Kincell Bio Launches to Make Cell Therapy Development More Accessible

Kincell Bio, a technology-forward CDMO focused on cell therapies, has launched having received $36 million in new funding led by Kineticos Ventures.

Kincell is a spinout of Inceptor Bio’s CMC, manufacturing and quality organizations formed to accelerate innovator research and clinical trials. Kincell has a facility and a fully staffed team based at its Gainesville site, with plans to grow in Gainesville, as well as in additional key markets, such as Research Triangle Park, Boston and other customer locations.

The company offers analytical development, process development, CMC consulting and early-stage GMP manufacturing focusing on immune cell therapies, including autologous and allogeneic Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T, CAR-NK, and CAR-M programs. The company plans to establish in-house mRNA development and additional GMP manufacturing capacity while forging  partnerships for viral vector and plasmid DNA supply to support all cell engineering processes.

Shailesh Maingi, founder of Kineticos Ventures and of Inceptor Bio, said, “Kincell represents a significant step forward in bridging the gap between lab research and clinical development of cell therapies. By addressing the manufacturing challenges faced by early-stage innovators, Kincell is playing a vital role in accelerating the progress of cell therapy innovation. We are excited to support their mission to make cell therapy manufacturing more accessible and streamlined, ultimately bringing life-changing treatments to patients in need.”

Kincell will be led by CEO Bruce Thompson, who will also serve on the board of directors. Thompson brings more than 20 years of CMC strategy, product development and cell therapy manufacturing experience, with previous cell and gene therapy manufacturing and development leadership positions at National Resilience, Inc., Lyell Immunopharma, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Pfizer.

“Kincell is at the forefront of innovative cell therapy manufacturing, and I am honored to lead this exceptional team,” said Thompson. Our mission is to enable early-stage biotech companies to bring their life-changing therapies to patients by providing accessible and high-quality manufacturing services. With our technology-forward approach and focus on immune cell therapies, we are poised to accelerate the advancement of cell therapies from bench to bedside. I am excited about the potential impact we can make in the field and look forward to collaborating with our partners to drive innovation and improve patients’ lives.”