Company Category: Research

Creating therapeutic Disulfide-Rich Peptides targeting transmembrane proteins including ion channels, GPCRs, and transporters. | Veneno Technologies is a Japan-origin deep-tech biotech company founded in 2020 and built around a proprietary Disulfide-Rich Peptide, or DRP, discovery platform. Based on scientific achievements originating from AIST, the company has established an integrated end-to-end system combining design, screening, functional evaluation, and production of DRPs through its proprietary Veneno Suite and PERISS platform. Veneno aims to create a new peptide modality for targets that have remained difficult to address with conventional small molecules or antibodies. The company’s core strength lies in its ability to translate the intrinsic biological advantages of naturally occurring DRPs into an industrial discovery engine. Because DRPs possess multiple disulfide bonds and a conformationally constrained structure, they can offer high stability, protease resistance, thermal robustness, and strong target selectivity. These properties make DRPs especially attractive for membrane proteins and other challenging target classes where conventional modalities often face limitations in selectivity, penetration, or functional control. Veneno is leveraging this differentiated biology to generate novel therapeutic candidates with the potential to open new mechanisms of action in previously hard-to-drug disease areas. Current Strategic Focus Areas 1) Ri-DRP drug discovery: Veneno is actively advancing Ri-DRP programs in which DRPs are conjugated with radioactive payloads, including alpha-emitting isotopes. By combining the high target selectivity and compact size of DRPs with radiopharmaceutical design, the company aims to enable precise tumor targeting and differentiated payload delivery beyond what is often achievable with conventional antibody-based radioconjugates or small-molecule radiopharmaceuticals. Ri-DRP represents a highly strategic direction for Veneno, particularly in oncology, where target-specific delivery, tissue distribution, and therapeutic precision are central to next-generation drug design. 2) Functional development of DRPs as next-generation antibody-like molecules: Veneno positions DRPs not simply as peptides, but as a next-generation functional modality that can complement and, in selected settings, outperform antibodies. The compact and highly structured nature of DRPs allows precise interaction with biologically important surfaces while maintaining strong stability and selectivity. This creates opportunities in areas where antibodies may be constrained by tissue penetration, epitope accessibility, or molecular size. Veneno is therefore developing DRPs as next-generation antibody-like agents for membrane proteins, complex interaction interfaces, and disease areas that require finely tuned molecular recognition. 3) DRP drug discovery for membrane proteins including ion channels, GPCRs, and transporters: Veneno’s discovery platform is particularly differentiated in the generation of functional DRPs against membrane proteins that have historically been difficult to drug. Through the proprietary PERISS method, the company can identify inhibitor, activator, and binder DRPs for ion channels, GPCRs, transporters, and related membrane targets. These target classes are biologically important across oncology, inflammation, pain, cardiometabolic disorders, and other major therapeutic areas, yet they remain challenging because small molecules can suffer from off-target effects and antibodies often have limited access to the relevant target surfaces. Veneno is using DRPs to bridge this gap and unlock first-in-class opportunities in membrane protein drug discovery. Through these three focus areas, Veneno Technologies is positioning DRPs as a scalable platform for next-generation therapeutics spanning membrane protein drug discovery, antibody-like functional molecules, and radiopharmaceutical innovation. At BIO International 2026, the company is seeking global collaboration opportunities including joint research, co-development, licensing, and strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, biotech innovators, radiopharmaceutical developers, and research institutions.