Character Biosciences, a precision medicine company focused on polygenic diseases, has raised $93 million in an oversubscribed Series B round. The funding will propel the company’s lead therapies targeting degenerative eye conditions, particularly age-related macular degeneration (AMD), into clinical development.
The round was co-led by new investors aMoon and Luma Group, with participation from Bausch + Lomb and Jefferson Life Sciences. Existing backers Innovation Endeavors, Catalio Capital Management, S32, and KdT Ventures also joined.
AMD is the most common cause of blindness in people over 50, yet it’s long been treated as a one-size-fits-all condition—despite its genetic complexity. Character is working to change that by integrating genomics, imaging, and clinical data to better classify the disease and improve treatment outcomes.
To build this resource, the company partnered with more than 150 ophthalmology centers in the U.S., gathering data from over 6,500 patients. This real-world, consented dataset enables the identification of genetic subtypes, helping guide both target discovery and patient selection for trials.
“The next frontier of precision medicine lies at the convergence of genomics, deep phenotyping, and AI applied to complex polygenic disorders,” said Reut Shema, PhD Partner at aMoon.
The new funding will be used to advance two lead programs, CTX203 and CTX114, into first-in-human studies. CTX114 is a complement inhibitor designed to slow progression of geographic atrophy in advanced dry AMD, while CTX203, a lipid regulator, aims to prevent the disease from advancing in earlier stages.
Additionally, the funds will support expansion into other ophthalmic conditions using Character’s AI-driven, multi-omics platform. According to CEO Cheng Zhang, the goal is to “more precisely target the root causes of disease and improve clinical translation.”
In January 2025, Character also announced a strategic partnership with Bausch + Lomb. The collaboration includes an upfront payment and potential milestones tied to the development and commercialization of novel AMD therapies.
Character Biosciences is building a new model for treating polygenic diseases by combining AI, genomics, and deep clinical data. Founded to increase the success rate of drug development in complex conditions, the company is currently focused on ophthalmology, with an initial emphasis on AMD and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
The San Francisco-based startup is working to bridge the gap between genetics and real-world outcomes. Its AI platform integrates various data streams to uncover disease mechanisms that can inform drug design and accelerate development timelines.
“Millions of patients suffering from degenerative eye diseases lack effective treatments that delay disease progression,” said CEO & Co-Founder Cheng Zhang.
Character's latest round drew in both new and existing investors, signaling confidence in its data-centric strategy. The new investors include aMoon and Luma Group—both known for supporting deep-tech and bio innovation. Notably, Bausch + Lomb participated not only as an investor but also as a commercial collaborator.
“Character is leveraging its multi-omics approach to move beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approach,” said Jamie Kasuboski, PhD, Partner at Luma Group. “Character’s patient-first approach is unique in its ability to identify those who are most likely to benefit from therapy.”
