SHORTList
Moonwalk Biosciences logo
AI/ML
Biotech/Pharma

Moonwalk Biosciences

Adipose-targeted RNAi medicines for obesity

CORE INFO

$127M
Total Funding
Series B
Round
2022
Founded
19-21 employees
Team Size
South San Francisco, CA
Headquarters

Moonwalk Biosciences develops adipose-tissue-targeted siRNA medicines for obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Its lead program is intended to reduce fat mass without suppressing appetite, offering a potential treatment approach for people who need alternatives to appetite-focused therapies.

  • Series B financing totaled $70 million on September 8, 2026, co-led by Alpha Wave Global and YK Bioventures.biospace.com
  • More than half a dozen adipose-tissue biology targets have been identified, according to BioWorld.bioworld.com
  • BioPharma Dive reported that Moonwalk is shifting from its original epigenetic-editing focus toward adipose-targeted RNAi obesity medicines, including a program licensed from Suzhou Siran Biotechnology.biopharmadive.com

WHY WE WOULD WORK AT MOONWALK BIOSCIENCES

Reimagine Obesity Treatment

Help develop adipose-targeted siRNA medicines designed to reduce fat mass without suppressing appetite. Moonwalk's lead program, MW101, is targeted for first-in-human testing in late 2027.

Shape a Growing Pipeline

Join a preclinical biotech with approximately $127 million in publicly announced funding, including a $70 million Series B. Your work can directly influence MW101 and additional cardiometabolic RNAi programs.

Work at Biology's Frontier

Combine human genetics, epigenomics, multi-omics, AI, computational biology, functional validation, and proprietary adipose-targeting chemistry to discover new medicines.

Build With Experts

Collaborate within a focused team of roughly 19–21 employees, alongside leaders with backgrounds at Illumina, GRAIL, Gilead Sciences, Chinook Therapeutics, Amgen, and the Broad Institute.

Grow Through Inflection

Be part of a company evolving from its EpiRead™ and EpiWrite™ epigenetic technologies toward a clinic-oriented RNAi strategy. That transition creates meaningful opportunities to shape programs, platforms, and ways of working.

Create Patient-Relevant Impact

Help pursue treatments intended to preserve lean mass, improve tolerability, and potentially enable quarterly or twice-yearly dosing for obesity and cardiometabolic disease.

MARKET AND TRACTION

MARKET POSITION

✦ KEY METRIC
  • Preclinical biotechnology company focused on adipose-tissue-targeted siRNA medicines for obesity and cardiometabolic disease.

  • Lead program MW101 is intended to reduce fat mass without suppressing appetite, with first-in-human testing targeted for late 2027.

    • GROWTH TACTICS

  • Moonwalk is using venture financing to advance MW101 through IND-enabling work and to expand additional adipose-targeted RNAi programs.

  • The company combines human genetics, epigenomics, multi-omics, AI, computational biology, functional validation, siRNA design, and proprietary adipose-targeting chemistry to build its pipeline.

    • KEY METRICS

    ✦ KEY METRIC
  • Moonwalk has raised approximately $127 million in publicly announced financing, including a $70 million Series B announced in September 2026.

  • The company was founded in 2022 and has approximately 19–21 employees.

    • COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

  • Its therapeutic approach is designed to target adipose tissue directly, with development goals that include reducing fat mass while preserving lean mass and potentially enabling quarterly or twice-yearly dosing.

  • Moonwalk also retains earlier epigenetic technologies, EpiRead™ and EpiWrite™, alongside its current RNAi-focused strategy.

    • NOTABLE CUSTOMERS

  • No commercial customers have been publicly disclosed.

  • Eli Lilly participated in Moonwalk's Series B financing, but the available research does not establish Lilly as a customer or commercial partner.

    • PRODUCT AND TECH

    MW101 Obesity Program

    MW101 is Moonwalk's lead adipose-targeted siRNA medicine, designed to reduce fat mass without suppressing appetite. First-in-human testing is targeted for late 2027.

    Adipose-Targeted RNAi

    Moonwalk develops proprietary adipose-targeting chemistry and siRNA designs to selectively silence genes in fat tissue. The approach supports potential treatments for obesity and cardiometabolic disease.

    Multi-Omics Discovery Platform

    The company combines human genetics, epigenomics, multi-omics, artificial intelligence, computational biology, and functional validation to identify causal therapeutic targets. This platform supports its adipose biology and RNAi pipeline.

    EpiRead EpiWrite Technologies

    EpiRead™ and EpiWrite™ are Moonwalk's earlier epigenetic technologies for mapping and engineering cellular states. They represent the company's original precision epigenetic-medicine platform.

    Methylencoder Modeling

    Methylencoder is a transformer-based model trained on long-read DNA-methylation data. It supports Moonwalk's epigenomic analysis and computational research capabilities.

    COMPANY CULTURE

    Values

  • Advance safer, more effective genetic medicines

  • Improve health by moving cellular states toward healthier function

  • Pursue first-in-class treatments for obesity and cardiometabolic disease

  • Apply rigorous science to meaningful patient needs

    • Operating Principles

  • Combine human genetics, epigenomics, multi-omics, AI, and functional validation

  • Translate computational insights into experimentally validated therapeutic targets

  • Prioritize tissue-specific approaches to improve precision and tolerability

  • Move promising programs efficiently toward the clinic

    • Work Style

  • Small, multidisciplinary team of approximately 19–21 employees

  • Close collaboration across biology, computational science, chemistry, and drug development

  • Entrepreneurial environment focused on building a new field in genetic medicines

  • Adaptable approach as the company evolves from epigenetic platforms toward adipose-targeted RNAi

    • Learning & Growth

  • Work at the frontier of epigenome engineering and RNA therapeutics

  • Engage with emerging tools in AI-enabled drug discovery and adipose biology

  • Contribute to research shared through scientific conferences and publications

  • Develop programs from early discovery through IND-enabling studies