ARTAN Bio Closes $1 Million Seed Round to Advance its tRNA Platform Toward Human Studies

Financing follows Torres's CrossBridge Bio acquisition by Eli Lilly and supports translation of ARTAN Bio's programmable approach to mutation-driven aging biology

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ARTAN Bio, a longevity biotechnology company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, today announced the close of a $1 million seed round led by company co-founder Michael Torres, Ph.D., following his role as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CrossBridge Bio through its acquisition by Eli Lilly. The financing will support advancement of ARTAN Bio's proprietary mutation-specific codon suppression platform toward first-in-human development.

In conjunction with the financing, ARTAN Bio also announced the appointment of Brian Bodemann as Chief Executive Officer. Bodemann brings a research-grade command of the science together with broad exposure across life-science commercial markets — positioning him to bridge ARTAN Bio's platform with the indications and partners it can ultimately serve. Co-founder Anthony Schwartz, Ph.D., will transition from Chief Executive Officer to Chief Operating Officer, strengthening the company's operational and scientific leadership as it advances the platform through the next stage of translational development.

Advancing a Mutation-Specific Platform Toward Human Studies

ARTAN Bio's lead platform is built around an engineered suppressor tRNA system designed to restore protein translation in cells harboring disease-causing nonsense mutations. The seed investment will support the transition from preclinical research toward first-in-human development, including IND-enabling studies, manufacturing scale-up, and regulatory preparation.

Nonsense mutations are genetic errors that create premature stop signals during protein translation, preventing production of full-length functional proteins. These mutations are implicated across a wide range of genetic and aging-related diseases. ARTAN Bio's mutation-specific approach is designed to address disease at the level of the underlying genetic lesion, with potential applications across multiple indications where restoration of protein function could be therapeutically meaningful.

Executive Commentary

"After building CrossBridge Bio through its acquisition by Eli Lilly, my thesis as a CEO, scientist, and company builder is to back science with the potential to become category-defining," said Michael Torres, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ARTAN Bio. "That is what I believe ARTAN Bio can be. The platform sits at the intersection of genetics, aging biology, and programmable medicines, with the potential to address disease at the level of the underlying mutation. I am personally investing because I believe the science is differentiated, the opportunity is significant, and the team is ready to move this toward patients."

"Bringing Brian on as CEO positions ARTAN Bio for the clinical, operational, and partnership work ahead," said Anthony Schwartz, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of ARTAN Bio. "My focus as COO will be on disciplined execution as we move from preclinical research toward human studies. The science has reached the point where disciplined translation is the right next step, and this financing gives us the ability to advance that work with urgency and rigor."

"What drew me to ARTAN Bio is that the science is real and the aperture is wide — one programmable mechanism for restoring proteins that nonsense mutations switch off, with relevance across genetic and aging-driven disease," said Brian Bodemann, incoming Chief Executive Officer. "My focus is to translate that platform into the indications and partnerships where it matters most. Michael and Anthony built something differentiated; the work now is to prove what it can become."

About ARTAN Bio

ARTAN Bio is a longevity biotechnology company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, at spARK Labs by ARK Invest. The company is developing mutation-specific codon suppression technologies to address genetic diseases and aging-related conditions caused by nonsense mutations. ARTAN Bio's platform is designed to deliver engineered suppressor systems through established delivery modalities to restore protein function in affected cells.

About the VITARNA Token

$VITARNA tokens represent fractions of governance rights over the Mutation-Specific Codon Suppression for Aging and Longevity IP-NFT. The primary issuance is offered via the Molecule AG platform. Token holders participate in governance decisions including research prioritization, IP licensing strategy, and allocation of research funds, a model intended to broaden participation in early-stage biotechnology and align scientific progress with community stakeholders.

About VitaDAO

VitaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization dedicated to funding and advancing longevity science research. VitaDAO supports early-stage research projects through its IP-NFT model, enabling community participation in the governance of longevity IP.

This press release is for informational purposes only. VITARNA tokens are governance instruments, and this release does not constitute an offer or solicitation.

SOURCE ARTAN BIO