o2h Discovery, a preclinical contract research organization (CRO) with a fully integrated, multi-modality drug discovery platform, is pleased to announce the launch of the latest edition of the o2h Kickstarter in “North America.” This program is specifically designed to support early-stage biotech companies across North America by providing drug discovery expertise to accelerate early programs toward defined scientific and funding milestones. To read more about the program, click here.

North American biotech start-ups (particularly those based in the United States) continue to play a leading role in global drug discovery innovation. By combining strong target biology with advanced approaches such as AI-enabled discovery, precision medicine, and novel therapeutic modalities, these companies are advancing programs across areas including rare diseases, gene therapies, and personalized medicine, translating scientific insight into meaningful patient outcomes.

Early drug discovery can be complex and demanding. Identifying the right starting compounds and understanding how chemical changes affect biological activity often requires the design and testing of many molecules, an effort that can stretch time, budgets, and internal resources, even for well-funded early-stage teams. Recognizing this challenge, o2h Discovery launched the o2h Kickstarter: North America to provide targeted support at a critical stage of discovery.

The program is aimed at companies that have secured initial funding, identified promising drug targets, and demonstrated the potential to scale but require additional chemistry expertise to advance their programs. Through focused chemistry support, the initiative aims to enable companies to generate high-quality chemical matter, de-risk early hypotheses, and progress discovery programs toward investment-ready milestones, ultimately supporting the development of therapies for areas of high unmet medical needs and improving human health.

Speaking on the launch of o2h Kickstarter: North America edition, Sunil Shah, Co-founder, o2h Discovery, said:

Through the o2h Kickstarter program, we have supported more than 35 early-stage biotech start-ups globally in accelerating discovery and securing critical follow-on funding. North America, with its strong scientific foundations, entrepreneurial culture, and leadership in innovation, remains a key driver of early drug discovery. With the latest Kickstarter North America edition, we aim to provide discovery expertise and global collaboration to help emerging biotech companies advance promising programs toward meaningful scientific and funding milestones. At o2h Discovery, our mission is to ensure that transformative biotech ideas are supported with the right expertise, resources, and partnerships to ultimately improve human health.

o2h Discovery has worked closely with venture capital firms and early-stage biotech companies in the United States, supporting multiple programs that have progressed to big pharma acquisitions or NASDAQ IPOs. Through the o2h Kickstarter: North America, o2h Discovery continues its commitment to partnering with emerging biotech innovators to translate strong science into robust and scalable drug discovery programs.

For more information about the award and to apply, visit: o2hdiscovery.co/o2h-kickstarter-north-america/ 

Proven Impact Across Global Biotech Ecosystems

Since its launch in 2022, the o2h Kickstarter program has supported more than 35 early-stage biotech companies across multiple geographies, helping advance discovery programs in areas such as oncology, CNS, chronic diseases, and targeted protein degradation. Previous awardees have leveraged dedicated chemistry support to strengthen SAR, validate early hypotheses, and progress toward key scientific and funding milestones.

The comprehensive support offered through the Kickstarter Award, including

Some of the Previous Editions’ Winners

These past Kickstarter winners have highlighted how access to dedicated chemistry expertise and technical resources supported their programs at a critical early stage. This support enabled teams to generate robust data, validate early hypotheses, and strengthen their discovery strategies ahead of key funding milestones.

How to Apply for the o2h Kickstarter Program:

Applications for o2h Kickstarter North America are now open. Interested biotech founders can submit their applications via the following link: o2h Kickstarter: North America Registration

All applications will be reviewed by the Kickstarter Committee, which includes:

• Sunil Shah, Co-founder
• Andy Morley, Chief Scientific Officer
• Gayathri Sadasivam, VP, Head of Biology
• Hemal Soni, VP, Head of Chemistry

Editor Notes: 

About the o2h Kickstarter Award

Launched in 2022, the o2h Kickstarter Award provides additional discovery support to small molecule-focused biotech companies that have raised initial funding and are seeking to advance early discovery programs. Winners receive access to dedicated chemistry teams and end-to-end project management support aligned with key project milestones.

To date, the program has completed seven editions and supported more than 35 biotech start-ups globally across the UK, USA, Australia, Israel, and Europe.

About o2h Discovery

Established in 2005, o2h Discovery is a multi-award-winning preclinical CRO with an integrated drug discovery platform supporting discovery chemistry, biology, DMPK, PR&D, and scale-up. With a team of more than 750 scientists across Cambridge, UK, and Ahmedabad, India, o2h Discovery partners with biotech and pharma organizations to advance programs from target validation through IND-enabling studies. For more information, visit: www.o2hdiscovery.co   

The DNA of o2h Discovery is centered around the nurturing of its people, values, and culture. It reflects in the way we work with each other, as well as our collaborators and partners. 

Media Contact
Mayank Gupta
Sr. Executive Marketing
mayank.gupta@o2h.com