Haptena launches with €3 million seed financing from Claris Ventures to develop innovative treatments for KRAS-driven cancers

Turin, Italy – December 16^th, 2025 – Haptena Therapeutics, a newly formed biotechnology company developing innovative approaches for genetically defined cancers, today announced its launch together with the completion of a €3 million seed financing round. The financing was provided by Claris Ventures, an Italian venture capital firm focused on early-stage biotech. The investment will enable Haptena to advance its discovery platform and progress its first program targeting KRAS-mutant tumors, with the goal of improving long-term outcomes for patients who currently face limited therapeutic options.

Founded by Professor Chiara Ambrogio (University of Turin) and Professor Roberto Chiarle (Boston Children’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School; University of Turin), Haptena builds on deep expertise in cancer biology and tumor evolution to expand the therapeutic potential of precision oncology.

KRAS is the most prevalent oncogene in solid tumors, with mutations accounting for approximately 25% of adult cancers, including lung, pancreatic, and colorectal malignancies. Long considered “undruggable,” KRAS offered no targeted options until 2021, when the first inhibitors reached approval, delivering clinical benefits and paving the way for continued progress in the field. Haptena is developing an approach designed to strengthen the standard of care by acting on highly specific tumor vulnerabilities that emerge in pre-treated patients. 

“Our goal is to deliver more durable clinical responses for patients with KRAS-mutant cancers,” said Chiara Ambrogio, Co-founder of Haptena. “Current therapies are an important starting point, but resistance remains a major barrier. By targeting biological mechanisms that emerge as tumors adapt to KRAS blockade, we aim to meaningfully extend the impact of existing treatments.”

The seed financing from Claris Ventures will allow Haptena to advance its lead KRAS G12C-related program toward preclinical proof of concept in Non-small cell lung cancer, while also establishing a robust modus operandi to apply its discovery approach across additional oncogenic drivers. By consolidating this framework, the company aims to build a scalable path for generating new therapeutic opportunities for patients whose tumors evolve or resist current precision treatments.

“Haptena embodies the type of breakthrough science we aim to support and we are excited to back this outstanding scientific team as a first investment of our newly launched second fund” said Pietro Puglisi, Managing Partner at Claris Ventures.

About Haptena Therapeutics

Haptena is a biotechnology company founded in 2025, developing novel treatment strategies for genetically defined cancers, with an initial focus on KRAS-mutant tumors. Founded in 2025 by Professors Chiara Ambrogio and Roberto Chiarle, Haptena aims to improve the durability and depth of responses to precision therapies by addressing mechanisms of resistance and tumor adaptation. The company is based in Turin, Italy.

For more information, visit www.haptena.com or contact info@haptena.com.

About Claris Ventures

Claris Ventures is a biotech-focused venture capital firm based in Turin (Italy), dedicated to supporting early-stage biotechnology companies born from top Italian research and pursuing international realization. In 2025, the firm launched its second investment fund, Claris Biotech II, reaching over €170 million of assets under management.

For more information, visit www.clarisventures.com.