Exogene’s story is one of ambition, scientific insight, and strategic growth. Founded in November 2019 by Federico Paoletti (CEO) and Andrea Mambrini (CTO), Exogene harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to design T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies for cancer. By combining advanced computational modelling with experimental biology, the company aims to accelerate the discovery of safe and effective TCRs, unlocking new possibilities for personalised cancer immunotherapy.
During its time at the BioEscalator, the company has developed from a promising start-up into an organisation ready for further growth and clinical impact. It’s now developing a first drug candidate targeting non-small cell lung cancer.
• Founded: November 2019 by Federico Paoletti and Andrea Mambrini
• Joined the BioEscalator: June 2021
• November 2021: Selected for the KQ Labs accelerator programme, one of ten innovative start-ups to receive personalised mentoring and coaching run by the Francis Crick Institute and funded by LifeArc in partnership with Cancer Research UK and UK SPINE.
• April 2022: Raised $2M (£1.5M) to advance its AI platform for discovering cell therapies for cancer. This funding enabled the team to generate an in-house wet-lab dataset to train and validate its algorithms.
• March 2024: Announced a strategic collaboration with Immunocore to engineer T-cell receptors using artificial intelligence.
• November 2024: Featured in a UKRI Innovate UK case study, highlighting Exogene’s innovation journey and impact potential. So far in its lifetime the company has raised £2.7m in non-dilutive grants.
Between achieving these milestones, the Exogene team has been an active and valued part of the BioEscalator community. Shortly after joining in June 2021, Exogene participated in the BioEscalator’s second annual Pitch Battle, winning the award for Best Video/Graphics. In May 2022, they presented at the BioEscalator Open Afternoon, showcasing how they leveraged BioEscalator facilities and the Oxford innovation ecosystem. They went on to win Best Speaker at the 2022 Pitch Battle, recognised for their clarity, communication, and compelling scientific storytelling.
The Exogene team have been wonderful community members, always ready to lend their smiles and enthusiasm to events (and even a BioEscalator photoshoot earlier this year!). They’ve been a cheerful and familiar presence at social gatherings and a great example of the collaborative spirit the BioEscalator aims to foster.
As Exogene graduates and relocates to the Wood Centre for Innovation, the company embarks on an exciting new chapter. We congratulate the entire Exogene team on this milestone and wish them every success in their next phase.