ZAKA VC Invests in KiraGen Bio: Pioneering the Next Generation of CAR-T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors
ZAKA VC is proud to announce its investment in KiraGen Bio, a groundbreaking biotech startup developing multiplex gene-edited CAR-T cell therapies designed to overcome the challenges of solid tumors.
Breaking Barriers in CAR-T Therapy
While CAR-T therapies have transformed blood cancer treatment, their effectiveness in solid tumors—especially in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)—has been severely limited. KiraGen Bio is changing this by engineering CAR-T cells that resist the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), unlocking the potential for durable responses where other therapies have failed.
Investment to Drive Clinical Milestones
KiraGen Bio’s pre-seed financing, co-led by ZAKA VC, 2048 VC, Conscience VC, Allston Venture Fund, Gaingels, Phoenix Fund, and Jolt VC, positions the company to rapidly achieve critical preclinical and clinical milestones. Within just one year, KiraGen Bio has achieved in vivo validation for its lead GBM program, refined its AI-driven KiraLOGIC platform, and established a clear path toward first-in-human clinical data in collaboration with CAR-T pioneers at UPenn. The company’s next-generation CAR-T therapy overcomes the key efficacy limitations seen in UPenn’s 2024 trial, while its off-the-shelf approach enables clinical proof-of-concept at 80% lower cost than industry benchmarks. This investment is a pivotal step in delivering durable, accessible, and effective CAR-T therapies for solid tumors.
Founding Vision: A Bold Step Forward in Cancer Treatment
KiraGen Bio was founded in October 2023 by Aaron Edwards, MS/MBA (CEO) and Ryan Murray, PhD (CSO), who bring nearly a decade of experience in cell and gene therapy from bluebird bio and Beam Therapeutics. While advancements in targeting and delivery have improved the precision of cell therapies for solid tumors, too little has been done to address the multifaceted TME suppression that continues to undermine CAR-T efficacy. Recognizing this gap, Aaron and Ryan pioneered a new approach—not just strengthening CAR-T cells but equipping them to actively resist and counteract TME suppression through rational multiplex gene editing.
KiraGen Bio’s proprietary KiraLOGIC platform redefines how CAR-T therapies are designed, leveraging a first-of-its-kind AI-driven system. Using a state-of-the-art multi-modal machine learning model, KiraLOGIC systematically identifies synergistic gene edits that shield CAR-T cells from suppressive signals, dramatically exceeding what empirical testing alone could achieve. The platform iteratively refines its predictions, accelerating development across new indications—from solid and liquid tumors to diverse engineered cell therapies.
Backed by a world-class advisory team—including Don O’Rourke (UPenn), Devon Shedlock (Poseida Therapeutics/Roche), and Jimmie Ye (UCSF/Arc/Gladstone)—KiraGen Bio is driving a fundamental shift in engineered cell therapies, ensuring CAR-T can finally overcome the barriers that have limited its success in solid tumors.
Why ZAKA VC Invested in KiraGen Bio
ZAKA VC Managing Partner Jan Kasper sees KiraGen Bio as a rare and compelling opportunity in biotech.
“KiraGen Bio stands out due to its well-balanced team, combining deep scientific expertise with strong business execution. Aaron Edwards has demonstrated outstanding leadership, driving the company forward with clear vision and precision. The company’s approach uniquely targets the principal modes of tumor microenvironment signaling, giving it a real edge in the field. This is one of the few teams with a legitimate chance to make CAR-T work for glioblastoma—an area of tremendous unmet medical need.”
With a differentiated technology, a highly skilled team, and a clear path toward clinical translation, KiraGen Bio represents the kind of innovative, high-impact biotech company that ZAKA VC is proud to support.