# Jacob Becraft

> Jacob 'Jake' Becraft is the co-founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics, a Boston biotech building the first programmable platform for mRNA medicines. Trained as a synthetic biologist at MIT, he helped invent what he calls a 'programming language for mRNA' - genetic circuits that let a drug make decisions inside the body, switching on only where and when it should. Strand's lead candidate, a self-replicating mRNA that instructs tumors to produce their own IL-12, delivered early complete responses in a first-in-human trial. Becraft has raised more than $400 million to chase the idea that programming biology will be as transformative for medicine as software was for computing.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Strand Therapeutics
- **Organizations:** Strand Therapeutics, MassBio (Board of Directors), Nucleate (Advisor), Starlight Ventures (Advisory Board)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Magna cum Laude, with distinction), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- **Known for:** Co-invented the world's first programmable platform (a 'programming language') for mRNA therapeutics at MIT, Lead author on the foundational 2018 Nature Chemical Biology paper underpinning Strand, Raised more than $409M in total funding for Strand, including a $153M Series B in 2025 amid a biotech downturn

## Career timeline

- **2013** — Begins Ph.D. at MIT's Synthetic Biology Center, focusing on mRNA from day one
- **2017** — Co-founds Strand Therapeutics with Tasuku Kitada in Boston
- **2018** — Publishes 'Small-molecule-based regulation of RNA-delivered circuits in mammalian cells' in Nature Chemical Biology, the scientific basis for Strand
- **2021** — Strand signs partnership with BeiGene for immuno-oncology programs
- **2023** — Strand advances its lead self-replicating mRNA candidate toward first-in-human clinical trials
- **2025** — Reports initial Phase 1 data for STX-001 at ASCO, including a confirmed complete response; raises $153M Series B

## Achievements

- Co-invented the world's first programmable platform (a 'programming language') for mRNA therapeutics at MIT
- Lead author on the foundational 2018 Nature Chemical Biology paper underpinning Strand
- Raised more than $409M in total funding for Strand, including a $153M Series B in 2025 amid a biotech downturn
- Led STX-001 to a confirmed complete response in a first-in-human Phase 1 solid-tumor trial (ASCO 2025)
- MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35
- Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40
- Endpoints News 20 Under 40
- Barry Goldwater Scholarship
- Andrew Viterbi Fellowship (MIT)
- Amgen Fellowship
- Bristol-Myers Squibb 2018 Golden Ticket Award
- University of Illinois College of LAS Outstanding Young Alumni Award

## Latest updates

- **2025-05** — Strand presents initial first-in-human Phase 1 data for STX-001 at ASCO, reporting a confirmed complete response and multiple partial responses across 22 patients in the US and Australia, well tolerated up to 300 micrograms.
- **2025-08** — Strand closes a $153M Series B to accelerate its programmable mRNA oncology pipeline, bringing total funding to roughly $409M.

## Links

- Website: https://strandtx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-becraft-biotech/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/StrandTx

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jacob-becraft
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-01