For Charles Cathlin, the journey to founding Polaris Genomics began at Ground Zero. Stationed there after 9/11, he witnessed firsthand the invisible wounds of trauma that can persist long after physical debris is cleared [Illumina]. That experience seeded a question that has defined psychiatry for decades: why are there no molecular biomarkers to guide the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, the way cardiology has troponin or oncology has PSA? His company, founded in 2017, is now building a platform to answer it, using genomics and AI to find biological signals for conditions like PTSD in a vial of blood [Polaris Genomics]. It is a bet on bringing objective, biology-based clarity to a field that has long relied on subjective patient interviews and clinician observation.
The ADAPT biomarker platform
The company's core technology is the ADAPT Neuropsychiatric Biomarker Discovery Platform. It uses a targeted gene panel, analyzed from a standard blood draw, to identify biomarker signatures associated with specific mental health conditions. The initial commercial wedge is a patented PTSD risk assay, which Polaris claims is first-to-market [Polaris Genomics]. The platform is designed to serve two primary customer groups: biotech and pharmaceutical companies developing new therapeutics, and researchers building next-generation diagnostics.
A veteran-led bet on precision mental health
The founding story and team composition are central to the company's identity and mission focus. Cathlin, the CEO, is a veteran, and the company is veteran-owned. The scientific leadership comes from co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Tshaka Cunningham, who holds a PhD in molecular biology from Rockefeller University [Polaris Genomics]. This blend of mission-driven perspective and deep scientific expertise has attracted a notable, if relatively quiet, group of backers. To date, Polaris has raised approximately $3.4 million in seed funding from investors including Viking Global Investors, Wing Venture Capital, and Sanford Health, alongside non-dilutive support from Maryland's TEDCO [citybiz][TEDCO].
| Funding Round | Amount | Lead Investor(s) / Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $2,000,000 | Undisclosed | 2020 |
| SSBCI Grant | $500,000 | TEDCO | 2023 |
| Debt Financing | $250,000 | Undisclosed | 2023 |
The long road to clinical utility
For all its ambition, Polaris operates in one of the most challenging arenas in modern medicine. The path from a research-grade biomarker to a clinically validated tool cleared by the FDA for diagnosis is long, expensive, and fraught with scientific and regulatory hurdles. The company's current focus on selling its PTSD assay to researchers and pharma for R&D is a pragmatic first step, but it places them in a competitive landscape with entrenched players and emerging science.
What standard of care looks like today
Understanding Polaris's potential impact requires a clear view of the current landscape for patients with conditions like PTSD. Today, diagnosis is almost entirely based on a clinical interview using structured guides like the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Treatment decisions are made through a process of trial and observation, often over months. There are no routine blood tests, brain scans, or other objective measures to confirm the diagnosis, predict which treatment will work for which patient, or provide an early signal of recovery. Polaris Genomics is betting that needs to change.