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Oncology startups
Every young company in OnCo that is going after cancer: Y Combinator companies from the open YC directory, and venture-backed startups across therapeutics, diagnostics, AI drug discovery, digital care, radiotherapy hardware, surgery and imaging. Filter by stage, modality, cancer, YC batch, investor and country. Funding rounds are listed only where a press release, filing or trade report states them; investors are named on the startup, and each investor page derives its portfolio from those links.
708 startups64 from Y Combinator across 25 batches71 investors, 67 with a portfolio here448 sourced rounds (2016 to 2026)
Startup425 companiesGrowth stage151 companiesPublic48 companiesLarge private0 companiesAcquired69 companiesWound down8 companies
YC oncology
Source: open YC directory datasetY Combinator companies whose stated work is cancer: detection, diagnostics, therapeutics, care delivery and the tools around them. Each one was checked against its YC profile and website. Click a batch to filter the table; the snapshot with every hit and how it was classified is in src/data/universe-lists/yc-oncology.json.
708 startups
| Investors | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Solstice Oncology Boston, MA, US · founded 2026 Solstice Oncology is testing porustobart, an antibody that releases a brake on the immune system, given with the immunotherapy pembrolizumab before surgery. Its first trial is in people with stage II to III colon cancer of the common type that has not usually responded to immunotherapy (microsatellite stable). | none | Series A 2026 · $225M | RA Capital Management, Forbion | Colon cancer | none | ||
Vivacta Bio Shanghai, CN · founded 2025 Vivacta Bio is a Shanghai company giving CAR-T therapy as an injection that reprogrammes a patient's T cells inside the body, instead of making the cells in a laboratory. Its first product, aimed at B-cell blood cancers and autoimmune disease, showed early human results at a December 2025 meeting. | none | Series A and A+ 2026 · $50M | OrbiMed | none | none | ||
SciBrunch Therapeutics Shanghai, CN · founded 2024 SciBrunch Therapeutics is a Shanghai company founded in late 2024 that makes pills for hard-to-treat cancers such as pancreatic and bowel cancer. In September 2026 MSD licensed its KRAS G12D drug, a molecular glue not yet tested in people, for USD 400 million upfront; its PARP1 blocker began its first human trial in January 2026. | none | Pre-Series A 2026 · $35M | none | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Colorectal cancer, Non-small-cell lung cancer | none | ||
TwoStep Therapeutics San Carlos, CA, US · founded 2024 TwoStep Therapeutics makes small peptides that home in on proteins found on many solid tumours and carry a cancer drug to them. Its first medicine, TS-104, started an early trial in 2026. | none | Series A 2026 · $63M | Pfizer Ventures | Non-small-cell lung cancer, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Ovarian cancer | 1 | ||
Sidewinder Therapeutics San Diego, CA, US · founded 2023 Sidewinder Therapeutics designs antibody-drug conjugates that bind two proteins found together on some solid tumours, so the cell-killing drug is taken up mainly by cancer cells. It is aiming at squamous lung, head and neck and bowel cancers, with its first human trial expected in 2027. | none | Series B 2026 · $137M | OrbiMed, Frazier Life Sciences, Novartis Venture Fund | Non-small-cell lung cancer, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Colorectal cancer | none | ||
Cosomil Tokyo, JP · founded 2022 Cosomil makes a blood test that measures the activity of single enzyme molecules, aimed at finding pancreatic cancer early. The test is being studied in about 10,000 people having routine health checks in Japan. | none | Series A1 2026 | none | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma | none | ||
InduPro Therapeutics Seattle, WA, US · founded 2022 InduPro Therapeutics maps which proteins sit side by side on the surface of cancer cells and designs two-armed antibody-drug conjugates that bind such a pair. Its first medicine, for lung and other squamous cancers, entered a phase 1 trial in 2026. | none | Series B 2026 · $77M | Vida Ventures | Non-small-cell lung cancer | 4 | ||
