Zumutor Biologics raised $7.3M to push NK cell therapy ZM008 through Phase 1 and into global Phase 2 trials. Backed by Accel and Premji Invest, the next catalyst is early efficacy data in solid tumors.
Zumutor Biologics closed a $7.3 million Series B from Accel, Bharat Innovation Fund, Premji Invest, and angel investors Ashish Kacholia and Raj Dandu. The company, founded in 2013 by Kavitha Iyer Rodrigues, will use the money to push its lead drug ZM008 through a Phase 1 study and into Phase 2 globally, including in India.
ZM008 targets a checkpoint on natural killer (NK) cells, a branch of the immune system that acts faster than T cells. Most checkpoint inhibitors on the market–Keytruda, Opdivo–block PD-1 on T cells. NK cells attack without needing prior recognition of a tumor, so unlocking them could work in cancers that evade T cell detection. The drug started human testing in 2024.
The Phase 1 trial is testing ZM008 alone and in combination with other therapies. If the safety and early efficacy data hold, the company plans to launch Phase 1B expansion cohorts and then move to global Phase 2 studies. “Early clinical data highlight the differentiated potential of novel NK checkpoint therapy for solid tumors,” chief scientific officer Maloy Ghosh said in a statement.
Zumutor operates out of the U.S. and runs an R&D lab in Bengaluru. It previously raised $6.2 million in a 2021 Series A4 led by Siana Capital. The new round extends its runway through the next set of clinical milestones.
The funding also falls in step with a push from India's central government. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 2025 budget included a ₹10,000 crore Biopharma SHAKTI scheme and a single-window clearance portal for biological research. The BIRAC SEED program offers early-stage grants and incubation. Two other Indian biotechs announced rounds last month: StrainX Bioworks raised $13 million for bio-manufacturing capacity, and Cellogen Therapeutics collected ₹20 crore for CAR-T programs.
Private company. No market cap. No public shares. The next catalyst is the Phase 1 data readout, though the company has not given a date. Any efficacy signal in solid tumors–where NK therapies have struggled–would validate the approach and likely open a larger financing round.
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