Kupando develops KUP101, a medicine that switches on the body's first-line immune defences to help it attack tumours. It is in an early trial in advanced skin cancers.
Kupando GmbH, headquartered in Schönefeld near Berlin and founded by CEO Johanna Holldack, develops dual TLR4 and TLR7 agonists that stimulate innate immunity and induce trained immunity. Its lead candidate, KUP101, is described as activating TLR4 and TLR7 together so that cytokine release recruits dendritic and B cells into the tumour and promotes a CD8 cytotoxic response; it is also being studied preclinically in other solid tumours and, with German BMBF funding, against antimicrobial resistance. The company announced in August 2026 that the first patient had been dosed in its phase 1 study in advanced solid tumours, focusing on advanced skin tumours, at German oncology centres; the registry lists the product as KUP-101A (NCT07600476). It closed a EUR 13 million Series A in 2022 and in March 2026 announced an additional EUR 10 million, bringing the Series A to EUR 23 million, led by Remiges Ventures and co-led by LifeCare Partners. Its first registered cancer trial, NCT07600476, was posted on ClinicalTrials.gov in May 2026.
Investors not recorded; see the round sources.
| Round | Year | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A extension · EUR 10 million, bringing total Series A funding to EUR 23 million; led by Remiges Ventures, co-led by LifeCare Partners, with Carma Fund joining. No USD figure stated. | 2026 | undisclosed | kupando.com |
Amounts only where the cited source states them. Rounds without a public source are not listed.
Shares Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma, Melanoma.
Shares Merkel cell carcinoma, Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma.
Shares Merkel cell carcinoma, Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Melanoma.
Shares Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma, Melanoma.
Shares Trained innate immunity, Melanoma.
Shares Merkel cell carcinoma, Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma, Melanoma.
Shares Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma, Melanoma.
Shares Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Basal cell carcinoma.
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