Metavallon VC Invests in Anacalypsis Therapeutics – A Pre-Seed Financing Round to Advance Potential New Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

In the first investment by a Greece-based VC fund in a homegrown drug discovery biotech, the funding will advance Anacalypsis’ lead drug candidate, AT001, and support the development of its broader pipeline.

Athens, Greece – 21 September 2026 – Anacalypsis Therapeutics, a Greece-based biotechnology company developing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, has raised pre-seed financing led by Metavallon VC through its Brain Gain Fund. The investment is the first by a Greece-based VC fund in a Greece-based drug discovery biotech. Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition in the world, and there is still no approved therapy that has been shown to slow its progression.

The funding will support the development of Anacalypsis’ lead program, AT001, including a key preclinical efficacy study designed to establish proof of concept and guide the program’s next stage of development. It will also support the company’s broader pipeline of therapeutic and biomarker programs for neurodegenerative diseases.

AT001 is an experimental treatment targeting a biological pathway associated with Parkinson’s disease. A protein called LRRK2 has long been linked to the disease, and many drug development efforts have focused on blocking LRRK2’s kinase activity — an approach that has not yet been shown to slow the disease. AT001 takes a different route, blocking a specific disease-related interaction involving LRRK2 while aiming to preserve other LRRK2 functions. The program is initially focused on patients whose Parkinson’s is linked to disease-causing variants in the LRRK2 gene.

Anacalypsis was co-founded by Alexia Polissidis, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, and Hardy Rideout, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer. The company’s lead program is based on research led by Dr. Rideout into the interaction between the LRRK2 protein and FADD, a mechanism implicated in the death of dopamine-producing neurons affected in Parkinson’s disease. The company is incubated at the Athens LifeTech Park (ALTP), the ELPEN-founded biotechnology park in Athens. It is the first integrated life-sciences hub of its kind in Southeast Europe.

“This financing gives us the resources to advance AT001 through the key preclinical work ahead, and Metavallon’s conviction in building deep science from Greece makes them the right partner as we move forward,” said Alexia Polissidis, PhD, CEO of Anacalypsis Therapeutics. “Our ambition extends beyond a single program: we are building a pipeline around differentiated biological mechanisms with the potential to generate new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.”

“Anacalypsis is translating world-class research into a potential treatment for one of the most challenging disorders with high unmet medical need,” said Demetris Iacovides, Partner at Metavallon VC. “We were particularly drawn to the strength of the science, the team’s expertise in Parkinson’s disease biology, and the opportunity to build a globally relevant biotechnology company from research originating in Greece. This is the first time a Greek VC has backed a drug discovery biotech coming from Greece.”

The investment was made through Metavallon VC’s €5 million Brain Gain Fund, which backs Greek deep-tech and life sciences startups, university spin-outs and diaspora founders building research and product teams in Greece.

About Anacalypsis Therapeutics

Anacalypsis Therapeutics is a Greece-based biotechnology company developing new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Its lead program, AT001, targets the interaction between the LRRK2 and FADD proteins. The company is also developing additional therapeutic programs and biomarker technology to support patient selection and disease monitoring.

Website: www.anacalypsistherapeutics.com

About Metavallon VC

Metavallon VC is a Greek based venture capital firm that specializes in funding technology startups at the Pre-Seed to Seed+ stages, supporting ambitious entrepreneurs in building transformative businesses across multiple sectors and geographies. With over €70 million in capital under management, Metavallon VC has invested in more than 38 startups since 2018. 

Website: www.metavallon.vc