26 Apr 2022
Funding will support Novel Cryptigen™ technology unlocking full potential of Tumour Specific Antigens
Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), the venture capital investor focused on deeptech and life science businesses in the Cambridge ecosystem, is pleased to announce its participation in the £10.3 million ($13.6 million) seed financing of Cambridge-based Epitopea, a business that is set to transform cancer care through the development of cancer vaccines and other novel therapeutics.
Epitopea aims to bring transformative benefits to cancer patients by uncovering a new class of untapped tumour-specific antigens (TSAs), to create immunotherapies that target broad cancer patient populations in both solid and haematological cancers.
The seed funding will be used to build the company’s executive team, advance further research on this new class of antigens, and catalyse their translation into novel cancer immunotherapeutics, including therapeutic vaccines, cell therapies, and TCR-based biologics.
The company’s proprietary technology provides an innovative approach to identifying shared, aberrantly expressed tumour specific antigens, known as Cryptigens™, exclusively licensed from the Université de Montréal. Cryptigen™ TSAs are uniquely and broadly presented across cancer types, providing tumour-specific targets for immunotherapies that are predicted to kill malignant cells while sparing non-cancerous cells, potentially delivering significant therapeutic benefit across broad patient populations with minimal side effects.
Cambridge Innovation Capital participated in Epitopea’s seed round alongside fellow life science venture capital investors including Advent Life Sciences, CTI Life Sciences, Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, the Harrington Discovery Institute and Novateur Ventures.
Mike Anstey, Partner, Cambridge Innovation Capital, said
“We congratulate Epitopea on the success of its seed financing, and are delighted to be part of its vital mission to transform the lives of cancer patients with ground-breaking therapeutic vaccines. We’re proud to be supporting Epitopea here in Cambridge as it develops world-leading innovations. We look forward to seeing Epitopea advance its promising discoveries in the next phase of its journey.”