FAST California
Meet the 2026 Fall FAST Cohort
These eleven innovative life sciences startups will spend the next several weeks working with our curated network of advisors to develop a compelling commercialization strategy.
Clinical-stage company using donor stem cell transfusions to reprogram the immune system, aiming to restore immune tolerance and address the root cause of autoimmune disease rather than just its symptoms.
A City of Hope spinout: the first four patients treated in its Phase 1b trial for severe aplastic anemia are cured and no longer require blood transfusions, with no signs of graft-versus-host disease.
Developing a new class of autoimmune therapies inspired by parasite immune-evasion biology, using AI to design proteins that regulate the immune system without chronic immunosuppression.
Its AI platform mines millions of proteins from parasites like ticks and worms, and roughly 84% of its predicted protein-target interactions have been confirmed experimentally across six discovery campaigns.
Building a non-contact wearable device that uses laser speckle imaging and AI to continuously track intraocular pressure, replacing periodic office visits with real-time at-home glaucoma monitoring.
Its smart eyeglasses were jointly developed with Bar-Ilan University in Israel and the University of Valencia in Spain, and the technology is covered by 19 patents and applications.
Developing programmable oligonucleotide drugs that selectively target diseased cells while modulating the immune system, with applications in cancer and immunological disorders.
Also a City of Hope spinout. Co-founder and CEO Zoya Gluzman-Poltorak has led seven FDA IND submissions and raised more than $250 million in funding over her career, including partnerships with BARDA and the DoD.
Developing a first-in-class therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration that restores retinal function by replacing a lipid that depletes with age.
In preclinical studies, a single ocular injection of its lead candidate rapidly improved retinal structure and visual function while shifting retinal gene expression toward a more youthful profile.
Developing next-generation molecular glue and induced-proximity therapies aimed at drugging disease targets previously considered undruggable.
Co-founded by Gabriele Sulli, PhD, and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, alongside UCSF Vice Dean Michelle Arkin and targeted protein degradation pioneer Ian Churcher.
Medical-device company building microrobotic technology to actively break down biofilms in hard-to-reach environments, starting with root-canal disinfection.
The idea started with a founder’s conversation with a friend in endodontics, which led back to UCSD microrobotics research from Professor Joseph Wang, a leading name in the field.
Drug discovery company mining novel medicines produced by soil-based microorganisms to target previously undruggable disease targets.
Its discovery platform, AIM-N (pronounced “Amen”), turns a drug target into a microbial survival challenge. Backed by Peregrine Ventures, BMS, and Illumina.
Designs programmable RNA medicines by combining AI-driven RNA foundation models with hands-on RNA biology, targeting cardiovascular, metabolic, and immunological disease, including single-patient programs for ultra-rare conditions.
Runs single-patient programs for ultra-rare conditions like Lamb-Shaffer Syndrome. CEO Nazli Azimi previously founded and sold two biotech companies, Bioniz Therapeutics and Dermaheal.
Developing first-in-class therapeutics intended to selectively rejuvenate the brain and stop neurodegenerative disease.
CEO Carter Palmer’s PhD research on single-cell, multiomic studies of the aging human brain at UC San Diego formed the scientific foundation for the company.
Preclinical company developing selective Toll-like receptor ligands as first-in-class immunotherapies designed to activate the innate immune system and drive durable tumor clearance in skin cancers underserved by current options.
CEO John Vasilakos has developed TLR ligand therapies since the early 2000s at 3M Pharmaceuticals and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and patents.