Thelper

What Thelper does

Thelper AS is a Norwegian preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and CAR-T therapies that target tumor-associated viral antigens, with its lead program directed at US28, a human cytomegalovirus-encoded G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) broadly expressed across aggressive solid tumors including triple-negative breast cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal cancers, and sarcomas, while being virtually absent in healthy tissues. The therapeutic candidates combine the US28 target with next-generation linker technologies and a fully silenced Fc variant licensed from mAbsolve Inc. that abolishes FcR effector activity and cytokine release while preserving FcRn-mediated half-life, and cell line development is supported by Selexis SA's SUREtechnology Platform. The pipeline comprises lead ADC THEL-002, CAR-T candidate THEL-003, and two discovery-stage candidates THEL-004 and THEL-005.

Name

Thelper

Legal name

Thelper AS

Website

https://thelper.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thelper AS is a Norwegian preclinical-stage biotech developing first-in-class ADCs and CAR-T therapies targeting US28, a virus-encoded GPCR expressed across aggressive solid tumors but absent in healthy tissues, with the goal of out-licensing to pharmaceutical partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Drug Development

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) & Antibody Conjugates (HLAAAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB), Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI)

Keywords

• Antibody-drug conjugates
• Oncology therapeutics
• Cancer drug development
• Preclinical biotech research
• Tumor-targeted therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Co-development Partnerships with Pharma: As a preclinical biotech company developing novel ADC therapies, Thelper's primary revenue path is through licensing agreements and co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. These arrangements typically yield upfront payments, milestone payments tied to development and regulatory achievements, and royalty streams on commercial sales.
2. Grant Funding and Non-Dilutive Capital: Thelper has secured non-dilutive funding including a 16M NOK IPN grant from the Norwegian Research Council to support preclinical development milestones including toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thelper AS is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that target US28, a virus-encoded GPCR expressed in aggressive solid tumors. The company combines proprietary US28-binding antibodies with next-generation linker-payload technology to create tumor-selective drug candidates for oncology indications.

Product overview

Thelper AS is a preclinical-stage biotech company developing a pipeline of first-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and CAR-T therapies targeting tumor-associated viral antigens, specifically the virus-encoded GPCR US28. The core pipeline consists of lead ADC candidate THEL-002 (pre-clinical), CAR-T candidate THEL-003 (pre-clinical), and two additional undisclosed candidates (THEL-004 and THEL-005) in discovery. All therapeutic candidates incorporate a fully silenced Fc variant licensed from mAbsolve Inc. to eliminate FcR effector activity and preserve FcRn-mediated half-life. Cell line development is supported by Selexis SA's SUREtechnology Platform for scalable antibody production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• THEL-002 Lead antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate targeting US28, a virus-encoded GPCR expressed in aggressive solid tumors.
• THEL-003 Potential CAR-T cell therapy candidate targeting US28-expressing tumors.
• THEL-004 Antibody-drug conjugate candidate in Thelper's preclinical pipeline.
• THEL-005 Undisclosed therapeutic candidate in Thelper's pipeline.

Quantifiable outcome

• US28 is expressed across multiple aggressive solid tumor types including breast, glioblastoma, ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal cancers, and sarcomas, while demonstrating no to minimal expression in healthy tissues.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• mAbsolve Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationThelper has licensed a humanized, silenced Fc variant from mAbsolve Inc. that is engineered into all of Thelper's therapeutic candidates. This novel Fc variant is comprehensively more silenced than all previous attempts (including LALA, LALAPG, aglycosylated, etc.), completely abolishing FcR binding, C1q activation, and cytokine release from PBMCs. However, binding to FcRn is preserved, allowing increased half-life not seen in other BiTE or nanobody variants. This fully silenced Fc variant reinforces the safety profile of Thelper's therapeutic candidates.
• Selexis SAcoreTechnology or IntegrationThelper has partnered with Selexis SA to develop cell lines that will produce Thelper's first-in-class, antiviral candidate antibodies and bispecifics. Selexis's SUREtechnology Platform combines sophisticated genetic engineering techniques and advanced screening methodologies for rapid generation and selection of highly productive, optimized cell lines, enabling efficient and scalable production of Thelper's therapeutic antibodies.
• Oslo Cancer Cluster IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThelper AS is located within the Oslo Cancer Cluster (OCC) Incubator, a rapidly expanding oncology research and industry cluster with 36,000m2 of dedicated lab space and relevant amenities. The OCC is situated next to the Norwegian Radium Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research at Oslo University Hospital, collectively forming Norway's largest oncology research and treatment milieu. Thelper is an active member of the Oslo Cancer Cluster ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pyxis Oncology: Clinical-stage biotech developing antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Direct peer — same ADC modality and similar early-clinical-stage positioning in solid tumor ADC development.
• ADC Therapeutics: Clinical/commercial-stage ADC company with approved product (Zynlonta) and pipeline of pyrrolobenzodiazepine-based ADCs for hematologic and solid tumors. Direct peer — same ADC modality and similar B2B pharma-licensing business model.
• Mersana Therapeutics: Clinical-stage ADC developer with proprietary platforms (Dolasynthen, Immunosynthen) targeting solid tumors. Direct peer — same modality (ADCs), same customer base (pharma partners), and same oncology focus as Thelper, though at a more advanced clinical stage.
• Heidelberg Pharma: German biotech developing ADCs based on proprietary Amanitin payload technology for solid tumors. Direct peer — same ADC modality, similar European preclinical/early-clinical stage, and similar partnering-driven business model.
• Bolt Biotherapeutics: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing ADCs with immune-stimulating payloads for solid tumors. Direct peer — same ADC modality targeting solid tumors with proprietary linker/payload innovation.

Regional players

• Lytix Biopharma: Norwegian clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing oncolytic peptides and adoptive cell therapies for solid tumors. Regional peer — same Oslo biotech ecosystem, same solid-tumor focus, and complementary cell-therapy modality overlapping with Thelper's CAR-T program.
• Oncoinvent ASA: Norwegian clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical biotech developing AlphaEmitter therapy for solid tumors (peritoneal carcinomatosis). Regional peer — same Oslo/Norwegian biotech ecosystem, similar preclinical/early-clinical oncology focus, comparable Nordic investor base.

Emerging players

• ProfoundBio: US clinical-stage biotech developing next-generation ADCs with proprietary linker-payload technology for solid tumors (e.g., ovarian cancer). Emerging peer — same next-generation ADC focus with similar linker innovation and overlapping solid-tumor indications.
• Oxford BioTherapeutics: UK-based clinical-stage biotech developing ADCs and other antibody-based therapies for solid tumors using proprietary target discovery platforms. Emerging peer — same ADC modality and oncology focus, with comparable target-discovery-driven approach.

Broad incumbents

• ImmunoGen (now part of AbbVie): Pioneer in ADC technology with approved products (Elahere) and broad platform IP. Broad incumbent — well-established ADC infrastructure and pharma-scale development capability that contextualizes Thelper's entry into the same modality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thelper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thelper