Rhygaze

What Rhygaze does

RhyGaze, AG is a privately held biotechnology company founded in 2024 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland with a secondary office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company is developing an optogenetic gene therapy platform that combines engineered light-sensing proteins with gene therapy delivery tools to restore vision in patients with inherited retinal diseases — specifically those whose photoreceptor cells have lost the ability to convert light into electrical signals interpretable by the brain. The platform originated at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), where scientific founders Botond Roska and Bence György combined the two underlying technologies, and was spun out to advance the approach toward clinical development.

The company's core technology centers on installing optogenetic light-sensing machinery into surviving retinal cells (including cone cells) via gene therapy, a distinct architectural approach from gene supplementation therapies such as Luxturna. Rhygaze's leadership team is composed predominantly of senior alumni of Spark Therapeutics who were instrumental in the development, FDA/EMA approval, and commercialization of Luxturna, the first gene therapy approved for a genetic disease. CEO Katherine High co-founded Spark and led the Luxturna program; CSO Linda Couto, CMO Paulo Falabella, CBO/GC Tracy Dowling, and CDO Dan Takefman held senior roles at Spark and adjacent organizations (REGENXBIO, Alcon/Novartis, AskBio, FDA).

Rhygaze is pre-revenue and clinical-stage, with future commercial revenue expected from one-time gene therapy product sales distributed through specialty pharmacies and accredited hospital-based treatment centers once regulatory approval is achieved. The company is venture-backed, having raised approximately $11.3 million in mid-2024 followed by an $86 million Series A in January 2025 led by Google Ventures, with participation from ARCH Venture Partners, BioGeneration Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, and F-Prime. Go-to-market is built around enterprise field sales to ophthalmology specialists, clinical research engagement through scientific conferences, and eventual distribution via specialty pharmacy and hospital channels — a model consistent with the Luxturna commercialization playbook.

Name

Rhygaze

Legal name

RhyGaze, AG

Website

https://rhygaze.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RhyGaze is a clinical-stage biotech developing an optogenetic gene therapy platform to restore vision in patients with inherited retinal diseases. The company was spun out of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel and is led by former Spark Therapeutics Luxturna executives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Gene Therapy

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Gene Therapies (HLAAACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gene Therapy Delivery Devices & Administration Systems (catheters, intrathecal, ocular delivery) (HLAAACAL), Genome Editing Gene Therapies (CRISPR/TALEN/ZFN; in vivo/ex vivo) (HLAAACAD)

Keywords

• Gene therapy
• Ophthalmic gene therapy
• Retinal disease treatments
• Optogenetic therapy platform
• Vision restoration biologics

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gene Therapy Product Sales: Pre-revenue biotech company developing gene therapy treatments for inherited retinal diseases. Revenue will be generated through commercial sales of FDA/EMA-approved gene therapy products once clinical development is completed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Rhygaze is developing an optogenetic gene therapy platform for vision restoration in patients with inherited retinal diseases. The platform combines engineered optogenetic proteins capable of creating photosensitivity in mammalian cells with gene therapy tools designed to install light-sensing machinery into target cell types in the human eye, specifically targeting patients whose retinal cells have lost the ability to convert light into electrical signals interpretable by the brain.

Product overview

Rhygaze is a biotech company developing a single gene therapy platform for vision restoration. The company's approach combines optogenetic proteins to engineer photosensitivity into mammalian cells with gene therapy tools to install light-sensing machinery into target cell types in the human eye. The technology originated at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) in Switzerland. No discrete named products or modules are listed—the company appears to be developing a unified gene therapy platform focused on restoring sight for people with vision loss caused by cells losing the ability to convert light to electrical signals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Optogenetic Gene Therapy Platform A proprietary gene therapy platform that combines engineered optogenetic proteins (which create photosensitivity in mammalian cells) with gene therapy delivery tools designed to install light-sensing machinery into retinal cells that have lost the ability to convert light into electrical signals, intended to restore vision in patients with inherited retinal diseases. Developed for healthcare providers, specialty treatment centers, and specialty pharmacies that administer ocular gene therapies to patients with progressive vision loss and blindness.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology originated at IOB where researchers Botond Roska and Bence György combined optogenetic proteins with gene therapy tools to create Rhygaze's platform. Scientific founders maintain active roles at IOB.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GenSight Biologics: French clinical-stage biotech developing GS030, an optogenetic AAV gene therapy combined with bioelectronic eyewear for retinitis pigmentosa. Most direct competitor to Rhygaze—same therapeutic modality (optogenetics + AAV ocular delivery) targeting inherited blindness.
• Nanoscope Therapeutics: US clinical-stage biotech developing MCO-010, an optogenetic gene therapy using ambient-light-sensitive opsins for RP and Stargardt disease. Closely comparable mechanism of action and patient population to Rhygaze.
• Atsena Therapeutics: Clinical-stage ophthalmic gene therapy company developing AAV-based treatments for inherited retinal diseases including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA1). CSO Linda Couto previously worked at Atsena, creating direct personnel overlap.
• MeiraGTx Holdings: Clinical-stage gene therapy company with multiple ophthalmology programs (AAV-RPE65, AAV-RPGR, AAV-CNGA3, AAV-CNGB3) targeting inherited retinal diseases. Direct competitor in ocular gene therapy space with similar delivery and disease targets.
• Beacon Therapeutics: Clinical-stage ophthalmic gene therapy company developing AAV programs for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (RPGR) and other IRDs. Directly comparable platform (AAV ocular delivery) and indication overlap with Rhygaze's lead programs.

Broad incumbents

• REGENXBIO: Public clinical-stage gene therapy company developing AAV therapies including ocular programs (e.g., RGX-314 for wet AMD via suprachoroidal delivery). Larger, more diversified gene therapy platform with overlapping ophthalmology focus; Rhygaze's CMO previously led its Rare Diseases franchise.
• Spark Therapeutics (Roche): Pioneer in ocular gene therapy (Luxturna, first FDA-approved gene therapy for genetic disease), now a Roche subsidiary. Multiple Rhygaze executives previously led Spark. Direct benchmark and acquirer-type peer in inherited retinal disease gene therapy.

Emerging players

• Adverum Biotechnologies: Clinical-stage gene therapy company with ophthalmology programs (ADVM-022 / ixoberogene soroparvovec for wet AMD/diabetic macular edema). Different indication focus but comparable AAV-based ocular gene therapy modality.
• 4D Molecular Therapeutics: Clinical-stage genetic medicines company with ophthalmology programs (4D-150 for wet AMD, 4D-125 for X-linked RP) using evolved AAV vectors. Comparable ocular AAV gene therapy approach with differentiated capsid technology.
• Coave Therapeutics: Clinical-stage French biotech developing AAV-based gene therapies with ocular programs (CTx-PDE6b for RP). European peer with comparable AAV ocular delivery approach and overlapping indication focus on inherited retinal dystrophies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 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 Rhygaze