When Demetri Maxim was seven years old, his mother’s kidneys failed, forcing her onto dialysis—four hospital visits a week to have her blood filtered by a machine. Two years later, she received a kidney transplant, which allowed her to live a near-normal life. But the struggle wasn’t over. Maxim later learned he had inherited Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a genetic condition that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, eventually leading to organ failure. Today, about one in seven Americans lives with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and roughly 10% of those cases stem from genetic causes like PKD. For Maxim, the personal stakes have always been high. Since high school, he’s been driven by a mission to find a cure—not just for himself, but for others facing the same fate. His breakthrough came in 2021, when a study published in Nature demonstrated that PKD could be reversed in mice using CRISPR gene-editing technology. At the time, Maxim was a graduate student in computational biology at Stanford, working under Professor Vivek Bhalla on kidney disease research. The discovery sparked a realization: gene therapy could be the key to curing PKD. But there was a major obstacle—how to deliver the gene-editing tools precisely to the diseased kidney cells without harming healthy tissue. That challenge led him to found Nephrogen in 2022. The biotech startup combines artificial intelligence with advanced screening to design a highly targeted delivery system capable of transporting gene-editing medicines directly to the affected cells in the kidneys. Nephrogen is one of 20 finalists in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. After three years of development, the company claims its delivery mechanism is 100 times more efficient at reaching kidney cells than any currently FDA-approved vector. The next critical step is advancing both the delivery system and a proprietary drug developed by Nephrogen into clinical trials—Maxim aims to begin human testing in 2027. To fund this milestone, the company is raising a $4 million seed round. Maxim plans to participate in the clinical trial himself. Living with PKD means constant pain, frequent hospital visits, and medications that offer little relief—mostly just increasing urine output. There’s always the looming threat of progressing to dialysis, a life-altering burden. For Maxim, Nephrogen isn’t just a company—it’s a personal mission. If successful, it could offer a cure for PKD, transforming not only his life but the lives of millions worldwide. For those interested in hearing from Nephrogen firsthand, exploring dozens of innovative startups, attending expert-led workshops, and building valuable industry connections, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will take place in San Francisco from October 27 to 29.