Tessellate BIO, a Nardeen, the Netherlands-based-based preclinical stage biotechnology company, has emerged from stealth with an initial €8M in Seed funding.
The round was led by BioGeneration Ventures and Forbion.
The company intends to use the funds to advance its lead program which targets the DNA damage response (DDR) and in particular cancers that depend on Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT).
Led by CEO Andree Blaukat, Tessellate BIO discovers and develops novel precision oncology medicines that target pathways beyond HRD.
Its lead program – ALT – is a critical mechanism to maintain the integrity of telomeres, which is essential for the unlimited replicative potential of tumor cells that is a key hallmark of cancer. The lead program targets the FANCM protein complex and is based on the discoveries of Tessellate BIO co-founders Prof. Hilda Pickett (CMRI) and Prof. Claus Azzalin (iMM).
Headquartered in the Netherlands and with research labs at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, UK, the company is building a pipeline of first-in-class medicines based on research sourced from international laboratories including Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI), Australia and Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM), Portugal. Its lead program targets complexes that are critical for the ALT mechanism including the FANCM protein complex.
Tessellate BIO’s leadership team of seasoned entrepreneurs and industry-experienced drug hunters with proven track records, include:
- CEO, Andree Blaukat, previously SVP and Head of Oncology Research at Merck KGaA;
- CSO, Jürgen Moll, previously Head of Molecular Oncology Unit at Sanofi; and
- COO Andrew Lightfoot, who initially established the company.
In addition, Eliot Forster, most recently former CEO of NASDAQ-listed F-star, has joined as Chair of the Board of Directors.
FinSMEs
17/10/2023