# Light Horse Therapeutics

> Light Horse Therapeutics is a San Diego biotech founded in 2023 that flips traditional drug discovery on its head. Using a proprietary 'function-first' platform that pairs systematic CRISPR-based gene editing with chemical biology, the company first pinpoints which exact regions of a disease-driving protein are functionally critical, then hunts for small molecules that hit those precise sites. Launched out of Versant Ventures' Inception Discovery Engine with a $62M Series A and a Novartis collaboration worth up to $1 billion in milestones, Light Horse is targeting some of oncology's toughest, historically 'undruggable' proteins.

- **Founded:** 2023
- **Headquarters:** San Diego, California, United States
- **Founders:** Ben Cravatt (Scientific Co-Founder (Professor, The Scripps Research Institute)), Nathanael Gray (Scientific Co-Founder (Professor, Stanford University)), Brian Liau (Scientific Co-Founder (Associate Professor, Harvard University))
- **Team size:** ~38 employees
- **Products:** Function-First Discovery Platform, Oncology Small Molecule Pipeline
- **Notable:** Launched out of stealth in January 2025 with a $62M Series A., Secured a strategic Novartis collaboration worth up to $1 billion in milestones plus royalties on day one., Co-founded by three leading chemical biologists: Ben Cravatt (Scripps), Nathanael Gray (Stanford), and Brian Liau (Harvard).

## Products & services

- **Function-First Discovery Platform** — A proprietary platform that uses systematic CRISPR-based gene editing to identify which regions of a disease-critical protein are functionally essential, then screens for small molecules that bind those exact sites - reversing the conventional order of drug discovery.
- **Oncology Small Molecule Pipeline** — A pipeline of first-in-class small molecule drug candidates aimed at high-value, historically difficult oncology targets, with potential to expand into other disease areas.

## Achievements

- Launched out of stealth in January 2025 with a $62M Series A.
- Secured a strategic Novartis collaboration worth up to $1 billion in milestones plus royalties on day one.
- Co-founded by three leading chemical biologists: Ben Cravatt (Scripps), Nathanael Gray (Stanford), and Brian Liau (Harvard).
- Assembled an experienced leadership team including Chairman Thomas Daniel (former President of Global R&D at Celgene).
- Built a differentiated 'function-first' platform that interrogates proteins in their native environment.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Debuted with $62M Series A financing led by Versant Ventures and simultaneously announced a strategic collaboration with Novartis worth up to $1 billion in milestones.
- **2025-11** — Featured in Chemical & Engineering News for its 'function-first' approach to precision cancer drug discovery.

## Links

- Website: https://lighthorsetx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/light-horse-therapeutics

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/light-horse-therapeutics
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-14