Capital Region Life Sciences Startups Build Momentum in 2026

Hannah Doss, the founder and CEO of ViraGlo BioTech, an RPI spinout in Troy.

Highlights:

• New startups: Apheon Bioscience, Repeat RNA Therapeutics, ViraGlo BioTech
• Clinical trial advancements: Consynance Therapeutics, iPACES, IsoGuardian, NanoPharmaceuticals
• Acquired: Kinentia Biosciences, ZEPHYRx
• New product launches: Training Bridge, pRxcision
• Prototype development: Care4QoL
• Scaling capabilities: DirectSeq Biosciences, Levrx, sxRNA Technologies

The Capital Region’s Life Sciences Cluster generated a great deal of activity among its biotech startups. The Center for Economic Growth’s annual survey of biotech startups in the eight-county region highlights the various milestones they achieved in 2026, from clinical trial advancements to acquisitions to new product launches. The 2026 Capital Region Biotech Startup Activity Roundup also details startups’ anticipated milestones for 2027.

Name: Apheon Bioscience Location: East Greenbush Who:William Belden Pitch: Immunotherapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and other indications in women’s health	Milestones achieved in 2026: 1. Advanced immunotherapy lead candidates for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) into multiple therapeutic modalities and began preclinical assessment. 2. Implemented an AI-driven antibody design platform. 3. Secured a research service agreement to produce recombinant antibodies for cancer antigen testing. Milestones expected in 2027: 1. Continue preclinical assessment of TNBC lead candidates. 2. Advance uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometriosis programs.
Name: Care4QoL Location: Albany Who: Yuchi Young Pitch: Wearable technology for injury prevention (WeTIP) for direct care workers	2026 milestones: 1. Developed a second-generation wearable system integrating motion sensors, pressure-sensing shoe inserts, and software to monitor potentially injurious movements during resident transfers. 2. Strengthened partnerships with the University at Albany and Teresian House. 3. Recruited 30 direct care workers for clinical evaluation. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1.Submit an NIH STTR Phase II grant application to support further technology development and larger-scale clinical evaluation. 2. Complete development and technical validation of the third-generation WeTIP system and conduct clinical testing with direct care workers. 3. Evaluate the system’s ability to detect potentially injurious movements and postures during resident transfers.
Name: Consynance Therapeutics Location: East Greenbush Who: Shuang Liu Pitch: Precision-dosed therapies for rare central nervous system (CNS) disorders	2026 Milestones: 1. Received a venture philanthropy investment for a Phase 2a clinical study of its investigational therapy (CSTI-500) in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). 2. Dosed the first participant in its Phase 2a clinical trial of CSTI-500 for PWS. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Expected June 2027 completion of Phase 2a clinical trial of CSTI-500 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Name: DirectSeq Biosciences Location: Albany Who: Shenglong Zhang Pitch: World’s first RNome sequencing platform	2026 Milestones: 1. Completed two NIH Phase I projects and significantly expanded DirectSeq’s NGMS-Seq capabilities, from small therapeutic RNAs to long mRNAs. 2. Published two Nucleic Acids Research papers advancing direct, de novo mass spec RNA-seq of small therapeutic RNAs and tRNA. 3. Submitted two NIH Phase II applications, with one receiving an intent to award. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1.Secure two NIH Phase II awards and advance NGMS-Seq toward broader commercialization. 2. Scale commercial sequencing services and achieve >$200K in annual revenue.
Name: iPACES Location: Clifton Park Who: Cay Anderson-Hanley Pitch: A neuro-exergame to impact brain health and wellness via a portable pedal-and-play technology	2026 Milestones: 1. Revealed the results of a study on whether the startup’s neuro-exergaming with an interactive physical and cognitive exercise system (iPACES) could alleviate ADHD symptoms in college students. 2. Uploaded an iPACES Studies app on Google Play, which is an Android smartphone version of the same app that has been available on Apple’s iOS App Store since 2024. 3. Received a $50,000 NIH grant for consultation expenses amid the startup’s “anticipated commercialization,” including input to guide regulatory pursuits with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. iPACES’s NIH grant notes that the startup may pursue additional intellectual property protections to reflect developments in its technology since the 2021 award of its first patent.
