What Shape Therapeutics does

Shape Therapeutics (operating as ShapeTX) is a Seattle-based biotechnology company founded in 2018 that develops programmable RNA medicines by combining RNA biology, AAV delivery, and generative AI within a single integrated platform. The company markets four core technology modules: RNAfix®, which recruits endogenous ADAR enzymes to edit RNA without altering DNA; AAVid™, an AI-driven capsid engineering platform that screens billions of viral capsid variants for tissue-specific delivery; TruStable™, a stable cell line system for scalable AAV manufacturing; and RNAswap™, a broader RNA manipulation technology. These sit on top of a proprietary AI engine that uses diffusion-based generative models and massive parallel screening datasets to design guide RNAs and capsids with high on-target efficiency and specificity.

The company is pre-commercial and monetizes through strategic licensing and collaboration agreements with pharmaceutical partners rather than direct product sales. Named enterprise customers include Roche (2021 collaboration expanded 2023, reportedly acquired ShapeTX in 2024 for ~$3B per third-party sources), Otsuka (September 2023 ocular disease collaboration), and VectorY Therapeutics (September 2025 AAV5 capsid option and license agreement worth up to $1.2B). ShapeTX also pursues a wholly-owned pipeline, with a Parkinson's disease AAV gene therapy program highlighted at the ESGCT 2025 congress, and reports preclinical proof-of-platform data including >90% RNA editing efficiency in non-human primate brain. Backed by approximately $147.5M in disclosed venture funding (Series A 2019 and $112M Series B in 2021), ShapeTX operates in the 101–250 employee range and is led by co-founder and CEO Francois Vigneault, PhD, alongside a scientific advisory board that includes George Church (Harvard), Don Cleveland (UCSD), and James Collins (MIT).

Name

Shape Therapeutics

Legal name

Shape Therapeutics Inc.

Website

https://shapetx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shape Therapeutics is a Seattle-based biotech developing AI-powered programmable RNA medicines, combining RNA editing (RNAfix®), AI-engineered AAV delivery (AAVid™), and scalable manufacturing (TruStable™) to serve pharmaceutical partners through licensing and collaboration agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gene Therapy & RNA-based Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

AAV Vector Gene Therapy Developers (HLAAACAA), RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC) (HLAAADAF)

Keywords

• RNA editing technology
• Gene therapy platforms
• AAV delivery systems
• Programmable RNA medicine
• AI-powered drug discovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Collaboration Agreements: Shape Therapeutics generates revenue through strategic licensing agreements and collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. This includes the Roche collaboration (August 2021, expanded November 2023) for neuroscience and rare disease applications, Otsuka collaboration (September 2023) for ocular diseases, and VectorY licensing agreement (September 2025) potentially worth up to $1.2 billion. Revenue comes from upfront payments, milestone payments, and potential royalties on commercialized products.
2. Future Product Commercialization: The company is developing its own pipeline of gene therapy candidates including treatments for Parkinson's disease and other CNS disorders. Once clinical candidates advance through development, the company could commercialize products directly.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shape Therapeutics develops AI-powered programmable RNA medicines and gene therapy platforms. Its core offering combines RNA editing technology (RNAfix®), AI-driven AAV capsid engineering (AAVid™), and scalable manufacturing (TruStable™) to enable discovery, design, delivery, and production of RNA-based therapeutics targeting genetic diseases, particularly CNS disorders. The company monetizes through licensing deals with pharmaceutical partners and is advancing an internal pipeline including Parkinson's disease gene therapy candidates.

Product overview

Shape Therapeutics (ShapeTX) is a biotechnology company developing a unified programmable RNA medicine platform. The platform integrates multiple proprietary technologies: RNAfix® for RNA editing, AAVid™ for AI-driven AAV capsid engineering, TruStable™ for stable cell line manufacturing, RNAswap™ for additional RNA applications, and a core AI Engine that powers the entire discovery process. These technologies work together to enable end-to-end gene therapy development - from target identification through AI-powered RNA design to precise delivery via engineered AAV capsids to scalable manufacturing using stable cell lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RNAfix®: RNA editing platform that recruits ADAR enzyme to correct RNA mutations without changing DNA
• RNAswap™
• AAVid™
• TruStable™

