Dr. Ashwin Nandakumar

Dr. Ashwin Nandakumar is a British Indian cancer biologist and the Co-Founder and CEO of Granza Bio, an Oxford-born biotechnology company developing next-generation cancer therapeutics. He completed his DPhil (PhD) in Oncology at the University of Oxford, where he subsequently worked as a Cancer Research UK postdoctoral researcher and gained experience setting up oncology clinical trials. His expertise spans immuno-oncology, cancer biology, and the translational development of therapeutic platforms from academic discovery to commercial application.

While at Oxford, Ashwin connected with fellow researcher Dr. Ashwin Jainarayanan, and together they began exploring the work of Professor Michael Dustin on 'attack particles' — a newly discovered cytotoxic mechanism in T cells capable of selectively targeting and killing cancer cells. Recognising the transformative therapeutic potential, the two co-founded Granza Bio in 2024, entering Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch. The company's platform focuses on developing precision delivery shells to direct attack particles and other therapeutic cargo to specific tissues, overcoming the challenges of tropism, immunogenicity, and stability.

In July 2024, Granza Bio closed an oversubscribed $7.14 million seed round led by Felicis and Refactor Capital, with participation from Y Combinator. The funding is being used to expand research efforts and advance lead therapeutic candidates targeting ovarian, brain, lung, and skin cancers.