SmartGateVC announces investment in ThirdLaw Molecular
SmartGateVC is proud to be the first investor in ThirdLaw Molecular (TLM), a company unlocking the next frontier in molecular therapeutics. Backed by $16.5M in non-dilutive government funding and a $1.5M pre-seed round co-led by SmartGateVC and Bowman’s Tower Venture Partners, ThirdLaw is advancing Spiroligomer™ molecules - a new class of synthetic, programmable therapeutics designed to overcome the limitations of small molecules and biologics.
The company’s DNA-encoded library of 4.5 billion Spiroligomer™ molecules represents a breakthrough in molecular drug discovery, offering high selectivity, cell permeability, and oral bioavailability for targeting diseases previously considered undruggable. Unlike traditional approaches, Spiroligomer™ molecules are preorganized ladder structures, reducing entropic penalties and enabling precision protein binding. These molecules efficiently penetrate cells while maintaining high specificity, making them promising candidates for next-generation therapeutics.
While ThirdLaw is currently focused on synthesizing and screening its proprietary Spiroligomer™ libraries, it aims to integrate AI-driven molecular modeling in the future to accelerate optimization and lead development.
“We believe that future tech giants that will emerge at the intersection of AI and life sciences will have deep roots in the wet lab and be largely driven by fundamental IP,” said Ashot Arzumanyan, Partner at SmartGateVC. “ThirdLaw Molecular is redefining how we discover and develop medicines with their patented programmable molecular technology. We are excited and honored to join Prof. Christian Schafmeister and his team on their journey to transform numerous concepts in therapeutics, longevity, and beyond.”
“ThirdLaw Molecular’s approach is a major leap forward in drug discovery,” added Areg Alimian, Partner at SmartGateVC. “We have made this investment in the true spirit of SmartGateVC - being early believers in truly transformative technologies.”
Scientific & Industry Validation
A major pharmaceutical company is evaluating a 2,400-compound Spiroligomer™ library, demonstrating strong industry interest in the platform. The company has also secured $16.5M in non-dilutive funding from the Department of Defense, supporting both therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Early validation has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Spiroligomers™. Studies have confirmed nanomolar-level binding, efficient cell penetration, and favorable pharmacokinetics. In recent experiments, 8 out of 11 tested Spiroligomer™ molecules entered cells within 20 minutes. In animal models, these molecules exhibited half-lives between 4.8 and 11.3 hours with oral bioavailability ranging from 0.24% to 2.39%. These findings underscore the platform’s potential for addressing drug discovery challenges that conventional approaches have struggled to overcome.
“Our journey with SmartGateVC has been more than two years in the making, and I feel my back is covered with an investor that shares our vision and believes in breakthrough innovation,” said Prof. Christian Schafmeister, Founder and CEO of ThirdLaw Molecular. “With Spiroligomer™ molecules, we are unlocking a fundamentally new approach to targeting diseases that were once thought to be untouchable.”
The Road Ahead: Scaling & Partnering
ThirdLaw Molecular is now developing a next-generation 100-million-member Spiroligomer™ library to further expand its capabilities in targeting challenging proteins. The company is also actively engaging with pharmaceutical partners to explore new applications of its technology.
About SmartGateVC
SmartGateVC is a California and Armenia-based pre-seed/seed venture capital firm backed by seasoned tech investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals. The key focus areas are the frontiers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the intersection with the physical world, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), life sciences and cybersecurity.
