What Tcelltech does

Tcelltech GmbH is a Mannheim, Germany-based clinical-stage biotechnology company spun out of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in 2022, developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies through two integrated technology platforms: selecTCR, an AI bioinformatics classifier that identifies tumor-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) within days for immediate cell manufacturing use, with an extension (predicTCR) that detects T cell signatures for predicting and monitoring immunotherapy responses; and nanoSMAR, a minimally-sized, non-toxic, non-immunogenic episomal DNA vector platform offering unlimited genetic cargo capacity for cell therapy, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine applications.

The proprietary pipeline consists of three clinical-stage assets: IDH1 SCA-VAC, a peptide vaccine targeting the IDH1R132H clonal driver mutation that completed a Phase I trial in 32 patients (21 grade 3, 11 grade 4) meeting both primary endpoints; H3 SCA-VAC, a peptide vaccine targeting the H3K27M mutation for diffuse midline gliomas, currently in Phase I in combination with Atezolizumab; and TCT-001, a first-in-class T cell therapy for glioblastoma engineered with nanoSMAR, with Phase 1 testing scheduled to start in 2026 following preclinical publication in Nature Communications. The company is led by Prof Dr Michael Platten (CEO, 2024 German Cancer Award recipient alongside BioNTech's Ugur Sahin), Dr Ed Green, Dr Richard Harbottle, Dr Jochen Dieselhorst, and Dr Mathias Turwitt.

Commercial activity centers on direct outlicensing of the nanoSMAR vector platform to cell and gene therapy companies globally through a business development function led by Dr Fritz Rudert, alongside a subscription-based predicTCR web tool (predictcr.com) for academic and industry dataset interrogation. The pipeline products are expected to advance through traditional pharmaceutical clinical and commercialization pathways. No commercial revenue, funding rounds, or licensing deal values are disclosed.

Name

Tcelltech

Legal name

Tcelltech GmbH

Website

https://tcelltech.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tcelltech GmbH is a Mannheim-based, DKFZ-spin-out biotech developing AI-guided T cell receptor discovery (selecTCR) and a non-viral DNA vector delivery platform (nanoSMAR) to advance cancer vaccines and T cell therapies, primarily through technology outlicensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Immunotherapy Biotechnology

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

CAR-T & TCR-T Therapies (HLAAABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL), Therapeutic Vaccines (e.g., Cancer/Chronic Infection) (HLAIAEAG), Immuno-Oncology & Immune Monitoring Biomarkers (TMB, MSI, MRD, immune profiling) (HLAAAMAK), Therapeutic Vaccines (cancer, chronic infection immunotherapy) (HLAAAEAB), Oncology Gene Therapies (incl. oncolytic vectors & gene-modified approaches) (HLAAACAF)

Keywords

• Cancer immunotherapy
• T cell therapy
• DNA vector platform
• TCR identification
• Cancer vaccines

Headquarters

HQ city

Mannheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: Outlicensing of nanoSMAR vector platform to interested parties for applications in cell and gene therapy and stem cells. The company is actively seeking licensing partners for the technology.
2. Cancer Vaccine Products: Development and potential commercialization of cancer vaccines (IDH1 SCA-VAC and H3 SCA-VAC) targeting driver mutations in brain tumors through clinical development stages.
3. T Cell Therapy Products: Development of TCT-001, a first-in-class T cell therapy for glioblastoma, with Phase 1 testing expected to start in 2026 using nanoSMAR platform.
4. AI Bioinformatics Services: Web-based tool at predictcr.com for interrogating existing datasets to identify therapeutic T cell receptors and predict/monitor immunotherapy responses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tcelltech develops and licenses two proprietary technology platforms for next-generation cancer immunotherapy: selecTCR, an AI bioinformatics platform that identifies tumor-reactive T cell receptors within days for cell manufacturing, and nanoSMAR, a minimally-sized episomal DNA vector platform providing robust and persistent gene expression for cell and gene therapy applications. The company also develops its own pipeline of cancer vaccines (IDH1 SCA-VAC, H3 SCA-VAC) targeting brain tumor driver mutations and a first-in-class T cell therapy (TCT-001) for glioblastoma, with the nanoSMAR platform outlicensed to interested parties for cell therapy, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine applications.

