Bleeding disorders effect millions of people around the world and over 30,000 people in the United States alone. These disorders, including Hemophilia, can cause spontaneous bleeding and excessive bleeding after injury. Blood loss, or hemorrhage, accounts for nearly 2 million deaths annually and is a top underlying cause of death after surgery, childbirth, and trauma.
Cayuga Biotech is on a mission to change the way that hemorrhage is treated. The company, founded in 2015, is developing novel strategies to harness the body’s innate ability to stop bleeding. Cayuga’s innovative therapy uses a formulation of polyphosphate, part of the body’s natural healing response, to accelerate healing, resulting in faster clotting and better outcomes. The company has recently announced it is working on a second therapy: a discovery-stage, novel composition designed for inherited bleeding disorders.
Cayuga was co-founded by Chief Science Officer Damien Kudela while he was earning his Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry at UC Santa Barbara. His research became the foundation of the company, leading to its current pipeline of therapies. Over the past decade, Cayuga has received numerous accolades including winning the 2020 UC Startup Pitch Showcase and being awarded Best Oral Presentation at the 19th International Symposium on Blood Substitutes.
Recently, the company has made significant progress. In December 2025, Cayuga announced the closing of $8 million in seed funding. Wharton Alumni Angels led with $5 million in funding, and the company received an additional $3.1 million in grant funding from Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium. Later that month, Cayuga announced the beginning of its Phase 1 clinical trial of CAY001, a single-dose hemorrhage treatment. The company is well on its way to enabling patients with serious bleeding conditions to achieve improved recovery and survival outcomes.