SeaBeLife, a biotechnology company developing novel drug candidates to block cellular necrosis, has closed a pre-Series A funding round worth €2 million ($2.25M). The round was led by historical investor iXLife, alongside longstanding shareholders Breizh Angels, WeLikeStartup, Angels Santé, and the Business Angels des Grandes Ecoles, and welcomed new investors including INEXT and Femmes Business Angels, the first women-only business angel network in Europe.

The financing will support the development of two of SeaBeLife’s drug candidates — one targeting dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the other aimed at severe acute hepatitis — with the first clinical trial scheduled to start in 2026. Both programs focus on high-unmet-need indications where no current therapies can adequately prevent tissue damage or organ failure.

SeaBeLife’s approach is unique: its small molecules simultaneously inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis, two major regulated cell death pathways. These mechanisms play critical roles in chronic, acute, and rare diseases, and dual inhibition could protect organs from irreversible damage. Early preclinical studies, including promising results for the SBL03 candidate in geographic atrophy, a severe form of dry AMD, demonstrate the potential of this first-in-class strategy.

Morgane Rousselot, PhD, CEO and co-founder of SeaBeLife, said the funding is a decisive step toward clinical development: “The renewed backing from our longstanding investors, together with the addition of new partners, reinforces our ambition to create a new generation of treatments capable of blocking two major pathways for programmed cell death. We are now actively preparing for a Series A round to sustain this momentum.”

Investors highlighted the scientific promise of SeaBeLife’s dual-targeted technology. Jean-Pierre Kinet, chairman of iXLife, said in vivo data validates the approach, noting that simultaneous blockade of necroptosis and ferroptosis could shield organs from damage and offer patients new therapeutic options. Eric Valat, chairman of INEXT, added that the first-in-class approach positions SeaBeLife as a key player in emerging biotech therapies for rare and chronic diseases.

Further strengthening the company’s governance, Marie-Pierre Sbardella, general secretary of Femmes Business Angels, joins SeaBeLife’s strategic committee. With this financing, the company is positioned to fast-track clinical programs in dry AMD and severe acute hepatitis while continuing to explore applications for other high-unmet-need conditions.