New €10M Funding Boosts Schönefeld-Based Kupando
Schönefeld-based biopharmaceutical firm Kupando has successfully extended its Series A funding round, securing an additional €10 million. This brings the company’s total Series A investment to €23 million, marking a significant milestone for the Berlin-area life sciences cluster.
The financing round was led by Remiges Ventures and co-led by LifeCare Partners. Other participants included Brandenburg Kapital, High-Tech Gründerfonds, and Ventura Biomed Investors, with Carma Fund joining as a new investor. These funds are earmarked for a Phase 1b clinical study of KUP101, the company’s lead candidate targeting advanced solid tumors.
Kupando specializes in developing dual TLR 4/7 agonists. These small molecules are designed to stimulate innate immunity and induce "trained immunity," a process inspired by the natural resilience found in animals that rely primarily on innate immune systems. Beyond oncology, the company is accelerating preclinical programs for infectious diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant infections.
“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,” stated Johanna Holldack, MD, Founder and CEO of Kupando. She noted that the mission remains centered on leveraging the innate immune system to provide therapies for patients in critical need.
The investment arrives during a period of sustained activity within the European immuno-oncology sector. While recent rounds for peers like T-CURX and Exeliom Biosciences show healthy capital deployment, Kupando’s focus on innate immunity offers a differentiated strategy compared to more common T-cell or antibody-based approaches.
Martin Raditsch, PhD, Managing Partner of Carma Fund, noted that the successful raise in a "challenging financial climate" underscores investor confidence in the company’s science and team. The dual-action technology aims to redefine treatment paradigms across multiple indications.
As the company transitions to a clinical-stage entity, the support from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space for its antimicrobial resistance program further validates the platform's versatility. Kazuhiko Nonomura, PhD, of Remiges Ventures, added that the technology has the potential to "unlock the full potential" of its pipeline as it enters the clinic.