East Ocyon Bio, an allogeneic Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) startup, has raised $4.2 million in a seed funding round led by Aeravti Ventures and Micro Labs.
The newly raised funds will be used to enable several key initiatives like pre-clinical testing of CAR-NK and CAR-gamma delta T cell therapies, the creation of a GMP manufacturing facility, and Phase I clinical trials.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of Aeravti Ventures and Micro Labs, whose belief in our vision is instrumental in our journey toward clinical validation of this transformative technology. Their trust and partnership empower us to advance our mission of bringing innovative, accessible therapies to patients in India and globally. Together, we are shaping the future of cell and gene therapy and making curative solutions a reality,” said Dr Renu Kundu, Founder of East Ocyon Bio.
“India is the Cancer capital of the world but receives innovative therapies years after the West. Our partnership with East Ocyon Bio reflects our commitment to supporting impactful organizations that indigenize innovation and create cutting-edge products for the world. We are delighted to partner with one of the country’s finest pharmaceutical companies, to collectively support the East Ocyon Bio team in addressing India’s critical unmet medical needs with scalable and cost-effective solutions,” said Rishabh Singh, Managing Partner at Aeravti Ventures.
“In the past, Indian companies have shied away from innovation, focusing on building cheaper copies of novels developed in the West. Indian pharma is at the cusp for change from small molecules to innovative large molecules for more precise and curative patient outcomes. The gap exists in the funding for R&D as well as the manufacturing complexities and we look forward to partner with East Ocyon Bio and bridge this gap,” said Ashna Surana from Micro Labs.
Founded by Renu Kundu and Dinesh Kundu, East Ocyon Bio is creating an ecosystem where pioneering therapies are developed locally and launched concurrently with international markets.