3Helix Raises $7.8M Series A for Collagen Hybridizing Peptide Platform

3Helix Closes $7.8M Series A

3Helix, a Salt Lake City-based biotechnology company, has raised $7.8 million in Series A funding. The round was announced on September 21, 2026.

What the Company Does

Founded in 2015 by biomedical engineering professors Michael Yu and Yang Li, 3Helix commercializes collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) technology. CHPs are short synthetic peptides that bind selectively to damaged and denatured collagen, making them useful across research and diagnostic applications.

The company's fluorescent CHP tools are used in histopathology and in disease models spanning pulmonary fibrosis to cancer. Beyond the research and diagnostic side, 3Helix is developing its next-generation bioACTIVE CHP platform, which aims to translate damaged-collagen science into regenerative treatments.

Commercial Traction

3Helix's technology has already attracted strategic interest from a major industrial player. BASF made a strategic equity investment in the company in 2023, securing exclusive personal-care rights to the technology.

In April 2026, that partnership produced its first commercial output: NeoHelix Regenerate, the first cosmetic ingredient built on the collaboration.

Round Details

• Round type: Series A
• Amount raised: $7.8 million
• Currency: USD
• Announced: September 21, 2026
• Lead investor: Not disclosed
• Investors: Not disclosed

Why It Matters

3Helix sits at the intersection of two markets: research and diagnostic tools for collagen biology, and regenerative and personal-care applications built on the same underlying peptide science. The Series A gives the company additional capital to advance both tracks — continuing to supply fluorescent CHP tools to the research community while pushing the bioACTIVE platform toward therapeutic and regenerative use cases.

The existing BASF relationship, including exclusive personal-care rights and a launched commercial ingredient, provides a validated commercial pathway that is unusual for a company at the Series A stage.

About the Company

• Name: 3Helix
• Founded: 2015
• Founders: Michael Yu and Yang Li
• Headquarters: Salt Lake City
• Focus: Collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) technology for research, diagnostics, and regenerative applications
• Website: 3helix.com