Paris — Clinical-stage biotech Exeliom Biosciences has added €2.85 million to its Series A, lifting the round’s total to €11.85 million and shoring up plans to advance its lead program EXL01 through proof-of-concept Phase 2 studies and a new U.S. cancer indication.
The extension was led by existing backer Biocodex, with participation from Crescent Ventures, UI Investissement and Forepont Capital Partners. Since its 2016 founding, Exeliom says it has raised nearly €30 million in combined dilutive and non-dilutive financing.
“Investor support has allowed us to evolve EXL01 from a microbiome therapy into a precision, NOD2-targeting immunomodulator delivered via a live bacterial strain,” said Benjamin Hadida, CEO of Exeliom.
Why it matters
Immuno-oncology is racing toward more targeted, mechanism-driven approaches. Exeliom’s bet is that activating the innate immune receptor NOD2 can reprogram the tumor microenvironment, overcoming resistance to current treatments and boosting checkpoint inhibitor efficacy.
The science in brief
- EXL01: a bacterial-derived, NOD2-targeting immunomodulator designed to activate macrophages and reset local immune balance.
- Status:
- Oncology — three Phase 2 combination trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including what Exeliom describes as the largest randomized Phase 2 to date testing a bacterial approach in gastric cancer.
- Immunology — completed Phase 1 in Crohn’s disease; now in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2.
- Infectious disease — a Phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled study for prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection.
- Rationale: NOD2 is a central innate-immunity node with existing industry validation; Exeliom reports superior NOD2-agonist properties and a distinct signaling profile for EXL01 versus other approaches.
“This evolution toward a small-molecule-like precision mechanism opens new indications and supports international growth, including a new cancer study underway in the U.S.,” Hadida added.
Market backdrop
The raise lands amid a steady 2025 flow of European immuno-modulation deals: TILT Biotherapeutics (€22.6M, Finland), LIfT BioSciences (€12M, UK/Ireland), SNIPR Biome (€35M, Denmark), Highlight Therapeutics (€15M, Spain), and Graph Therapeutics (€3M, Austria). Together they underscore investor appetite for precision-based immunotherapies across oncology and inflammation.
Investor view
“Supporting Exeliom reflects a partnership rooted in scientific excellence and a belief that microbiota-based innovation can transform complex immune-mediated diseases,” said Jean-Marie Lefevre, chairman at Biocodex.
“We’re encouraged by evidence that Faecalibacterium prausnitzii modulates immunity via NOD2, a key target for regulating innate responses,” said Ismail Kola, senior partner at Forepont.
What’s next
Fresh capital will fund Phase 2 advancement, U.S. study preparation for a new cancer indication, and broader international expansion. If EXL01 can consistently potentiate checkpoint inhibitors and validate its NOD2-first biology in randomized settings, Exeliom could help define a first-in-class category of precision, bacteria-delivered innate immune modulators.