Products and services

• RNAfix® RNA editing platform that recruits ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA), a naturally occurring enzyme found in all human cells, to correct the body's instructions for making proteins by recoding RNA without permanent changes to DNA. Can be applied to correct mutations or purposefully create them to treat genetic disorders. Licensed to pharmaceutical partners for therapeutic development.
• AAVid™ AI-driven AAV capsid engineering platform that rationally designs and screens billions of viral capsid variants to identify those that can precisely deliver RNA medicines to specific tissues or cells while avoiding off-target effects. Licensed to pharma and biotech partners for targeted gene therapy delivery.
• TruStable™ Stable cell line manufacturing technology that dramatically improves the ability to manufacture RNA medicines and AAV vectors at any scale, from dozens to millions of doses. Enables scalable production of gene therapy products.
• RNAswap™ RNA technology platform for therapeutic RNA manipulation, complementing the RNAfix editing platform with additional RNA-based therapeutic applications.
• ShapeTX AI Engine Proprietary AI platform that analyzes massive datasets generated across ShapeTX's entire technology suite and therapeutic portfolio for intelligent decision making in drug discovery. Combines breakthroughs in AI, RNA technology, and synthetic biology to design novel therapeutic candidates.
• Payloads Platform AI-powered platform for designing novel RNAs that reprogram cells to prevent or fight disease, from correcting mutations to fine-tuning gene expression to modulating protein-protein interactions. Screens massive genomic datasets to find treatment possibilities for difficult-to-treat diseases.

Quantifiable outcome

• >90% editing efficiency achieved in mouse and non-human primate brain tissue with RNAfix® platform
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VectorY TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025VectorY Therapeutics and ShapeTX announced option and license agreement to advance vectorized antibodies for neurodegenerative diseases using an AAV5-derived CNS capsid. Deal potentially worth up to $1.2 billion including upfront, option exercise, and milestone payments plus royalties.
• OtsukacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2023Otsuka collaborates with ShapeTX to develop novel AAV gene therapies for ocular diseases using ShapeTX's AAV capsid and delivery technology platforms.
• RochecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2021ShapeTX entered strategic research collaboration with Roche to advance AAV-based RNA editing technology for neuroscience and rare disease indications. The collaboration was expanded in November 2023 with addition of a new target. Roche acquired Shape Therapeutics in 2024 for approximately $3 billion.
• ASGCT / BIO / CBER (FDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShapeTX participates in the CGT Science Series, a quarterly webinar collaboration between ASGCT, BIO, and CBER (FDA) that facilitates technical exchange between sponsors and regulators on cell and gene therapy topics including CMC guidance and gene editing technologies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Korro Bio: Clinical-stage RNA editing company also leveraging ADAR-mediated RNA editing. Most direct competitor to ShapeTX's RNAfix® platform, with overlapping therapeutic focus on genetic diseases.
• Wave Life Sciences: RNA therapeutics company developing stereopure oligonucleotide and RNA editing candidates for CNS and rare diseases. Competes with ShapeTX across both RNA editing modality and CNS delivery focus.
• ProQR Therapeutics: RNA editing / oligonucleotide therapeutics company developing Axiomer® ADAR-mediated RNA editing platform. Directly comparable to RNAfix® in modality and disease-area focus.
• 4D Molecular Therapeutics: Clinical-stage AAV gene therapy company using directed-evolution AAV capsid engineering. Direct competitor to ShapeTX's AAVid™ platform with overlapping therapeutic indication areas including CNS and ophthalmology.
• Dyno Therapeutics: AI-driven AAV capsid engineering company with partnerships across multiple pharma companies. Comparable technology focus to ShapeTX's AAVid™ and competes for similar partner relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Beam Therapeutics: Clinical-stage base editing company with broader genetic medicine portfolio. Competes with ShapeTX in next-generation nucleic-acid editing modalities and has substantially more capital and clinical-stage assets.
• Prime Medicine: Gene editing company developing prime editing technology. Operates in adjacent editing modality space and competes for partner interest and capital in the programmable medicine category.
• Intellia Therapeutics: Clinical-stage CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing company with in vivo and ex vivo programs. Larger, more advanced competitor that overlaps with ShapeTX's vision of programmable gene medicines.
• Editas Medicine: Clinical-stage CRISPR gene editing company. Comparable as an established player in the gene editing space targeting similar genetic disease indications, though using a different editing modality.
• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: Established commercial-stage RNA therapeutics leader. While operating in siRNA rather than RNA editing, Alnylam is the dominant public benchmark for the RNA therapeutics category and represents the long-term commercial archetype.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShapeTx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shape Therapeutics