Co-founded by MIT and Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers, Auron Therapeutics has collected $12.8m in a seed round that featured Eli Lilly.

Auron Therapeutics, a US-based cancer treatment developer advancing work from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, closed a $12.8m seed round today.
Polaris Partners, Arkin Bio Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners USA co-led the round, which also welcomed pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, American Cancer Society’s investment arm BrightEdge, Casdin Capital and private investor Franklin Berger.
Auron Therapeutics is developing cancer therapies that aim to restore malignant cells to a normal state rather than trying to kill them.
The seed round will allow Auron to advance its lead programme towards preclinical development. The company will also explore other disease targets.
Isaac Ciechanover of Polaris Partners will join the board as chairman, while Alon Lazarus of Arkin Bio and Anna French of Qiming will also join the board of directors. Brad Robling, vice-president of Lilly New Ventures, an investment arm of Eli Lilly, will take an observer seat.

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the former editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and was the producer and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast until December 2024.