China-based Starna Therapeutics has closed a B+ financing round of nearly USD 40 million to advance its pipeline of in vivo cell therapies and extrahepatic delivery platforms. The round includes participation from industry-focused funds, GL Ventures, LYFE Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Sherpa Venture Capital, Source Code Capital and Primavera Capital. The funds will be used to accelerate clinical development of multiple in vivo CAR-T candidates and to advance the company's platforms for delivering mRNA therapies to tissues beyond the liver, such as the lungs, gut and central nervous system (CNS).

Founded in August 2021, Starna is a clinical-stage company focused on mRNA drug development. Its technology platform includes a library of thousands of novel cationic lipids and lipid nanoparticles designed for tissue-specific targeting. The company's pipeline spans prophylactic vaccines, therapeutic cancer vaccines, protein replacement therapies and in vivo cell therapies. This financing, which follows a USD 44 million Series B round in October 2025, underscores continued strong investor interest in the in vivo CAR-T sector.

According to PharmCube's MedAlpha® database, Starna has raised USD 115 million in a total of four funding rounds, with previous investors including Series B+ participants as well as Hony Capital and Xuanzhu HK. Click here to request a free trial for MedAlpha®.