Imperial College spin-out company NK:IO has completed a seed round to a total of £5.9 ($7.8) million.

The round included additional funding from UK Innovation Science and Seed Fund (UKI2S), managed by Future Planet Capital, Cambridge Angels and Cancer Research Horizons.

The company says the funds will be used to progress NK cell therapeutics, initially in ovarian cancer.

In addition, Dr Richard Hopkins has been appointed CEO, succeeding previous CEO Mike Romanos. Richard, formerly VP of Pre-clinical and Clinical Translation at bit.bio, brings extensive experience in biologics development and will lead the company’s efforts to advance its ovarian cancer therapy into preclinical development.

NK:IO’s platform, developed from research by Professors Hugh Brady and Matthew Fuchter, produces natural killer (NK) cells while seeking to overcoming traditional manufacturing hurdles.

Hopkins commented: “Our successful funding round is a testament to the promising potential of our NK cell technology. With this investment, we’re poised to accelerate our research, reach critical milestones, and drive forward innovations in cancer treatment, with a particular focus on ovarian cancer patients.

“Our mission extends beyond a single cancer type. We’re committed to improving survival rates across various solid tumours, aiming to transform cancer care through the delivery of potent, scalable, and cost-effective cell therapies.”

Mike Romanos, Co-Founder and former interim CEO, added: “Since Prof Hugh Brady, Prof Matt Fuchter and I founded NK:IO we have seen the company’s science develop to the stage where we have a truly robust platform with broad therapeutic potential, demonstrated exceptional efficacy and robust manufacturing. We are very pleased that Richard has joined us at this critical time to grow the company and take it into development, with the welcome additional support of our investors.” Read an interview with Mike Romanos.

Diana Spencer, Senior Digital Content Editor, DDW