Name: IsoGuardian Location: Albany Who: Sara Rudin Pitch: Reusable isolation gowns	2026 Milestones: 1. Completed a clinical pilot for the startup’s washable, reusable isolation gowns at Albany Medical Center, prompting the hospital to start negotiations for expanded use of the supplies. 2. Was accepted into Columbia Technology Ventures’ ClimateTech Expertise Network (CEN). 3. Was a finalist at FuzeHub’s New York State Innovation Summit.
Name: Kinentia Biosciences Location: East Greenbush Who:David Fairfax Pitch: Contract research and manufacturing organization, with chemo-informatics services	2026 Milestones: 1. Broke ground on a second cGMP suite at its East Greenbush facility to meet increased on-shore demand. 2. Acquired by Ofichem in the Netherlands, which will leverage the startup’s domestic manufacturing capabilities and allow it to pursue longer-term ambitions in controlled substances.
Name:Levrx Location: Troy Who: Vikash Agrawal and Vikram Agrawal Pitch: AI-powered prescription drug technology solution and platform	2026 Milestones: 1. Entered 2026 serving more than 7 million covered lives, up from approximately 2 million at the beginning of 2025, representing a 3.5x increase. 2. Introduced the Pre-Login Experience and Act as User functionality, while expanding our capabilities around specialty medications and prior authorizations. 3. Expanded Levrx’s partner network to include Waltz Health, Noom Health, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC, and international pharmacy sourcing solutions, giving clients and members more options for medication access and affordability. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Continue investing in technology that allows members to do more within Levrx. 2. Expand our partnerships across the pharmacy and healthcare ecosystem, with a particular focus on pharmaceutical manufacturers, direct-to-consumer programs. 3. Explore opportunities in closely related areas of healthcare, including infusion services.
Name: NanoPharmaceuticals Location: East Greenbush Who: Shaker Mousa Pitch: Molecularly targeted compounds for diseases	2026 Milestones: 1. Published results of its phase I clinical trial at Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut for its investigational macromolecular drug candidate that is undergoing testing for recurrent glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. In its paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine noted, “Future studies are planned.”
Name: pRxcision Location: Schenectady Who: Paul G. Ambrose Pitch: Infectious disease monitoring AI platform	2026 Milestones: 1. Implemented our antibiotic clinical decision support platform (pRxcision) in 20 hospitals, integrating directly into electronic medical record systems and clinical workflows. 2. Continued expansion of our hospital pipeline, with growing interest from major U.S. and international health systems. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Transition initial hospital partners from the Early Adopter Program to commercial subscriptions, establishing recurring revenue. 2. Expand hospital deployments and commercial adoption across additional health systems. 3. Explore strategic partnerships to accelerate commercialization and expand applications in clinical care and drug development.
Name: Repeat RNA Therapeutics Location: Menands Who: Andy Berglund Pitch: Small molecules with long-term therapeutic potential to treat muscular dystrophy	2026 Milestones: 1. Received NIH funding to advance the development of novel small molecule therapeutics for myotonic dystrophy. 2. Expanded preclinical development pipeline for disease modifying therapies that target the underlying RNA mechanisms responsible for repeat expansion disorders. 3. Strengthened industry and academic partnerships to accelerate translation of RNA-targeted discoveries toward clinical development. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Advance lead therapeutic candidates through preclinical efficacy, safety, and pharmacology studies. 2. Expand the company’s RNA-targeting platform to address additional repeat expansion and RNA-mediated neurological disorders. 3. Pursue additional non-dilutive funding and commercialization opportunities to support clinical translation. 4. Accelerate strategic partnerships with NYS venture capital funds and regional life sciences sector.
