OliX Pharmaceuticals Raises KRW 110 Billion in Strategic Investment from L’Oréal’s BOLD and Weiss Asset Management
OliX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading biotechnology company specializing in RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, has announced the successful raising of approximately KRW 110 billion through a third-party allotment of newly issued common shares. The financing round was completed with participation from two strategic investors: BOLD, the corporate venture capital arm of L’Oréal, and Weiss Asset Management LP, a U.S.-based global investment firm.
The capital infusion represents a significant milestone for OliX Pharmaceuticals as it continues to expand its pipeline of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapies and strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving field of gene-silencing technologies. The investment also deepens the company’s strategic collaboration with L’Oréal, reinforcing the intersection between advanced biotechnology and next-generation beauty and dermatological innovation.
Strategic Investors Back RNAi Innovation Platform
The financing round highlights growing investor confidence in RNAi therapeutics as a transformative modality in medicine and consumer health applications. RNA interference technology works by selectively silencing disease-causing genes at the messenger RNA level, offering a highly targeted approach to treating a wide range of diseases, including genetic disorders, dermatological conditions, and metabolic diseases.
BOLD, L’Oréal’s venture capital investment arm, focuses on backing disruptive companies operating at the intersection of beauty, biotechnology, and digital innovation. The fund’s participation underscores L’Oréal’s long-term strategy of integrating advanced biological science into skincare, haircare, and cosmetic solutions.
Weiss Asset Management LP, a U.S. institutional investment firm with a global footprint, also participated in the financing round. The firm has been a prior investor in OliX, having participated in a funding round in August 2025, signaling continued confidence in the company’s scientific platform and commercial potential.
Strengthening a Strategic Partnership with L’Oréal
A key dimension of the transaction is the strengthening of OliX Pharmaceuticals’ strategic partnership with L’Oréal through BOLD’s equity participation. The collaboration is expected to accelerate joint research and development initiatives focused on applying RNAi technology to beauty and dermatology applications, particularly in skin and hair health.
Guive Balooch, Global Managing Director of Open Innovation and Augmented Beauty at L’Oréal, emphasized the importance of combining scientific innovation with consumer-focused applications. He noted that the partnership brings together OliX’s advanced siRNA platform capabilities with L’Oréal’s long-standing expertise in beauty science, formulation, and biological research.
According to Balooch, the collaboration is aimed at developing next-generation beauty solutions that leverage cutting-edge biological insights. These innovations are expected to enhance product performance and deliver scientifically validated benefits to consumers globally, marking a shift toward more biologically precise approaches in the beauty industry.
Funding to Accelerate siRNA Therapeutic Development
OliX Pharmaceuticals stated that the newly secured capital will be used to advance its ongoing pipeline of siRNA-based therapeutic programs. These programs span multiple disease areas, with a strong emphasis on dermatology, including skin and hair-related conditions.
The company’s proprietary RNAi platform enables the development of highly specific gene-silencing therapeutics designed to target disease-causing genetic pathways with precision. By modulating gene expression at the RNA level, siRNA therapies have the potential to address diseases that are difficult or impossible to treat with conventional small molecules or biologics.
With the additional funding, OliX aims to accelerate preclinical and clinical development timelines, expand its research capabilities, and strengthen its technology platform to support future therapeutic candidates. The company also plans to leverage its strengthened relationship with L’Oréal to explore new applications in dermatological science and consumer health innovation.
Expanding Applications in Dermatology and Hair Science
One of the key focus areas for OliX Pharmaceuticals is the application of RNAi technology to skin and hair disorders. These conditions represent a large and growing global market, with significant unmet needs in both therapeutic and aesthetic applications.
By targeting specific genes involved in inflammation, pigmentation, aging, and hair follicle regulation, siRNA-based therapies could offer a new generation of precision dermatology solutions. Unlike traditional topical or systemic treatments, RNAi-based approaches have the potential to directly modify underlying biological pathways, potentially leading to longer-lasting and more targeted outcomes.
