) with expertise in clinical research and regulatory services. As part of its strategic investment, DreamCIS is partnering with Curi Bio to accelerate the translation of advanced human‑relevant platforms into biopharma workflows and broaden their adoption across global drug discovery programs.

Curi Bio’s platform is designed to generate functional human data early in the drug development cycle by integrating high‑purity human iPSC‑derived cells, engineered tissue biosystems, and advanced data analysis. By combining these elements into a unified workflow, the company aims to provide biopharmaceutical clients with deeper insights into safety, efficacy, and potency, potentially guiding better candidate selection and improving translational predictivity.

The new capital will be used to scale Curi Bio’s existing platforms and accelerate development of new models for a range of disease areas, including cardiac, skeletal muscle, metabolic, smooth muscle, and neuromuscular disorders. Expansion of commercial activities is also a priority, with Curi Bio aiming to broaden its reach among global biopharma partners seeking human‑relevant data for IND packages, compound prioritization, and phenotypic assessment.

“This investment enables us to aggressively scale our integrated platforms, providing our biopharma partners with predictive, functional data on human systems across a variety of devastating diseases,” said Nicholas A. Geisse, PhD, CEO of Curi Bio, underscoring the importance of human‑based models in improving drug development outcomes.

Curi Bio was founded with the goal of tackling one of drug discovery’s toughest challenges: the high failure rates seen when transitioning from preclinical models to human clinical trials. Traditional animal models and simple 2D cell cultures often fail to replicate human physiology, leading to inefficiencies and setbacks in therapeutic development. By focusing on integrated human stem cell‑based systems coupled with detailed functional analytics, Curi Bio aims to deliver richer and more predictive datasets earlier in research programs.

The company’s core platform, often referred to as the Curi Engine, brings together human iPSC‑derived cell models, 3D engineered tissue systems, and automated functional data analysis to provide a comprehensive view of biological responses. Such integration is designed to help researchers assess complex phenomena like contractility, tissue maturation, and metabolic activity in ways that more closely mimic human physiology than conventional models.

Curi Bio’s previous funding history includes early seed and Series A rounds that supported the development of its foundational technologies. In earlier stages, the company focused on building out predictive platforms such as engineered muscle tissue models, with past investors including venture capital firms and international partners that helped establish its product base and research collaborations.

With the Series B funding secured, Curi Bio is positioned to accelerate both its scientific innovation and commercial expansion. By strengthening its platform capabilities and extending global outreach, the company aims to serve a growing cohort of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies looking to incorporate human‑relevant data into their discovery and development pipelines.

Curi Bio’s efforts align with broader industry trends emphasizing the importance of predictive preclinical models and functional data analytics. As pressure mounts for new therapies to demonstrate safety and efficacy early, tools that provide insights into complex human biology are becoming increasingly valuable. With backing from DreamCIS and a focused growth strategy, Curi Bio is striving to become a key provider of such technologies in the evolving world of drug discovery and translational science.