Aarvik Therapeutics closed its Series Seed 2 financing round today, advancing its precision-first antibody drug conjugate (ADC) platform designed to tackle hard-to-treat oncology indications. Based in Hayward, California, the company has built a modular system that transforms complexity into clinical opportunity.
The company was incorporated in August 2020 as Aarkus Therapeutics before rebranding to Aarvik Therapeutics a year later. Co-founders Jagath Reddy Junutula, PhD, and Sachdev Sidhu, PhD, brought deep expertise to the effort. Dr. Junutula, now President and CEO, spent over two decades in oncology drug discovery, contributing to Kadcyla and inventing Polivy. Dr. Sidhu, a professor at the University of Waterloo and serial entrepreneur, has authored more than 200 papers and holds over 50 patents. Together, they set out to build a modular ADC platform capable of tackling targets other therapies left behind.
That platform is MUTTA, the Multi-epitope Targeting Tetravalent Antibody system. Instead of just attaching payloads to antibodies, MUTTA lowers the minimum effective dose, keeps the maximum tolerated dose in play, and significantly expands the therapeutic window. The result: more power against tumors with fewer collateral consequences. Even tumor antigens with low copy numbers, once considered untouchable, are now back on the table. This isn’t theoretical. In 2021, Aarvik Therapeutics inked a collaboration with ArriVent BioPharma valued at up to $100 million in potential milestones. By 2024, ArriVent BioPharma exercised its option to exclusively license a program, a clear market signal that MUTTA is the real deal.
Behind the science is a leadership bench that looks more like an all-star roster. Anula Jayasuriya, MD, PhD, MBA, serves as Board Chair, bringing deep experience from Roche and EXXclaim Capital. Richard Scheller, PhD, former Genentech EVP and current BridgeBio R&D chief, leads the Scientific Advisory Board. Ram K. Reddy, MBA, adds entrepreneurial and venture chops, while Melissa Starovasnik, PhD, contributes nearly three decades of protein therapeutics expertise. Add in executives like Heather Maecker, PhD, SVP of Immuno-oncology, and Vasu Jamma, PhD, VP of Chemistry, and the structure is built for speed and scale.
This latest Seed 2 round is backed by a diverse set of investors, original seed participants, new pharma leaders, tech operators, and CDMOs. It’s not just a vote of confidence; it’s a recognition that Aarvik Therapeutics has built real momentum with a team of 11–50 employees spread across the US, Canada, and India. The capital will advance multiple ADC assets, push MUTTA further toward clinical development, and aim directly at hard-to-treat oncology indications.
Cancer doesn’t compromise, and neither does Aarvik Therapeutics. This round isn’t about noise, it’s about precision, persistence, and positioning a platform that could finally make ADCs live up to their full potential.