Link Cell Therapies South San Francisco, CA, US · founded 2022 Link Cell Therapies makes CAR-T cells that only attack a cell when they find two cancer markers on it together, which is meant to spare healthy tissue that carries just one. Its first treatment, for advanced kidney cancer, began dosing patients in 2026. | none | Series A extension 2026 · $30M | Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Samsara BioCapital | Clear cell renal cell carcinoma | none | ||
LTZ Therapeutics Redwood City, CA, US · founded 2022 LTZ Therapeutics makes two-armed antibodies that bring the immune system's scavenger cells, macrophages, into contact with cancer cells so they eat them. Its first medicines are in early trials in lymphoma and bowel cancer. | none | Private financing 2026 · $38M | none | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Colorectal cancer | 2 | ||
OnVagus Woodland Hills, CA, US · founded 2022 OnVagus is developing a non-invasive device that stimulates the vagus nerve to prevent or reverse cancer cachexia, the weight and muscle loss that many people with cancer experience. | none | Grant 2026 · $399K | none | none | none | ||
Stipple Bio Cambridge, MA, US · founded 2022 Stipple Bio looks for tiny regions on cancer-cell proteins that healthy cells do not show, then builds antibodies that bind only those regions. Its first medicine is an antibody-drug conjugate expected to start human trials in early 2027. | none | Series A 2026 · $100M | RA Capital Management, Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health, GV | none | 1 | ||
Third Arc Bio Spring House, PA, US · founded 2022 Third Arc Bio builds antibodies that link the immune system's T cells to cancer cells. Its first medicine, aimed at tumours carrying the protein Claudin 6, entered its first human trial in 2025. | none | Series A extension 2026 · $52M | Vida Ventures, Cormorant Asset Management, Omega Funds | none | none | ||
Infinitopes Oxford, GB · founded 2021 Infinitopes is an Oxford company making an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine meant to train the immune system to stop oesophageal cancer coming back after surgery. Its vaccine, ITOP1, was preparing for its first placebo-controlled human trial in 2026. | none | Seed (second close) 2026 · $15M | Cancer Research Horizons | Oesophageal cancer | none | ||
Neuregen Therapeutics Wuhan, CN · founded 2021 Neuregen Therapeutics is testing an injection for high-grade brain tumours that combines a cancer-killing virus, an immune booster and a technique meant to turn leftover tumour cells into cells that no longer divide. | none | Series A 2026 | none | Glioma & glioblastoma | none | ||
BlossomHill Therapeutics San Diego, CA, US · founded 2020 BlossomHill Therapeutics designs pills against cancer mutations and pathways that current drugs miss: BH-30643 for EGFR-mutant lung cancer that has stopped responding, BH-30236 for acute myeloid leukaemia and higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, and a pan-KRAS drug heading for trials in 2027. | none | IPO 2026 · $150M | Cormorant Asset Management, OrbiMed | EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer, Acute myeloid leukaemia, Higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes | 3 | ||
Kelonia Therapeutics Boston, MA, US · founded 2020 Kelonia developed a way to create CAR T cells directly inside the body using a targeted gene delivery particle, so patients do not need their cells removed and manufactured. Its lead programme is for multiple myeloma, and Eli Lilly bought the company in the second quarter of 2026 in a deal worth up to $7 billion. | none | Acquisition 2026 · $3.3B | none | Multiple myeloma | 1 | ||
Mestag Therapeutics Cambridge, GB · founded 2020 Mestag Therapeutics, in Cambridge in the UK, makes antibodies that act on fibroblasts, the support cells around a tumour, to help the immune system organise an attack inside the tumour. Its first medicine, MST-0312, is in an early trial in advanced solid tumours. | none | Financing 2026 · $40M | SV Health Investors, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Forbion | none | 1 | ||
Thyme Care Nashville, TN, US · founded 2020 Thyme Care gives people with cancer a 24 hour phone and app based support team of oncology nurses and social workers, paid for by their health insurer. It aims to keep people out of hospital and lower the cost of cancer care. | none | Series E 2026 · $125M | Foresite Capital, Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health | none | none | ||
Apmonia Therapeutics Reims, FR · founded 2019 Apmonia Therapeutics makes small ring-shaped peptides aimed at the tissue around tumours. Its first medicine blocks a signal that helps tumours suppress the immune system, and is starting its first trial in people with advanced solid tumours. | none | Financing 2026 | none | none | none | ||
