YZi Labs Invests in Renewal Bio to Tackle Global Organ Shortages via Gene-Identical Regenerative Medicine

It marks YZi Labs’ first biotech investment as it expands its investment mandate in early 2025.

Key Takeaways

• YZi Labs invests in Renewal Bio, a next-generation biotech company addressing global organ and cell shortages through its Stembroid™ developmental platform, designed to generate DNA-identical human cells and tissues for transplantation.
• The new funding will accelerate pre-clinical development of Stembroid-Derived Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) for leukemia and immune disorders, and expand R&D into liver, heart, and pancreatic cells.

YZi Labs today announced its investment in Renewal Bio, a next-generation regenerative medicine company using developmental biology to produce DNA-identical human cells and tissues from patient-derived pluripotent stem cells. This marks YZi Labs’ first biotech investment since expanding its mandate in early 2025, reflecting the firm’s long-term commitment to backing technologies capable of healing at the deepest level and reshaping human health and longevity for generations to come.

Each year, over 150,000 organ transplants are performed worldwide, meeting less than 10% of demand. Even in the U.S., severe shortages persist across all major organs, leaving millions to die waiting for compatible donors or suffer immune rejection after transplant. Renewal Bio aims to bridge the global gap between organ demand and supply by generating a patient’s own DNA-identical cells, creating a scalable, immune-compatible alternative to donor transplants.

Renewal Bio's proprietary Stembroid™ platform reprograms ordinary skin or blood cells into stem cells and nurtures them in a 3D environment that mimics early human development. Instead of forcing cells with chemicals, it lets nature’s own cues guide growth, producing authentic, functional cells ready for transplantation. This process can generate multiple vital cell types, including blood-forming, liver, heart, and pancreatic cells — all matched to the patient’s DNA.

While Renewal Bio’s long-term vision will unfold over decades, the company has set clear near-term goals to drive tangible impact. In 2025, its focus centers on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the foundation of bone marrow transplants and leukemia therapies, aiming to help the  20000+ patients who rely on compatible cell donations each year.

Renewal Bio was founded in 2022 by Professor Jacob Hanna, a world-renowned stem cell scientist from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Recognized among Cell’s “Top 40 Under 40” scientists and recipient of the 2025 Nakasone Award by the Human Frontier Science Program, he co-founded the company with Vladislav Krupalnik (Co-founder & CEO) and Ohad Gafni (Co-founder & CSO), both former doctoral students from his lab. The founding team brings decades of combined expertise in stem cell and developmental biology, with multiple landmark publications in Nature, Cell, and other leading journals.

The new funding will help Renewal Bio bring its science closer to patients, accelerating pre-clinical development of Stembroid-derived blood stem cells for leukemia and immune disorders, while exploring future applications in liver, heart, and pancreas regeneration. It will also support the expansion of the company’s lab infrastructure and partnerships in preparation for GMP-grade manufacturing and clinical readiness.

“We’re truly excited to welcome YZi Labs as an investor and partner in our next chapter,” said Vladislav Krupalnik. “Their belief in what we’re building means a lot –  it reaffirms that the world is ready for a new approach to healing. Our goal has always been simple: to make regenerative medicine real, scalable, and accessible to everyone who needs it.”

“Science, at its best, restores what life has taken away,” said Jane He, General Partner at YZi Labs. “Renewal Bio’s work speaks to that truth, using a person’s own cells to heal and renew from within. We’ve followed Jacob and his team’s journey for a long time, and what stands out is their sincerity and courage to tackle one of humanity’s hardest problems. Our support in Renewal Bio represents an investment in the future of how we care, heal, and live longer, healthier lives.”

About YZi Labs

YZi Labs manages over $10 billion in assets globally. Our investment philosophy emphasizes impact first—we believe that meaningful returns will naturally follow. We invest in ventures at every stage, prioritizing those with solid fundamentals in Web3, AI, and biotech.

YZi Labs’ portfolio covers over 300 projects from over 25 countries across six continents. More than 65 of YZi Labs’ portfolio companies have gone through our incubation programs. For more information, follow YZi Labs on X.

About Renewal Bio

RenewalBio aims to address the critical shortage of transplantable cells and organs by harnessing advanced stem cell technologies to generate authentic, transplant-ready human cells and tissues. The company’s vision is to unlock the full potential of regenerative medicine, offering new solutions for organ failure, infertility, and age-related diseases.

RenewalBio leverages developmental models, coined as Stembroids, that mimic, to some extent, natural embryonic development to produce authentic human cells, bypassing reliance on donor tissues or adult stem cells. Stembroid technology harnesses the incredible potential of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) as the foundation to generate uniquely tailored transplantable cells for each patient, skillfully emulating natural development through cutting-edge 3D self-organized organoid models.

Disclaimer:The information provided in this article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, endorsement, analysis, or recommendations with respect to any financial instruments, investments, or issuers. This article may contain forward-looking statements which are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties. Investment in cryptocurrency and DeFi projects involves substantial risk, including the risk of complete loss. This article does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation, or specific needs of any particular person and each individual is urged to consult their legal and financial advisors before making any investment decisions.