Schönefeld-based Kupando, a biopharmaceutical company developing a TLR 4/7 agonist that stimulates innate immunity and induces trained immunity for use in oncology and infectious diseases, has secured an additional €10 million in Series A financing – bringing their total Series A to €23 million.
The investment was again led by Remiges Ventures, co-led by LifeCare Partners, with additional investments by Brandenburg Kapital, High-Tech Gründerfonds and Ventura Biomed Investors. Carma Fund joined as a new investor. The proceeds will be used to fund the Phase 1b clinical study of Kupando’s lead candidate, KUP101, in advanced solid tumors and to accelerate its preclinical programs in infectious diseases.
“We are incredibly grateful for the continued strong support from our existing investors and excited to welcome Carma Fund to the Kupando family,” says Johanna Holldack, MD, Founder and CEO of Kupando. “This additional funding is a testament to the potential of our innovative dual TLR agonist platform and will be instrumental in advancing KUP101 into clinical studies for solid tumors and accelerating our crucial work in infectious diseases. Our mission is to leverage the natural resilience of the innate immune system to deliver truly transformative therapies for patients in critical need.”
Kupando’s Series A extension takes place against a backdrop of continued European investment into immuno-oncology and immune-modulating therapeutics.
Comparable rounds include Exeliom Biosciences, a Paris-based company that raised €2.85 million to advance immunotherapies; Engitix, which secured €21 million to develop extracellular matrix-targeted treatments; and ErVimmune, which raised €17 million for cancer vaccines and cell therapies.
In Germany, T-CURX also secured €17.7 million to develop novel cancer cell therapies, highlighting activity in the same country as Kupando.
Meanwhile, larger rounds such as T-Therapeutics (€27.5 million), Highlight Therapeutics (€15 million), and Adcytherix (€105 million) demonstrate continued investor willingness to back both clinical-stage assets and platform-driven oncology approaches.
Altogether, these disclosed rounds amount to approximately €206 million, indicating sustained – albeit selective – capital deployment across the sector. Within this context, Kupando’s focus on innate immunity and dual TLR agonists represents a differentiated approach compared to the more common cell therapy, antibody, and T-cell modulation strategies seen across its European peers.
New investor Martin Raditsch, PhD, Managing Partner of Carma Fund, adds, “Kupando’s unique approach to leveraging innate immunity holds immense promise across oncology and infectious diseases. This successful funding round, especially in the current challenging financial climate, underscores the confidence we, as investors, have in Kupando’s science, team, and potential to deliver impactful solutions for unmet medical needs.”
Kupando was founded in 2018 by its CEO Johanna Holldack, MD, driven by the natural resilience observed in animals relying solely on innate immunity.
Its approach harnesses the power of innate immune stimulation and induction of trained innate immunity by dual Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonists. This unique modality underpins the Company’s pipeline of first-in-class, differentiated small molecules with the potential to transform the management of these challenging diseases.
Its lead candidate, KUP101, is a differentiated dual TLR 4 and 7 agonist with a robust preclinical profile and a clear path to the clinic.
KUP101 is ideally suited for the systemic treatment of solid tumors (tissue agnostic), and the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant infections. Its AMR programme is being sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
Kazuhiko Nonomura, PhD, Partner of Remiges Ventures and member of Kupando’s Advisory Board, shares, “Remiges Ventures is proud to continue leading the investment in Kupando. We believe Kupando’s dual TLR 4 and 7 agonist technology, particularly KUP101, has the potential to redefine treatment paradigms in both cancer and infectious diseases. We are excited to see the company transition to the clinical stage and unlock the full potential of its pipeline.“
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/03/inspired-by-animal-immunity-germanys-kupando-raises-e10-million-for-cancer-therapy/
