Nobuyuki Arakawa
President and CEO
Expanded hematopoietic stem-cell therapies for blood diseases and genetic disorders
Celaid Therapeutics is a Tokyo-based biotech developing cell therapies built on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the stem cells that produce blood. Its in-vitro expansion technology grows functional, blood-reconstituting HSCs in large quantities without animal-derived components such as albumin and cytokines, aiming to make high-quality cells available at lower cost. Its lead program, CLD-001, is an ex vivo-expanded HSC therapy from umbilical cord blood for severe pediatric non-malignant diseases; the company has reported positive nonclinical data, transferred manufacturing to a U.S. CDMO and completed a pre-IND meeting with the FDA. Established in October 2020 and led by President and CEO Nobuyuki Arakawa, Celaid announced on October 5, 2026 the second close of its Series B, raising JPY 400 million (about USD 2.6 million) from new investors Shionogi and Teikoku Ventures, bringing cumulative funding including AMED grants to about JPY 3.42 billion.
President and CEO