TLDR: LG Group, through its venture capital arm LG Technology Ventures, has invested in Strand Therapeutics, a U.S.-based company specializing in programmable messenger RNA (mRNA)-based cancer therapies. This move is part of LG’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the biohealth sector, aligning with its focus on artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and clean technology.
SEOUL, August 4, 2025 – LG Group has announced a significant investment in Strand Therapeutics, a pioneering U.S. biotech firm, through its venture capital arm, LG Technology Ventures. This strategic move underscores LG’s accelerating commitment to the biohealth sector, particularly in advanced therapeutic technologies like messenger RNA (mRNA) based treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Strand Therapeutics, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 2017 by a team of synthetic biologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The company is at the forefront of developing programmable, long-acting mRNA therapeutics. Their innovative approach involves embedding sophisticated logic-based circuits into mRNA to enable precise control over the location, timing, intensity, and duration of protein expression. This allows the therapies to sense different cell types and activate only in diseased cells, offering a more targeted and potentially curative treatment option for cancer, autoimmune conditions, and rare diseases.
Industry sources indicate that LG’s participation in Strand’s Series B funding round contributes to Strand Therapeutics’ total funding, which has already surpassed $103.65 million since its inception. This substantial investment reflects growing investor confidence in programmable mRNA technology, especially following the success of COVID-19 vaccines that validated the mRNA platform’s commercial potential.
With this latest deal, LG Technology Ventures’ cumulative investments in biotech startups are estimated to have exceeded US$50 million, marking a more than 40% increase from $35 million at the end of last year. This aligns with LG’s strategic emphasis on ‘ABC’ industries—Artificial Intelligence, Bio, and Clean Tech—as key future growth engines. The Korean conglomerate is actively pursuing cross-sector synergies by integrating advanced technologies with healthcare and sustainability-driven ventures.
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo has previously highlighted the importance of AI and biotechnology, stating, “We are striving for a future where loved ones can live longer, healthier lives through breakthrough therapies.”
Beyond Strand Therapeutics, LG has made several other notable investments in the biohealth space. These include follow-up investments in ADARx Pharmaceuticals (also known as Adarx Therapeutics), a San Diego-based company developing treatments for rare metabolic diseases, as well as stakes in Aetion (a healthcare data analytics platform), Eko Health (digital stethoscopes for heart and lung disease detection), and cell therapy firm Accellex.
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Furthermore, LG is actively integrating AI with biotechnology to bolster its research and development capabilities. Just last month, LG AI Research, the group’s artificial intelligence arm, unveiled ‘Exaone Pass 2.0,’ an AI diagnostic model capable of identifying cancer in under one minute by analyzing genetic mutations and microcellular changes, a process that traditionally takes over two weeks. This demonstrates LG’s holistic approach to advancing healthcare through technological innovation.
