Schönefeld-based Kupando, a biopharmaceutical startup developing a dual TLR 4/7 agonist to stimulate innate immunity for oncology and infectious diseases, has raised an additional €10 million in Series A funding, bringing its total Series A to €23 million.
The round was led by Remiges Ventures, co-led by LifeCare Partners, with participation from Brandenburg Kapital, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Ventura Biomed Investors, and new investor Carma Fund. The proceeds will support the Phase 1b clinical study of Kupando’s lead candidate, KUP101, in advanced solid tumors, while accelerating preclinical programs in infectious diseases.
“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from our investors and excited to welcome Carma Fund to the Kupando family,” said Johanna Holldack, MD, Founder and CEO. “This funding validates the potential of our innovative dual TLR agonist platform and will be crucial in advancing KUP101 into clinical trials for solid tumors, while expanding our infectious disease research. Our mission is to harness the natural resilience of the innate immune system to deliver transformative therapies for patients in critical need.”
Kupando’s Series A extension comes amid ongoing European investment in immuno-oncology and immune-modulating therapeutics. Recent rounds include Paris-based Exeliom Biosciences (€2.85M), Engitix (€21M), and ErVimmune(€17M), alongside German peers like T-CURX (€17.7M), highlighting investor interest in innovative oncology approaches. Larger deals—T-Therapeutics (€27.5M), Highlight Therapeutics (€15M), and Adcytherix (€105M)—illustrate continued support for both clinical-stage and platform-driven therapies, with total disclosed funding across the sector reaching approximately €206 million.
New investor Martin Raditsch, PhD, Managing Partner of Carma Fund, added, “Kupando’s focus on innate immunity holds immense promise across oncology and infectious diseases. This successful round, especially in today’s challenging financial climate, reflects our confidence in the team, the science, and the potential to deliver meaningful patient impact.”
Founded in 2018 by Johanna Holldack, Kupando’s approach leverages innate immune stimulation and induction of trained immunity through dual Toll-Like Receptor agonists. Its lead candidate, KUP101, is a first-in-class, differentiated dual TLR 4/7 agonist with strong preclinical data and a clear path to clinical development.
KUP101 is designed for systemic treatment of solid tumors (tissue-agnostic) and for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant infections. Its AMR program is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
Kazuhiko Nonomura, PhD, Partner at Remiges Ventures, said, “We are proud to continue leading the investment in Kupando. KUP101 has the potential to redefine treatment paradigms in both cancer and infectious diseases. We look forward to seeing the company advance to the clinical stage and fully realize the potential of its pipeline.”
