Mendra, Inc. has launched with the closing of an $82 million Series A financing round to support the acquisition, development, and commercialization of therapies for rare diseases. The round was co-led by OrbiMed, 8VC, and 5AM Ventures, with participation from Lux Capital and Wing VC.

The company plans to use artificial intelligence to support patient identification, clinical trial enrollment, and global commercialization for rare disease therapies. Funds from the Series A will be used to acquire initial assets for Mendra’s portfolio and support early-stage development activities.

Joshua Grass, co-founder and chief executive officer of Mendra, said: “We are building Mendra to deliver high-potential rare disease medicines more effectively to patients on a global scale. By combining deep rare disease expertise with AI-driven capabilities across asset selection, clinical development, and global commercialization – some of the greatest challenges in rare disease drug development – we believe we can accelerate timelines, improve execution and expand access for these underserved patients.”

Mendra’s leadership team brings experience across rare disease drug development, global commercialization, and technology integration.

Leadership Team:

• Joshua Grass, Co-founder & CEO: Over 20 years of biopharma experience, including leadership roles at Modis Therapeutics, Escient Pharmaceuticals, and BioMarin’s rare disease portfolio.

• Jeff Ajer, Chief Commercial Officer: More than 25 years of global commercialization experience, previously chief commercial officer at BioMarin.

• Lalarukh Haris Shaikh, Ph.D., Co-founder & CTO: Experienced in life sciences, healthcare, and technology; formerly EVP at Palantir Technologies.

• Gregory Balani, Pharm.D., VP of Business Development: Prior roles at Escient Pharmaceuticals, Zogenix, Bayer, and venture investing at Avego Bioscience Capital.

The launch and Series A funding reflect investor interest in AI-driven approaches for rare disease drug development. No clinical or preclinical data have been disclosed; the announcement focuses on company formation, strategic plans, and the initial leadership team.