Karis Bio

Karis Bio (now rebranded as Kadis Bio in 2026) is a clinical-stage South Korean biotechnology company founded in 2020 by Dr. Young-sup Yoon, a cardiologist and professor at Emory University. The company develops first-in-class cell-based therapies for cardiovascular diseases using patented human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) differentiation technology. Its lead program uses hiPSC-derived endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs) to promote neovascularization — the growth of new blood vessels — targeting peripheral artery disease (PAD), critical limb ischemia (CLI), ischemic heart disease, and diabetic neuropathy. Karis Bio received world-first clinical trial approval in South Korea (2024) for iPSC-derived endothelial cell therapy for PAD, has an approved IND in the US, and completed a Pre-IND meeting with the FDA. The company has raised approximately $16.9M across seed and Series A/B rounds from Korea Development Bank, Premier Partners, AJU IB Investment, and Devsisters Ventures, and has established a US subsidiary in Atlanta, GA. In 2025, Karis Bio partnered with Cellino to industrialize autologous iPSC therapy and was selected for a US STTR Phase I award from NIH/NHLBI.