Revier Therapeutics launches with €6M Seed to target class IIa HDAC inhibition in heart failure

Revier Therapeutics (Heidelberg) has launched and closed a €6 million Seed round led by KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II, with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), VORNvc, and private investors through Revier Invest Heidelberg. The company was co-founded by Prof. Eva van Rooij (CEO) and Prof. Johannes Backs (scientific founder), both cardiovascular biologists with deep roots in Heidelberg University Hospital's cardiology research.

Revier Therapeutics targets class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) — a specific subclass of epigenetic regulators that have been shown to drive pathological gene expression in failing and diseased heart muscle. The company's orally available small molecules are designed to selectively inhibit the enzymatic activity of class IIa HDACs in disease contexts while preserving the healthy biological functions of those same enzymes and avoiding the off-target effects associated with earlier, non-selective HDAC inhibitors. Those earlier inhibitors (all approved ones target class I HDACs or multiple classes) carry dose-limiting toxicity profiles that have confined them to oncology, despite longstanding interest in their cardiovascular applications.

Two programmes, one mechanism

Revier's initial pipeline targets HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) and ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) — cardiometabolic conditions with large patient populations and, in the case of HFpEF especially, a conspicuous absence of approved disease-modifying therapies.

HFpEF accounts for roughly half of all heart failure diagnoses and is defined by a preserved pumping fraction with impaired diastolic function, often in the context of obesity, diabetes, or hypertension. The disease mechanisms are distinct from the more studied HFrEF (reduced ejection fraction); most approved heart failure drugs work on HFrEF pathways and have limited demonstrated benefit in HFpEF. A disease-modifying oral therapy for HFpEF would be a significant advance.

Prof. van Rooij: "Despite significant progress in cardiovascular medicine, millions of patients with HFpEF and ASCVD still face limited targeted treatment options. We believe the next generation of cardiometabolic medicines needs to address the underlying disease-driving biology to deliver impactful and long-term solutions for patients. Our mission is to translate the scientific potential of class IIa HDAC inhibition into a pipeline of novel therapies and rapidly advance our lead programs toward the clinic."

Who is backing this

KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II led the round through Daniel Stern of Revier Invest Heidelberg, who helped assemble the regional investor coalition. HTGF — Germany's most active seed investor and a consistent backer of science-based companies with university spinout origins — participated alongside specialist fund VORNvc. HTGF also featured in ProYarn's coverage of kausable (July 2026), the Berlin AI reasoning startup — a different sector, but the same pattern of backing credible European technical teams at inception.

"Revier's differentiated class IIa HDAC strategy in cardiometabolic disease has the potential to unlock the therapeutic promise of HDAC biology while overcoming limitations associated with earlier class I HDAC approaches," said Michael Hamacher, Managing Partner and CFO at KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II.

The €6M covers early preclinical work: demonstrating target engagement, animal-model efficacy, and safety profile for the lead HFpEF programme. A clinical readout — the milestone that typically unlocks a Series A in biotech — is at minimum three to four years away. What happens in that window is the story; this cheque is the start of it.