The collaboration with L’Oréal is particularly significant in this context, as it brings together pharmaceutical-grade genetic technology with deep expertise in consumer skincare science. This convergence is expected to accelerate innovation in both therapeutic and cosmetic applications of RNA-based technologies.
Leadership Perspectives on the Investment
Company leadership at OliX Pharmaceuticals highlighted the strategic importance of the investment and the confidence it reflects in the company’s technology platform and long-term vision.
Dong Ki Lee, Chief Executive Officer of OliX Pharmaceuticals, expressed appreciation for the participation of both BOLD and Weiss Asset Management. He emphasized that the investment demonstrates strong external validation of the company’s scientific approach and its potential for future growth.
According to Lee, the involvement of both a leading global strategic investor and a major institutional asset manager reflects broad market confidence in OliX’s technological competitiveness. He added that the partnership supports the company’s ambition to advance RNAi-based therapies and expand their applications across both medical and consumer health sectors.
Growing Global Interest in RNAi Therapeutics
The investment in OliX Pharmaceuticals comes amid increasing global interest in RNA interference technologies as a next-generation therapeutic platform. RNAi-based drugs have already shown clinical success in certain rare diseases, and ongoing research continues to expand their potential across larger and more complex disease categories.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are increasingly exploring RNA-based approaches due to their ability to selectively regulate gene expression with high specificity. This precision offers the potential to reduce off-target effects and improve safety profiles compared with traditional drug modalities.
In parallel, the convergence of biotechnology and consumer industries—particularly in skincare and dermatology—is creating new opportunities for RNA-based innovation beyond traditional pharmaceutical applications.
Strengthening Financial and Strategic Positioning
The KRW 110 billion capital raise provides OliX Pharmaceuticals with additional financial flexibility to pursue its research and development goals while strengthening its balance sheet. The investment also enhances the company’s ability to scale its operations and advance multiple pipeline programs in parallel.
Beyond financial support, the strategic involvement of L’Oréal’s BOLD and Weiss Asset Management adds significant value through potential collaboration, scientific exchange, and global industry access. These partnerships position OliX to accelerate both its clinical development efforts and its expansion into adjacent markets.
With this latest investment, OliX Pharmaceuticals is entering a new phase of growth focused on expanding its RNAi platform and deepening its collaboration with global industry leaders. The company is expected to continue advancing its siRNA-based pipeline while exploring new applications in dermatology, hair science, and potentially broader therapeutic areas.
As interest in RNA interference technology continues to grow across both pharmaceutical and consumer sectors, OliX is positioning itself at the forefront of this emerging field. The combination of strong scientific innovation, strategic investment support, and global partnerships is expected to play a key role in shaping the company’s future trajectory.
Ultimately, the collaboration between OliX Pharmaceuticals, L’Oréal’s BOLD, and Weiss Asset Management represents a convergence of biotechnology and consumer innovation, with the potential to redefine how RNA-based science is applied across health and beauty industries worldwide.
About OliX Pharmaceuticals
OliX is a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics that regulate disease-causing gene expression based on RNA interference (RNAi) technology. Leveraging RNAi technology, OliX is researching and developing therapeutics for a broad range of diseases, with multiple pipeline programs currently in clinical stages.
OliX is developing therapeutics based on its proprietary core drug development platform, OASIS (OliX Advanced Small Interfering RNA System), which is designed to enhance the high gene-silencing efficiency of RNAi technology and enable tissue-specific delivery. Based on this platform, OliX is advancing locally administered RNAi therapeutics for various indications, including hair loss, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and hypertrophic scars. In addition, by incorporating hepatocyte-specific delivery technology, OliX is building pipelines in liver-related diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), obesity, and cardiometabolic disorders.
In accordance with its mid- to long-term growth strategy, the “OliX 2.0 Roadmap,” OliX continues to expand the application of RNAi therapeutics. The company is building novel delivery platform technologies targeting the central nervous system (CNS) and adipose tissue, expanding its follow-on pipelines, and pursuing differentiated RNAi therapeutics across a broad range of disease areas.
