EsoBiotec Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

EsoBiotec was acquired by AstraZeneca for $1B in March 2025.

EsoBiotec acquisition price

$1B

Acquired by AstraZeneca · Mar 2025

Cumulative funding EsoBiotec raised

$6M

across 2 funding rounds

Key investors in EsoBiotec

  • S.R.I.W.
  • Sambrinvest
  • Thuja Capital
  • Invivo Capital Partners
  • UCB Ventures

EsoBiotec Overview

About EsoBiotec

EsoBiotec is a Ghent-based biotechnology firm advancing in vivo cell therapies for solid tumors. The company engineers T-cells via its proprietary EsoCell platform to express chimeric antigen receptors directly in patients, avoiding ex vivo manipulation. Targeting KRAS-mutated cancers like pancreatic and colorectal, EsoBiotec's lead ESO-T01 entered Phase I trials in 2022 across Belgium and Spain. Founded in 2016 from Ghent University spin-out, it collaborates with Janssen on delivery vectors and holds patents for non-viral gene editing in Europe and US.


Founded

2020

HQ

BelgiumMont-Saint-Guibert

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Licensing

Valuation

$1B (acquired Mar 2025)

EsoBiotec Acquisition

EsoBiotec was acquired by AstraZeneca for $1B on 17 March 2025.

Before the acquisition EsoBiotec had raised $6M across 2 funding rounds.

EsoBiotec, a Belgium-based biotechnology company, develops in vivo cell therapies using its Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform, which genetically modifies immune cells directly inside the body to target cancers and immune-mediated diseases, enabling treatments in minutes rather than weeks of ex vivo processing. AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced a definitive agreement in March 2025 to acquire all outstanding equity of EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion on a cash and debt-free basis, including an upfront payment of $425 million at closing and up to $575 million in milestone payments contingent on development and regulatory achievements. The deal strengthens AstraZeneca's oncology and cell therapy pipeline by integrating EsoBiotec's scalable platform, addressing manufacturing complexities and expanding patient access, with the transaction expected to close in Q2 2025 and later confirmed as successfully completed, making EsoBiotec a wholly owned subsidiary operating from Belgium without impacting AstraZeneca's 2025 financial guidance. The strategic rationale focuses on advancing ENaBL's early-stage promise in oncology and autoimmune disorders, complementing AstraZeneca's recent cell therapy investments and positioning it to lead in next-generation therapies amid evolving cell therapy landscapes. EsoBiotec maintains its Belgian base post-acquisition, with CEO Jean-Pierre Latere highlighting synergies for accelerating broad therapeutic applications, while AstraZeneca's EVP Susan Galbraith emphasized scaling innovative treatments globally. The acquisition signals opportunities for efficient cell therapies in markets like India, though no direct involvement of AstraZeneca Pharma India is specified.

EsoBiotec acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
17 Mar 2025Strategic M&A$1B

EsoBiotec Funding History

EsoBiotec has raised a total of $6M across 2 funding rounds.

EsoBiotec's first fundraising round was a $4M seed round in September 2021. The most recent completed round was a $2M Series A in December 2023.

EsoBiotec funding rounds

EsoBiotec funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Dec 2023Series AInvivo Capital Partners$2MEsoBiotec is a Belgian biotechnology company developing engineered in vivo cell therapies for cancer treatment using its proprietary Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform. Founded approximately four years prior to 2025, the company focuses on creating off-the-shelf cell therapy options that can be administered via intravenous injection, eliminating the need for ex vivo cell modification. In December 2023, Invivo Ventures committed €2 million as part of a larger Series A funding round that was expected to close in 2024, following a 2021 seed round backed by UCB Ventures, Thuja Capital, Sambrinvest, and Wallonie Entreprendre. The company's lead program targeting BCMA advanced into clinical development with encouraging early patient data presented at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. In March 2025, AstraZeneca acquired EsoBiotec for a total consideration of $1 billion, comprising $425 million upfront and up to $575 million in development and regulatory milestones, integrating EsoBiotec's platform with AstraZeneca's broader cell therapy strategy.
Sep 2021SeedThuja Capital (lead); UCB Ventures (lead); S.R.I.W.; Sambrinvest$4MEsoBiotec is a biotech company focused on healthcare manufacturing and pharmaceutical development. In September 2021, the company raised capital in a pre-Series A funding round led by Thuja Capital and UCB Ventures, with participation from SRIW Life Sciences and Sambrinvest. The company has raised a cumulative $12.66 million across 5 funding rounds as of its acquisition in March 2025.

Who has invested in EsoBiotec?

5 investors have backed EsoBiotec across its funding rounds, including S.R.I.W., Sambrinvest, Thuja Capital, Invivo Capital Partners and UCB Ventures.

Lead investors include Thuja Capital and UCB Ventures.


EsoBiotec Investors

Investors in EsoBiotec by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
S.R.I.W.BelgiumBelgium1ParticipantSep 2021
Invivo Capital PartnersSpainBarcelona1ParticipantDec 2023
Thuja CapitalNetherlandsUtrecht1LeadSep 2021

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EsoBiotec Competitors

EsoBiotec competitors include listed companies like Arbutus Biopharma and Kolon TissueGene, and private ones like BenevolentAI, Immunai, IntraBio and Orca Bio.

Public and private companies comparable to EsoBiotec
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
BenevolentAIUnited KingdomLondonPrivate$10M-$1B100.0x
ImmunaiUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$1B-
IntraBioUnited StatesAustin, TXPrivate--$1B-
Orca BioUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$1B-
Arbutus BiopharmaUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$14M($37M)$1B6.8x
Kolon TissueGeneUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$4M($141M)$1B239.4x

EsoBiotec Public Comps

EsoBiotec is no longer listed, but its public comps include Arbutus Biopharma, Kolon TissueGene, Star Lake Bioscience, SSY Group, Helus Pharma, Alumis, GuangYuYuan Chinese, Vetoquinol, Amphastar Pharma and Adlai Nortye.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Arbutus Biopharma$14M($37M)64.6x6.8x(24.6x)-
Kolon TissueGene$4M($141M)261.1x239.4x(7.0x)(57.8x)
Star Lake Bioscience$2.4B$314M0.8x0.8x6.0x7.3x
SSY Group$530M$144M2.5x-9.2x-
Helus Pharma-($153M)--(5.4x)(4.8x)
Alumis$24M($263M)22.6x47.6x(2.1x)(1.5x)
GuangYuYuan Chinese$204M$23M4.5x-40.5x-
Vetoquinol$605M$127M1.3x1.3x5.9x5.9x

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Common questions about EsoBiotec

When was EsoBiotec founded?EsoBiotec was founded in 2020.
Where is EsoBiotec headquartered?EsoBiotec is headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium.
Is EsoBiotec publicly listed?No, EsoBiotec was acquired by AstraZeneca in March 2025.
Who acquired EsoBiotec?EsoBiotec was acquired by AstraZeneca in March 2025.
How much was EsoBiotec acquired for?EsoBiotec was acquired for $1B in March 2025.
How much funding has EsoBiotec raised?EsoBiotec has raised $6M across 2 funding rounds.
What was EsoBiotec's last funding round?EsoBiotec's last funding round was a $2M Series A in December 2023.
Who are EsoBiotec's investors?EsoBiotec's investors include S.R.I.W., Invivo Capital Partners, Thuja Capital, UCB Ventures and Sambrinvest.
Which companies are comparable to EsoBiotec?Companies comparable to EsoBiotec include BenevolentAI, Immunai, IntraBio, Orca Bio, Arbutus Biopharma and Kolon TissueGene.

See companies similar to EsoBiotec

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