Link Cell Therapies has expanded its Series A financing from $60 million to $90 million, adding $30 million to support the development of its logic-gated CAR-T pipeline for solid and hematologic cancers. The financing was led by Johnson & Johnson through Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.
The investor group includes founding investors Samsara BioCapital and Sheatree Capital, along with Wing Venture Capital. Other investors include Bristol Myers Squibb, Kyowa Kirin, Sherpa Healthcare Partners, Western Technology Investment and the MD Anderson Cancer Focus Fund. Link initially announced the $60 million Series A in December 2025.
Founded in 2022 by Robbie Majzner, M.D., Crystal Mackall, M.D., biotech entrepreneur Brian Slingerland and Samsara BioCapital, Link Cell Therapies is based in South San Francisco, California. The company is led by CEO Jie D’Elia, Ph.D. The company is developing CAR-T therapies using a logic-gating approach designed to activate against combinations of antigens co-expressed on cancer cells while reducing the risk of targeting healthy tissue expressing only one of those antigens.
The company has also begun clinical dosing of LNK001, its lead CAR-T program. LNK001 is a dual CAIX and ENPP3 AND-gated therapy being evaluated in a Phase 1 study for patients with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The study is enrolling at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Link said the additional financing will support clinical and preclinical development of further logic-gated CAR-T programs. Its second solid-tumor program targets colorectal cancer, with the company planning to begin a first-in-human study in 2027. Additional programs for solid and hematologic cancers remain in earlier-stage development.
Alongside the financing and clinical update, Link appointed Jie D’Elia, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer and Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Co-founder Brian Slingerland has become Executive Chair.