Name: sxRNA Technologies Location: Albany Who: Scott Tenenbaum Pitch: RNA nanoswitches for tissue-specific RNA therapeutics	2026 Milestones: 1. Won awards for the Sanofi iDEA-TECH Pilot Project Award ($150,000), Upstate Medical University Alan W. Rothschild Innovation Award ($5,000), SUNY Startup Summer School S4 Pitch Competition ($25,000), SUNY TAF Award ($50,000). 2. Received a second NIH STTR Phase I award ($300,00). 3. Began discussions on a pilot contract with a top-50 biotech company and launched pre-seed round ($1,000,000).   Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Close pre-seed round ($1,000,000). 2. Begin animal studies. 3. Submit SBIR Phase II application ($2,700,000). 4. Secure Sanofi second-round funding (~$210,000). 5. Finalize pilot contract with a top-50 biotech company (~$250,000).
Name: Training Bridge Location: Hudson Who: Peter Marotta Pitch: Low-cost, plant-based thermoplasticsfor EMS medical simulation models	2026 Milestones: 1. Completed foundational research for Training Bridge’s Wound Cell System with Quinnipiac University. 2. Presented at the Emergency Medicine Conference (EMCON) 2026 conference organized by the Society of Emergency Medicine India (SEMI) on the research in support of developing new national training standards in India with the creation of a committee /working group with SEMI. 3. Awarded and completed U.S. Air Force SBIR Phase 1 research on the use of synthetic touch in simulation to support advanced medical procedures to improve performance and reduce high error rates on currently blind procedures such chest compressions and tourniquet application. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. In January 2027, the startup will commercially release its Wound Cell System. 2. Will debut a patient care manikin at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH 2027). 3. Will release by the end of Q2 2027 a fully integrated AI/VR system that integrates with manikins or can used as a technology overlay on legacy simulation systems an end-user still is using.
Name: ViraGlo BioTech Location: Troy Who: Hannah Doss Pitch: Fluorescent viral surrogates for virus safety testing in biologics manufacturing	2026 Milestones: 1. Won Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Catalyst Incubator Launch Prize at both the Spring Innovation Showcase (Top 3) and the Entrepreneur of the Year (1st Place) events. 2. Launched a company website and LinkedIn page. 3. Completed our transition from our former LLC organization (NovaGlo Scientific, LLC) into our new corporate entity: ViraGlo BioTech, Inc, enabling the startup to pursue the capital required to commercialize its technology. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Establish the operational infrastructure required to support commercialization and scale company growth in Q1. 2. Close a first fundraising round by Q2/Q3 2027 to accelerate commercialization and advance toward product launch. 3. Secure and onboard alpha-testing partners to validate ViraGlo’s technology in real-world biomanufacturing environments.
Name: ZEPHYRx Location: Troy Who: Mike DiCesare Pitch: Cloud-based remote respiratory monitoring for pulmonary function testing in trials and care	2026 Milestones: 1. Was acquired by an unnamed leading contract research organization. 2. ZEPHYRx now identifies as part of IQVIA, which is based in Durham, North Carolina. Anticipated 2027 Milestones: 1. Will add to its ZEPHYRx Respiratory Stack platform a digital assessment solution for diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO).

CEG INITIATIVES

As a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center, CEG’s Manufacturing Solutions helps Capital Region manufacturers increase their productivity by providing a menu of technical support services, such as Lean Enterprise Training, ISO Certification Assistance, Technology-Driven Market Intelligence, and CoreValue benchmarking assessments.

CEG has also launched a Semiconductor Growth Access Program (SGAP) to strengthen the region’s semiconductor supply chain by providing targeted businesses with funding for legal, financial, business planning, and technical accounting assistance. Another initiative for startups is CEG’s Venture Readiness Program, which matches entrepreneurs with mentors to provide expert guidance on business model development, financial planning, market validation, and investor pitch preparation. The Venture Readiness Program provides Capital Region startups with access to seed funding from Launch NY.

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