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HiberCell is a technology company.
HiberCell develops oncology therapeutics specifically designed to overcome treatment resistance, relapse, and metastasis in cancer. The company focuses on exploiting adaptive stress-driven vulnerabilities within cancer cells, leveraging deep insights into the Integrated Stress Response (ISR) signaling pathway. Their pipeline includes agents that either inhibit stress-mitigating pathways, increase stress signaling to induce cell death, or target stress-induced vulnerabilities in the tumor microenvironment.
The company publicly launched around 2019, originating from a foundational insight into how cancer cells adapt to treatment-induced stress, a primary cause of disease recurrence and spread. This approach was born from the recognition that conventional oncology treatments often leave cancer cells with adaptive mechanisms that allow them to survive and proliferate. The company combines advanced biological understanding with drug development to create novel therapies.
HiberCell's therapies are intended for cancer patients facing the challenges of advanced or recurring disease, including those with specific types such as renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, gastric cancer, and small cell lung cancer. The company's overarching mission is to improve patient outcomes by developing differentiated treatments that enable longer, cancer-free lives, striving to control cancer relapse and metastasis through its innovative oncology programs.
HiberCell has raised $225.4M across 3 funding rounds.
HiberCell has raised $225.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
HiberCell is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cancer therapeutics that target adaptive stress mechanisms in dormant tumor cells to prevent cancer relapse and metastasis[1][2][3][5]. Its lead candidate, HC-7366, activates the GCN2 kinase in the Integrated Stress Response (ISR) pathway, while the pipeline includes other assets like HC-5404-FU (PERK inhibitor) in Phase 1 for advanced solid tumors and programs in Phase 2 for breast cancer[2][5]. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York, HiberCell has raised $158.15M, with the latest debt financing three years ago, serving the healthcare industry by addressing unmet needs in oncology treatment resistance[1][3].
The company focuses on tumor dormancy—the state where disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) evade therapies and later drive recurrence—positioning it as the first firm exclusively targeting this biology[3]. With 17 patents in areas like transcription factors and immune system proteins, HiberCell advances small molecule drugs and other modalities through clinical trials, aiming to enable longer cancer-free survival[1][2].
HiberCell launched on February 7, 2019, with $60.75M in Series A funding led by ARCH Venture Partners, marking it as the foundational company focused on tumor dormancy detection and therapeutics[3]. Co-founder Alan Rigby, Ph.D., served as initial president and chief scientific officer, bringing expertise in cancer biology to target dormant DTCs' genetics and transcriptomics[3]. Early leaders included Ari Nowacek, Ph.D., M.D., from ARCH as VP of operations, and Mark Mulvihill, Ph.D., as VP of chemistry, forming a team of cancer scientists, venture capitalists, and drug developers[3].
The idea emerged from recognizing dormant cells as key drivers of metastasis, with the company establishing labs at The Hudson Research Center in New York[3]. Pivotal early traction came from this launch funding and rapid pipeline buildout, including patents filed since 2018 and clinical trials starting by 2022, such as Phase 1 for HC-7366 in December 2022[1][2].
HiberCell rides the oncology trend toward targeting treatment resistance and minimal residual disease, where standard therapies fail against dormant cells responsible for 90% of cancer deaths from metastasis[3]. Timing aligns with advances in stress response biology (e.g., ISR, PERK pathways), enabling precise kinase modulation amid rising demand for relapse-preventing therapies in breast, renal, and solid tumors[2][5]. Market forces like aging populations, immunotherapy limitations, and $100B+ oncology spending favor its approach, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering dormancy as a new therapeutic paradigm and partnering in trials[1][2][3].
HiberCell's next milestones include Phase 1 data readouts for HC-7366 and HC-5404-FU in 2026, potential Phase 2 expansions, and further funding to advance its dormancy platform[2]. Trends like AI-driven target discovery and combination therapies with PD-1 inhibitors will shape progress, potentially evolving its influence toward partnerships with big pharma or acquisitions in the $200B cancer drug market. As the dormancy pioneer, HiberCell could redefine relapse prevention, building on its stress-mechanism focus to deliver breakthrough survival gains.
HiberCell has raised $225.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
HiberCell's investors include ARCH Venture Partners, Bristol Myers Squibb, Hercules Capital, Huizenga Capital Management, Magnetic Ventures, Rene Mora, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Tekla Capital Management, Trinitas Capital, Canaan Partners, Kevin Heyeck, Celgene.
HiberCell has raised $225.4M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $97.4M Debt / Series B in May 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2021 | $97.4M Debt / Series B | ARCH Venture Partners, Bristol Myers Squibb, Hercules Capital, Huizenga Capital Management, Magnetic Ventures, Rene Mora, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Tekla Capital Management, Trinitas Capital | |
| May 1, 2021 | $67.0M Series B | ARCH Venture Partners, Canaan Partners | |
| Feb 1, 2019 | $61.0M Series A | ARCH Venture Partners | Canaan Partners, Kevin Heyeck, Celgene, Michael Yi, James Patchett |