Nuclera appoints new CFO to accelerate protein expression technology commercialisation
Seth Benson joins the executive team at Nuclera as Chief Financial Officer, bringing extensive life sciences financial expertise to drive the company’s global commercial expansion of its eProtein Discovery system following a $75 million financing round
Financial leadership strengthens biotechnology innovation
Nuclera, the Cambridge-based biotechnology company focused on accelerating protein expression and optimisation, has appointed Seth Benson as Chief Financial Officer. This strategic addition to the leadership team comes at a pivotal moment for the company as it scales commercial operations for its benchtop eProtein Discovery™ system, a technology designed to address critical bottlenecks in protein production workflows.
The appointment follows Nuclera’s successful US$75 million financing round and represents a calculated move to strengthen the company’s financial infrastructure during its commercial expansion phase. Benson will work alongside CEO Dr Michael Chen to advance commercial initiatives, drive revenue growth, and support the company’s strategic expansion across key global markets.
Dr Michael Chen
Seth Benson
Expertise in life sciences financial management
Benson brings over two decades of leadership experience in finance, strategy and operations within the life sciences and healthcare sectors. His track record demonstrates particular expertise in scaling businesses, driving strategic growth, and leading complex financial initiatives including fundraising efforts, acquisitions, restructurings and initial public offerings.
Before joining Nuclera, Benson served as CFO at Vizgen, a spatial genomics company, where he led finance, operations, and IT functions while guiding the organisation through its acquisition of Ultivue, a spatial proteomics company. His previous roles include Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations at Invaio Sciences, where he managed a multinational finance team during early product commercialisation and fundraising efforts.
Notably, at Akoya Biosciences, Benson contributed to significant organisational growth, helping to expand the company to more than 300 employees while playing a crucial role in its initial public offering. His investment banking background includes positions at Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merril Lynch, complementing his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and BSc in Biology from Duke University.
Addressing protein expression challenges
The eProtein Discovery system developed by Nuclera targets a significant technical challenge in drug discovery and biotechnology research – the efficient expression and optimisation of proteins. By developing benchtop technology that streamlines these processes, Nuclera aims to accelerate research timelines and improve productivity in protein-based investigations.
“I am delighted to join Nuclera, especially at such an exciting time for the company,” said Seth Benson, CFO, Nuclera. “Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery system addresses a critical bottleneck in protein production workflows, with the potential to significantly impact drug discovery. I look forward to working with Michael and the team to build on the Company’s strong foundation and drive commercial growth.”
Strategic expansion following financial milestone
This appointment represents part of a broader leadership strengthening initiative at Nuclera. The company recently announced three additional key appointments as it continues to scale during this phase of commercial development. These strategic personnel additions follow the substantial $75 million financing round, positioning the company for accelerated growth and expanded market reach.
Dr Michael Chen, CEO and co-founder of Nuclera, commented on the appointment: “We are pleased to welcome Seth to Nuclera at such a pivotal stage in our journey. His expertise in financial leadership and strategic planning within high-growth life science organizations will be instrumental as we accelerate the commercial rollout of our eProtein Discovery system. I would also like to thank Jiahao for his contributions to Nuclera’s growth and success since co-founding the company in 2013. He has played a key role in shaping the company’s foundation and progress.”
Implications for drug discovery workflows
The commercial expansion of Nuclera’s technology holds particular significance for researchers working in drug discovery, where protein expression and characterisation represent critical rate-limiting steps. By providing benchtop solutions that potentially streamline these processes, Nuclera’s technology could contribute to increased efficiency and productivity across pharmaceutical research and development.
