Granza Bio

Granza Bio is a University of Oxford spinout developing a next-generation therapeutic delivery platform centred on the immune system's 'attack particles' — supramolecular structures secreted by cytotoxic T cells that are capable of selectively targeting and killing diseased cells. This biological mechanism, discovered in the lab of Professor Michael Dustin at Oxford's Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, represents a previously unknown cytotoxic pathway with the potential to transform treatment approaches for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. Granza Bio's platform is designed to engineer and deliver these attack particles with precision, combining the therapeutic power of cellular therapies with the manufacturing simplicity of antibody-based drugs.

The company's core technology centres on developing a comprehensive library of precision delivery shells that can encompass a range of therapeutic cargo types — including RNAs, proteins, and attack particles — and direct them to specific tissue sites while overcoming the immunological barriers that limit existing delivery systems. Granza Bio has demonstrated cancer-killing efficacy in models of ovarian, brain, lung, and skin cancers. Founded in 2024 by Dr. Ashwin Nandakumar, Dr. Ashwin Jainarayanan, and Professor Dustin, the company entered Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch.

In July 2024, Granza Bio closed an oversubscribed $7.14 million seed round led by Felicis and Refactor Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Metaplanet, Zeno Ventures, Ritual Capital, Pioneer Fund, and the Oxford Angel Fund. The funding is being deployed to expand laboratory operations and advance lead therapeutic candidates into more advanced preclinical stages.