Zumutor Biologics Raises $7.3 Mn in Pre-Series B Round

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 15 June 2026

Bengaluru-based biotech start-up Zumutor Biologics has raised $7.3 million through a Pre-Series B round of funding that was led by its existing investors Accel and Bharat Innovation Fund, and included new investors Premji Invest, Ashish Kacholia, and the Raj Dandu Family Office. The fresh capital will help the company accelerate its clinical development activities and expand its global footprint in the cancer immunotherapy space.

The funds raised will be used mainly to accelerate the current US FDA Phase 1 clinical trial of Zumutor's lead drug candidate ZM008. The investment will also support some cohorts for Phase 1B expansion and start the Phase 2 clinical trials in India and elsewhere across the globe. The company's goal is to enhance its clinical pipeline and develop innovative treatments for patients with complex cancer challenges.

Zumutor is led by Kavitha Iyer Rodrigues and is working on next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics that leverage the body's innate immune system to combat cancer. ZM008 is an investigational, first-in-class, natural killer (NK) cell checkpoint inhibitor that is being developed to improve the immune system's ability to more effectively recognize and attack cancer cells.

The company reported promising clinical signals in selected hard-to-treat tumor types that were observed in early results from continuing studies in Phase 1. These initial results have further positioned ZM008 as a promising therapeutic candidate and the overall proof of the potency of the Zumutor's immunotherapy platform. The company is betting that targeting the NK cells will be a new and effective way of attacking cancers that aren't being treated well with current treatments.

Key Highlights:

• Zumutor Biologics raised $7.3 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by Accel and Bharat Innovation Fund
• The funding will advance ZM008, including Phase 1 completion and global Phase 2 clinical trials
• Early trial results for ZM008 have shown promising signs in treating hard-to-treat cancers

The investment will enable further advancement of ongoing clinical trials as well as combination trials of ZM008 in a number of cancer indications. These trials will be used to investigate the therapy's feasibility in combination with other cancer treatments, which may increase its effectiveness and use in larger patient populations.

The investment is yet another step towards the company's continued efforts to build its status as one of India's leading biotechnology firms working on novel products for the global health market. The company already has a footprint in India and the United States and has been steadily expanding its operations in the highly competitive immuno-oncology field.

The funding comes as a positive sign for the budding biotech industry in India, which is gaining traction in the eyes of investors for deep science and healthcare innovations. Companies like Zumutor are contributing significantly to showcasing the capabilities of startups based on India's research efforts on the global stage.

Having secured this fresh funding, Zumutor Biologics is poised to step up its activities to make novel immunotherapy solutions available to patients around the world. The company's ongoing development will be driven by establishing additional clinical proof, further international partnerships, and moving ZM008 towards critical regulatory and development milestones.