Product overview

Tcelltech offers two main technology platforms for next-generation cancer immunotherapies: selecTCR (predicTCR), an AI bioinformatics platform for identifying tumor-reactive T cell receptors, and nanoSMAR, a DNA vector platform for cell and gene therapy delivery. The company has developed a pipeline of cancer vaccine products including IDH1 SCA-VAC and H3 SCA-VAC targeting common clonal driver mutations in brain tumors, as well as TCT-001, a T cell therapy product engineered with the nanoSMAR platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• selecTCR: AI bioinformatics platform to identify tumor reactive T cell receptors.
• nanoSMAR
• IDH1 SCA-VAC
• H3 SCA-VAC
• TCT-001
• predicTCR

Products and services

• selecTCR (predicTCR) AI bioinformatics platform that identifies tumor-reactive T cell receptors within days using an AI-guided classifier and is immediately available for cell manufacturing; also serves as predicTCR to detect T cell signatures for predicting and monitoring response to immunotherapies, validated across melanoma, colorectal, pancreatic, lung, and brain cancer.
• nanoSMAR DNA Vector Platform Novel, minimally-sized, episomal DNA vector platform with unlimited genetic cargo capacity providing robust and persistent gene expression with minimal disruption to cell homeostasis; non-toxic and non-immunogenic; applicable to cell therapy, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine.
• IDH1 SCA-VAC Cancer Vaccine Peptide cancer vaccine targeting the IDH1R132H clonal driver mutation in brain tumors; completed Phase I with 32 patients (21 grade 3, 11 grade 4) meeting both primary endpoints with promising results.
• H3 SCA-VAC Cancer Vaccine Peptide cancer vaccine targeting the H3K27M clonal driver mutation in brain tumors; in Phase I development in combination with Atezolizumab after first-in-human dosing.
• TCT-001 T Cell Therapy First-in-class T cell therapy for glioblastoma patients using T cells engineered with a proprietary T cell receptor targeting a glioblastoma antigen, manufactured with the nanoSMAR platform; Phase 1 testing expected to start in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase I trial with 32 patients (21 grade 3, 11 grade 4) met both primary endpoints with very promising results
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Immatics: Germany-based TCR-based immunotherapy company developing adoptive cell therapies and TCR bispecifics. Closely comparable to Tcelltech in therapeutic modality, German biotech origin, and TCR-engineering focus, with a more advanced clinical pipeline.
• Cellectis: Clinical-stage gene-edited allogeneic cell therapy company with TCR-T and CAR-T programs. Comparable as a cell therapy platform developer using engineered TCRs, though Cellectis focuses on gene editing rather than episomal vectors.
• Neogene Therapeutics: Develops personalized TCR-T cell therapies for solid tumors using neoantigen-targeted receptors. Comparable to Tcelltech's selecTCR + TCR-T combination, with emphasis on individualized TCR discovery (acquired by AstraZeneca in 2023).
• Poseida Therapeutics: Clinical-stage cell therapy company developing CAR-T and TCR-T programs using non-viral (piggyBac) gene delivery approaches. Comparable to Tcelltech's nanoSMAR strategy of using non-viral episomal delivery to engineer T cells, though Poseida is more advanced clinically.
• Medigene: German biotech focused on TCR-T immunotherapies for solid tumors, with an IND-stage pipeline. Highly comparable to Tcelltech by geography (Germany), modality (TCR-T), and stage (early-clinical).
• Adaptimmune Therapeutics: Clinical-stage TCR-T cell therapy company with approved Tecelra for synovial sarcoma. Directly comparable to Tcelltech as a TCR-T platform developer targeting solid tumors, though at a more advanced clinical and commercial stage.

Broad incumbents

• BioNTech: German mRNA and immuno-oncology leader with multiple oncology vaccine and cell therapy programs. Relevant as a German oncology incumbent and as a referenced comparator (German Cancer Award shared with CEO Platten), but operating at much greater scale and breadth than Tcelltech.

Others

• Miltenyi Biotec: Cell and gene therapy technology and services provider with longstanding Tcelltech collaboration. Comparable as an enabling technology participant in the cell therapy manufacturing value chain rather than a direct therapeutic competitor.
• MaxCyte: Cell and gene therapy technology provider of electroporation-based delivery platforms. Listed as a Tcelltech collaborator and comparable as a DNA/transgene delivery infrastructure provider serving the cell therapy market.

Emerging players

• TCRcure Therapeutics: Early-stage TCR-T cell therapy company focused on solid tumors, with TCR discovery and TCR-T manufacturing capabilities. Comparable as a smaller, emerging TCR-T player competing for similar partnership and capital pools as Tcelltech.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tcelltech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Tcelltech