The venture financing and AMED grant funding position CORE to accelerate development of novel lineage-based oncology therapies for patients around the world.
BOSTON and TOKYO and SUZHOU, China, July 28, 2026 — CORE Biomedicine, a biotechnology company pioneering lineage-based precision oncology therapeutics, today announced the completion of a $21 million Series A financing. The round is co-led by UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. and Elikon Venture, alongside participation from InnoPinnacle Fund, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., Suzhou Capital Group Co., Ltd., CD Capital, YuanBio Venture Capital, Vision Incubate Co., Ltd., and Root Venture Partners. CORE’s lineage-based approach is designed to identify and target core oncology drivers with precision while expanding the potential patient populations that may benefit from these novel therapies.
In addition to venture financing, CORE Biomedicine Japan, a wholly owned subsidiary, has been awarded a grant under the Strengthening Program for Pharmaceutical Startup Ecosystem, a highly competitive initiative run by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) to accelerate innovative biotech companies and support Japan’s biopharma ecosystem. This grant supports CORE’s research and development activities while strengthening collaborations through partnerships with Japanese universities, hospitals and the overall biopharma community.
These resources will advance CORE’s lead programs through discovery and early clinical development. CORE is building an innovative precision medicine company by leveraging the rapidly evolving global biotech ecosystem.
“This venture financing and AMED’s support represent a major milestone for CORE Biomedicine and validate our vision for a new generation of oncology medicines,” said Dr. Ping Zhu, Co-Founder and CEO of CORE Biomedicine. “We are grateful to our investors and partners as we advance our programs toward the clinic with the goal of bringing transformative therapies to patients globally.”
“CORE Biomedicine’s lineage-based approach addresses a fundamental challenge in cancer biology that genomics alone cannot solve,” said Makoto (Mark) Ohori, PhD, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Life Sciences, UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. “We are proud to co-lead this financing and look forward to supporting the CORE Biomedicine team as they advance their programs toward the clinic.”
“Elikon Venture highly recognizes the CORE Biomedicine team for their distinctive insights and extensive R&D experience in oncology area. We are delighted to witness the company’s fast-growing trajectory. We look forward to collaborating with CORE Biomedicine to advance its cutting-edge drug pipeline and address unmet medical needs for global patients by delivering better clinical benefits.”
About CORE Biomedicine
Founded by former leaders of H3 Biomedicine, CORE Biomedicine is developing the next generation of precision medicines by going beyond genomics. The company’s lineage-based therapeutic approach targets core biological pathways that define cancer cell identity, enabling the discovery of first- and best-in-class therapies with the potential to benefit broader patient populations.
About UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC) is a venture capital firm wholly owned by the University of Tokyo, established in 2016 to strengthen Japan’s global industrial competitiveness through startup investment and ecosystem building. UTokyo IPC supports the creation and growth of university-affiliated startups through investment and ecosystem-building activities.
About Elikon Venture
Founded in 2021, Elikon Venture is a global early-stage biotech investor dedicated to addressing unmet clinical needs. We partner with ambitious entrepreneurs and pioneering scientists, bringing breakthrough technologies. Elikon brings unique insights to the biopharma market and specialize in connecting our global portfolio companies to China’s top-tier industry resources and strategic services.
SOURCE CORE Biomedicine