Ascendo Biotechnology Taipei, TW · founded 2019 Ascendo Biotechnology makes an antibody that releases a brake on the body's first-line immune cells, aiming to help the immune system attack solid tumours that resist current immunotherapy. | none | Series A 2026 | none | none | none | ||
KaliVir Immunotherapeutics Pittsburgh, PA, US · founded 2019 KaliVir Immunotherapeutics engineers viruses that infect and break open cancer cells while stirring an immune response. Its lead virus, VET3-TGI, is in an early trial in advanced solid tumours, alone and with the immunotherapy atezolizumab. | none | Series A extension 2026 · $14M | none | none | none | ||
CytoAgents Pittsburgh, PA, US · founded 2018 CytoAgents is a Pittsburgh company developing CTO1681, a tablet meant to prevent cytokine release syndrome, a dangerous immune over-reaction that can follow CAR-T cell therapy. It is being tested in an early trial. | none | Grant 2026 · $936K | none | Multiple myeloma | 1 | ||
Electra Therapeutics South San Francisco, CA, US · founded 2018 A US company making antibodies against SIRP proteins to remove overactive immune cells. Its lead drug is mainly for a dangerous inflammatory condition called sHLH, and it is also in an early trial for T-cell and NK-cell blood cancers that have come back. | none | IPO 2026 · $350M | RA Capital Management, OrbiMed | none | 1 | ||
Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Shanghai, CN · founded 2017 Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience is a China-based biotechnology company running 11 late-stage cancer trials of Toripalimab (JS001 ) and JS207 in bladder & urothelial cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer. | none | IPO 2026 | none | Bladder & urothelial cancer, Cervical cancer, Colorectal cancer | none | ||
Naveris Waltham, MA, US · founded 2017 Naveris makes NavDx, a blood test that tracks DNA from the HPV virus shed by tumours, so doctors can confirm HPV-related throat and anal cancers and catch them coming back after treatment. It was bought by CareDx in 2026. | none | Acquisition 2026 · $160M | ACS BrightEdge | Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma | 1 | ||
Nuclidium Basel, CH · founded 2017 Nuclidium is a Swiss company building radioactive medicines around copper instead of the more usual gallium and lutetium: one copper isotope for a scan that finds the cancer, a sister isotope to treat it. Its first programmes are in advanced prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumours and breast cancer. | none | Series B extension 2026 | none | Prostate cancer, Neuroendocrine tumours, Breast cancer | none | ||
Quantum Surgical Montpellier, FR · founded 2017 Quantum Surgical builds Epione, a robot that helps doctors guide needles through the skin to destroy liver and other tumours with heat or cold, making a minimally invasive treatment more precise and easier for less experienced operators. | none | Grant 2026 | none | Hepatocellular carcinoma, Colorectal cancer, Renal cell carcinoma | none | ||
Mucommune Morrisville, NC, US · founded 2016 Mucommune is a North Carolina biotechnology company that works on antibodies and immune-cell engineering. In cancer it is developing MM014, a way of turning a patient's own T cells into CAR-T cells inside the body, for solid tumours. | none | Grant 2026 · $1M | none | Ovarian cancer | 1 | ||
Parabilis Medicines Cambridge, MA, US · founded 2015 Parabilis Medicines makes stabilised peptides, small protein fragments locked into a helix so they can enter cells and grip cancer proteins that ordinary pills cannot. Its lead medicine, zolucatetide, blocks the beta-catenin signal behind desmoid tumours, and a phase 3 trial is planned for 2027. | none | IPO 2026 · $670M | ARCH Venture Partners, RA Capital Management, GV | Desmoid tumour, Familial adenomatous polyposis-associated colorectal cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma | none | ||
MaaT Pharma Lyon, FR · founded 2014 MaaT Pharma makes gut microbiome treatments for people with blood cancer. Its lead product restores gut bacteria to treat a severe complication of stem cell transplants when standard drugs fail. | none | Debt 2026 | none | none | none |
(showing the first 30)
Most active investors
All investorsCounted from the graph: the number of OnCo companies that name the investor. This measures presence in this corpus, not fund size.
