TEAM

Dr. Matthias Stein-Gerlach

Managing Director, CEO

Matthias is the Managing Director of KyDo Therapeutics and Head of Business Development at the Lead Discovery Center. He is a molecular biologist by training and co-educated in finance & administration with over 25 years’ experience in different business development positions with a strong focus on company creation.

Dr. Jörn Weisner

Head of Research & Operations

Jörn is Head of Research and Operations at KyDo Therapeutics. He is a chemical biologist by training and an expert in PI3K/Akt signalling and protein kinase inhibitors. He has over 10 years' experience in systems chemical biology. Previously, he led several projects at TU Dortmund University within Prof. Dr. Daniel Rauh's group, and he is a co-inventor of KyDo's next-generation inhibitors.

Dr. Sven Brandherm

Head of Medicinal Chemistry & IT

Sven is the Head of Medicinal Chemistry and IT at KyDo Therapeutics. He is a chemical biologist by training, specialising in organic synthesis. He is an expert in structure-guided inhibitor and probe design, as well as library synthesis. He has over seven years' experience in proteinkinase inhibitor chemistry and is the co-inventor of KyDo's next-generation inhibitors.

BOARDS

ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Barbora Šumová

Barbora is a partner at i&i Biotech Fund, investing in innovative biotech and medtech ventures. She brings several years of experience in venture capital, startup creation, portfolio management, and board leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Immunology.

Dr. Bert Klebl

Bert is an expert in small molecule drug discovery with over 20 years' experience in the life sciences industry. He has held various senior positions in Pharma and Biotech. Bert is  Managing Partner/CEO of Khanu Fondsverwaltung GmbH, managing the KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II GmbH & Co. KG. In his parallel role, Bert is the CEO & CSO of the Lead Discovery Center GmbH.

Dr. Daniel Harder

Daniel is part of the management team of VORNvc, investing in technology-driven start-ups across multiple financing rounds. He brings more than 15 years of experience in banking, venture capital and startup creation. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in Finance and is a freelance lecturer at FOM University of Applied Sciences.

Dirk Kanngiesser

Dirk is a technology entrepreneur and investor based in Germany and Silicon Valley. He has over 25 years' experience in start-ups, operations, company development and investment. He is the co-founder of TU Capital, the venture capital fund of TU Dortmund University that invests in university spin-offs. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Cryptowerk Corp., having previously held the same positions at the German Accelerator programme.

Dr. Anne-Kathrin Klebl

Anne-Kathrin brings over 15 years of extensive experience in the life sciences sector, with a proven track record in operational company management. She currently serves as Chief Operations Manager at LDC, where she is instrumental in leading critical functions including administration, operations, public relations, and the successful management of grants and reporting. Concurrently, Anne-Kathrin holds the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the start-up Kinsea Lead Discovery AS. In this management role, she spearheads the strategic development of groundbreaking kinase inhibitors, driving the company's scientific and operational excellence.

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

Prof. Dr. Daniel Rauh

Daniel is Professor and Chair of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry at TU Dortmund University. His research focuses on structure-based drug design. He pioneered the concept of covalent-allosteric inhibitors as a new approach to fighting cancer. Daniel is also a serial entrepreneur who has founded multiple oncology companies (including KyDo Therapeutics) to translate his laboratory's discoveries into clinical applications.

Dr. Bert Klebl

Bert is an expert in small molecule drug discovery with over 20 years' experience in the life sciences industry. He has held various senior positions in Pharma and Biotech. Bert is  Managing Partner/CEO of Khanu Fondsverwaltung GmbH, managing the KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II GmbH & Co. KG. In his parallel role, Bert is the CEO & CSO of the Lead Discovery Center GmbH.

Dr. Stefan Proniuk

Stefan has 29+ years of global drug development experience. Throughout his career he has worked on clinical development programs across multiple therapeutic indications from late-stage drug discovery to commercial launch. He has assumed leadership roles in CMC, preclinical R&D, and regulatory operations. Currently, Dr. Proniuk is the President of Curator Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, an advisory and consulting firm in Austin, TX. In the past he held Chief Development Officer roles at Neuraptive and Arno Therapeutics. In addition he was at Neurocrine Biosciences and Cima Labs where he was responsible for transitioning discovery leads into development, overseeing development programs from phase I to III, scale-up and launch of a variety of dosage forms.

INVESTORS

i&i Biotech Fund

i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital fund focused on innovative European life science companies in drug discovery, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. Established through a partnership between the biotech incubator i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund (EIF), the fund manages €53 million and invests in a diversified portfolio of early-stage companies across central Europe.

With a team experienced in private equity, healthcare, and venture capital, i&i Bio combines financial investment with strategic support to help entrepreneurs achieve international growth. Its principal sponsor, i&i Prague, plays a pivotal role in advancing transformative technology companies in Central Europe.

KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-II)

KHAN-II is an early-stage life sciences venture fund dedicated to creating value by partnering with Europe's leading academic innovators in drug development.

KHAN-II´s investment focus is on first-in-class therapies that address high unmet medical needs in attractive markets. Through a unique relationship with the Max Planck Society and other premier European research institutions, KHAN gains unparalleled access to cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs.

KHAN-II is expertly managed by Khanu Fondsverwaltung GmbH, a world-class team specializing in drug discovery and fund management. The strategic access to the state-of-the-art Lead Discovery Center (LDC) drug discovery incubator provides a crucial advantage, resulting in an exceptionally low attrition rate and highly effective investments.

VORNvc

VORNvc is a venture capital fund based in Dortmund. With a fund volume of over €32 million, it was set up by local savings banks, the North Rhine-Westphalian state development bank (NRW.Bank) and private investors.

Its experienced management team invests up to €5 million in technology-driven start-ups across multiple financing rounds. In addition to providing capital, VORNvc gives start-ups access to regional networks and SME expertise, helping to drive the region’s economic transformation.

TU Capital

The mission of TU Capital is to support technology-oriented start-ups in the environment of the TU Dortmund University by providing initial capital and mentoring and to enable the step into the market.

Supporting technology-oriented start-ups is of central importance to TU Dortmund University. With TU capital, direct spin-offs from TU Dortmund University are given financial impetus through early-stage financing. Start-ups are supported in their market entry through coaching and access to a broad network of regional companies.

TU capital is supported by the network and the start-up programs of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) at TU Dortmund University. The common goal is to increase the number of successful start-ups at the Dortmund location. 

PARTNERS