Lexeo Therapeutics Inc., a New York-based startup initially advancing clinical and near-clinical stage candidates for Friedreich’s ataxia, CLN2 and Alzheimer's diseases, has raised an $85 million series A financing round led by Longitude Capital and Omega Funds. Founded by gene therapy development veteran Ronald Crystal, the company is led by CEO Nolan Townsend, the former head of Pfizer Inc.'s rare disease efforts in North America.

In less than a year, Scorpion Therapeutics Inc. has raised about $270 million and just closed on an oversubscribed series B financing that climbed to $162 million. The new financing quickly follows the Boston-based company’s founding at the end of the first quarter of 2020 and the closure of a $108 million series A financing in October.

New investors think Brainsgate Ltd. has some valuable new ideas, including its novel treatment for ischemic stroke, so they headed up the latest investment round. BNP Joint Capital led the $14 million round as a first-time investor along with Spero and previous investors Elron, Medtronic, Agate, Pitango, and Cipio.

Following a record-shattering year, terms were set for the first two biotech IPOs of 2021 in deals that could generate up to $300 million. Cullinan Oncology LLC, of Cambridge, Mass., set terms Jan. 4 for raising about $150 million by pricing 8.3 million shares in the $17 to $19 range.

A new $23 million in funds gives Brainbox Solutions Inc. a head start as it begins enrollment in the pivotal clinical trial of its mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnostic and prognostic test. Bioventures Investors took the lead in the series A financing. The Tauber Foundation, the Virginia Tech Carilion Innovation and Seed Funds, Genoa VC, Pharmakon Holdings LLC, and Astia Angels participated in the fundraising round along with qualified investors including the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love, a mental health advocate.