67 investors
| Investor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y Combinator San Francisco, CA, US | Accelerator | US | 64 |
| 2 | RA Capital Management Boston, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 32 |
| 3 | OrbiMed New York, NY, US | Venture capital | US | 26 |
| 4 | Even One Ventures United States (head office not published), US | Venture capital | US | 16 |
| 5 | Third Rock Ventures Boston, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 15 |
| 6 | Alexandria Venture Investments Pasadena, CA, US | Corporate venture | US | 14 |
| 7 | ARCH Venture Partners Chicago, IL, US | Venture capital | US | 13 |
| 8 | Atlas Venture Cambridge, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 12 |
| 9 | Samsara BioCapital Palo Alto, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 11 |
| 10 | Cormorant Asset Management Boston, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 10 |
| 11 | Novo Holdings Hellerup, DK | Venture capital | DK | 9 |
| 12 | ACS BrightEdge (American Cancer Society) Atlanta, GA, US | Foundation | US | 8 |
| 13 | Pfizer Ventures New York, NY, US | Corporate venture | US | 8 |
| 14 | Polaris Partners Boston, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 8 |
| 15 | Flagship Pioneering Cambridge, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 7 |
| 16 | Foresite Capital San Francisco, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 7 |
| 17 | Frazier Life Sciences Seattle, WA, US | Venture capital | US | 7 |
| 18 | Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC New Brunswick, NJ, US | Corporate venture | US | 7 |
| 19 | Logos Capital San Francisco, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 7 |
| 20 | SV Health Investors London, GB | Venture capital | GB | 7 |
| 21 | Versant Ventures San Francisco, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 7 |
| 22 | Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health Menlo Park, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 6 |
| 23 | Sofinnova Partners Paris, FR | Venture capital | FR | 6 |
| 24 | Venrock Palo Alto, CA, US | Venture capital | US | 6 |
| 25 | Vida Ventures Boston, MA, US | Venture capital | US | 6 |
(showing the first 25)
Recently funded
Newest sourced roundsRounds with a public source, newest first. Amounts appear only where the source gives one.
- Parabilis Medicines · IPO$670M · 2026 · source
- Eikon Therapeutics · IPO$381M · 2026 · source
- Electra Therapeutics · IPO$350M · 2026 · source
- Obsidian Therapeutics · Crossover$350M · 2026 · source
- Solstice Oncology · Series A$225M · 2026 · source
- CellCentric · Series D$220M · 2026 · source
- BlossomHill Therapeutics · IPO$150M · 2026 · source
- Sidewinder Therapeutics · Series B$137M · 2026 · source
- Thyme Care · Series E$125M · 2026 · source
- BrainChild Bio · Series A$116M · 2026 · source
- Terremoto Biosciences · Series C$108M · 2026 · source
- EpiBiologics · Series B$107M · 2026 · source
- GT Medical Technologies · Series E$100M · 2026 · source
- Neomorph · Series B$100M · 2026 · source
- Stipple Bio · Series A$100M · 2026 · source
- Cytospire Therapeutics · Series A$83M · 2026 · source
- KymaThera · Series B$80M · 2026 · source
- Crossbow Therapeutics · Series B$77M · 2026 · source
- InduPro Therapeutics · Series B$77M · 2026 · source
- Adcendo · Series C$75M · 2026 · source
- Ratio Therapeutics · Series C$70M · 2026 · source
- TwoStep Therapeutics · Series A$63M · 2026 · source
- Breakthru Medicine · Series A$60M · 2026 · source
- ClearNote Health · Series D$52M · 2026 · source
Browse by company type
Large pharma 133Biotech 751Diagnostics 160Imaging equipment 29Devices & RT hardware 128AI & software 130Radiopharmaceuticals 74Cell therapy 125Services 62Nonprofit 14Investor 71Cooperative group 63StartupGrowth stagePublicLarge privateAcquiredWound down
Method. A company is on this page when its stage is startup or growth, when it has a Y Combinator batch, or when it was bought or wound down after being venture-backed. Chinese and Indian companies are covered in their own passes and are not repeated here. Suggest a missing company or a correction through the edit link on any record.