SAN
FRANCISCO, July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Therapeutic
delivery platform Granza Bio announced today the close of its
oversubscribed $7.14M Seed led by
Felicis and Refactor, along with Y Combinator and notable angel
investors.
"We discovered a new feature of the immune
system that has the potential to transform the therapeutic
landscape" - Prof. Dustin.
Founded in 2024 by a team of cancer and immunology researchers
at the University of Oxford, Granza Bio utilizes the discovery
of "attack particles," a powerful suite of weapons in the immune
system's arsenal that can fight diseases such as cancers,
autoimmunity and infections.
"With attack particles, we discovered a new feature of the
immune system that has the potential to transform the therapeutic
landscape. They offer the power of cellular therapies with the
off-the-shelf ease of antibody-based drugs," said Granza Bio
co-founder Michael Dustin, Professor
of Molecular Immunology at Oxford.
However, the team realized they lacked an effective delivery
system for packaging and delivering attack particles to specific
tissues.
To solve this problem, Granza Bio's platform offers a unique
delivery system that focuses on three key areas:
1) The ability to deliver a variety of cargo types (such as
RNAs, proteins, and attack particles)
2) The ability to deliver to a range of tissue sites
3) Overcoming immunological activation triggered by the delivery
vehicle
"We are developing a series of precision delivery shells that
can encompass and direct any therapeutic cargo to the correct
destination in our body. This work will be fundamental for turning
promising discoveries in genetic medicine and cancer therapeutics
into impactful treatments for patients," said Granza co-founder and
Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ashwin
Nandakumar.
"Through the development of a comprehensive library of
engineered shells, we aim to tackle the challenges of tropism,
immunogenicity, and stability head-on. Our strength lies in the
interdisciplinary nature of our team, spanning fundamental
immunology to industrial manufacturing and scale-up processes. This
is a pivotal moment for the field of drug delivery therapeutics and
we are at the forefront of this transformation," said Dr. Ashwin
Jainarayanan, Granza Bio's Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr. Nandakumar, CEO, holds a PhD in Oncology, has previously set
up clinical trials, and brings oncology start-up experience. Dr.
Jainarayanan, CSO, is a PhD in Interdisciplinary Bioscience and was
recently selected as a Schmidt Science Fellow. Prof. Dustin is also
the director of research at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
at Oxford.
"The immune system is nature's most powerful mechanism for
biological remediation. By improving the delivery and specificity
of naturally occurring attack particles, Granza Bio can unlock a
new world of capabilities for oncological and immunological
diseases," said Tobi Coker, Deal Partner at Felicis. "Granza
encompasses a unique combination of significant scientific
advancements, a founding team with complementary skills, and deep
domain expertise. We are thrilled to be working with them."
"I focus on finding technical founders who are experts in their
fields and are magnets for customers, talent, and investors. Both
Ashwins really fit that perfectly, in my opinion, as they build a
better delivery mechanism for a variety of therapeutics," said
Zal Bilimoria, founding partner at
Refactor.
The investment round also includes participation from other
investors including Metaplanet, Zeno Ventures, Ritual Capital,
Pioneer Fund, Oxford Angel Fund, and North South Ventures. Notable
angels joined the round including Richard
Aberman (former YC Visiting Group Partner), JJ Fliegelman
(former YC Visiting Group Partner), Eric
Migicovsky (former YC Group Partner), Eric Eldon (former editor of TechCrunch),
Eli Brown (founder, Guilded),
Eoghan Mccabe (founder, Intercom),
Benjamin Bryant (co-founder,
Earbits), Yotam Rosenbaum
(co-founder, Earbits), Will Olsen
(co-founder, Engage Bio) and Joel
Meyer.
For partnership and licensing opportunities, please reach out to
info@granzabio.com.
Learn more at granzabio.com.
About Granza Bio
Founded in 2024, Granza Bio is
a biotechnology company developing a novel delivery "shell"
platform to direct therapeutic cargo to specific tissues. For their
lead candidate, Granza Bio is leveraging the discovery of the
immune system's powerful suite of weapons, "attack particles".
Utilizing their advanced delivery platform, they aim to target
these "attack particles" against a range of diseases such as
cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infections. The company has
recently raised a $7M+ Seed round led by Felicis and Refactor,
along with Y Combinator and notable ventures and angel investors.
Granza Bio was co-founded by Dr. Ashwin
Nandakumar, Dr. Ashwin Jainarayanan, and Prof. Michael Dustin, researchers from the
University of Oxford. Learn more at
granzabio.com. Visit our linkedin.
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SOURCE Granza Bio Corporation