Best Oncology Companies in North Carolina, United States
The 49 best Oncology companies in North Carolina, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Argos Therapeutics.
Our analysis of 50 Oncology companies
$16.3b in tracked funding; 86% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Oncology companies in North Carolina
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Stage | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argos Therapeutics RNA-based dendritic cell therapies for cancer and infectious diseases. | $170M | 109 mo ago | 120 | — | Acquired | 243 patents Immunotherapy platforms: dendritic cell vaccines, CD83 peptides, anti‑IFN‑α antibodies, cell processing. | — |
| 2 | Precision BioSciences Developer of gene editing therapies to treat rare genetic diseases 57Product top 19%Funding top 21%Moat top 32%Patents top 36% All 11 signals ▾Producttop 19% Fundingtop 21% Moattop 32% Patentstop 36% Newstop 38% Markettop 39% Techtop 41% Innovationtop 42% Growthbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Fin. healthbottom 39% Product: 3 distinct product lines · Company stage: Public Funding: Raised $136M across 9 rounds · 9 rounds over 16 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $136M | 5 mo ago | 236 | — | Public | 68 patents Precise gene editing tools for therapeutic targets and engineered cell therapies | — |
| 3 | G1 Therapeutics Developer of therapeutic solutions for the treatment of different cancer | $98M | 98 mo ago | 100 | — | Acquired | 1,872 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 4 | Xilis Developer of drug discovery and precision therapy platform for oncology 53Patents top 21%Moat top 21%Innovation top 22%Funding top 26% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 21% Moattop 21% Innovationtop 22% Fundingtop 26% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 46% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 29% Newsbottom 22% Patents: 97 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 96 filings since 2022 vs 1 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 97 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $89M | 16 mo ago | 72 | Hans Clevers Co-Founder | Series B | 97 patents Microfluidic organoid droplet generation and component delivery for personalized medicine | — |
| 5 | Istari Oncology Developer of viral vaccines and antibody drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer | $49M | 63 mo ago | 47 | Matthias Gromeier Founder | Series B | 7 patents Oncolytic virotherapy using engineered poliovirus for glioblastoma and bladder cancer treatment | — |
| 6 | CoImmune Manufacturer of cytokine agents for treating cancer | $45M | 69 mo ago | 47 | — | Series A | 55 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 7 | Innocrin Affordable prescription drugs online, bridging the gap for US customers | $42M | 108 mo ago | 19 | — | Series D | — | — |
| 8 | Tolerance Bio Developer of thymus-based therapies for immune-mediated diseases to increase healthspan | $37M | 19 mo ago | — | Holger Russ Scientific Co-Founder | Seed | — | — |
| 9 | Incyclix Bio A next-generation cell cycle control company advancing precision treatments for cancer 21Funding top 25%Talent top 28%Moat top 39%Tech bottom 31% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 25% Talenttop 28% Moattop 39% Techbottom 31% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 20% Funding: Raised $30.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 4 yrs (0.8/yr) Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 21/100 | $30M | 4 mo ago | 6 | Patrick Roberts Co-Founder & CEO | Series B | — | — |
| 10 | GeneCentric Developer of diagnostics for cancer classification and treatment | $19M | 13 mo ago | 19 | — | Series C | — | — |
| 11 | Biofluidica Provider of liquid biopsy tests using CTCs | $18M | 52 mo ago | 13 13 → 7 (-46%) | Steven Soper Co-Founder & CTO | Series B | 20 patents Microfluidic platforms for high‑efficiency isolation of biomarker and fetal cells. | — |
| 12 | Saga Diagnostics Provider of tests for detection and analysis of circulating tumor DNA | $18M | 61 mo ago | 23 | Lao Saal Founder | Acquired | — | — |
| 13 | Midatech Developer of therapies focused on oncology treatment and oncology supportive care | $17M | 149 mo ago | — | Christopher Clement President and CEO | Acquired | 23 patents Nanoparticle-based peptide drug and vaccine delivery systems for targeted therapeutic administration | — |
| 14 | CivaTech Oncology Provider of polymer-based devices for localized low dose radiation therapy or brachytherapy | $12M | 56 mo ago | 6 | — | Series A | 23 patents Microencapsulated, bioabsorbable brachytherapy sources for precise internal radiation therapy | — |
| 15 | Tavros Developer of small-molecule therapeutics for cancer | $10M | 46 mo ago | 13 | Kris Wood Co-Founder | Acquired | — | — |
| 16 | OptoSonics Develops 3D imaging tool for the detection of breast cancer. | $10M | 148 mo ago | — | Dan Reinecke Co-Founder | Deadpooled | 7 patents Photoacoustic breast imaging systems using hemispherical arrays and planar scanning | — |
| 17 | Advanced Chemotherapy Technologies Developer of a medical device used for chemotherapy | $8M | 60 mo ago | 12 | — | Series A | — | — |
| 18 | Meryx Pharma Developing orally bioavailable cancer drugs targeting Mer Tyrosine kinase receptor. | $7M | 133 mo ago | 3 | — | Deadpooled | — | — |
| 19 | Cereius Developer of therapeutic solutions for treating solid tumor brain metastasis | $6M | 96 mo ago | — | Kimberly Blackwell Co-Founder | Series A | 7 patents HER2-targeted binding molecules for cancer therapy | — |
| 20 | Grid Therapeutics Developer of therapeutic antibodies | $6M | 68 mo ago | 4 | — | Series B | — | — |
| 21 | Annias Immunotherapeutics Developing therapeutic vaccine targeting a strain of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) that is harbored in many solid… | $4M | 130 mo ago | — | Reiner Laus President & CEO | Funding Raised | — | — |
| 22 | Oncoscope Non-invasive optical screening for cancerous cells | $4M | 150 mo ago | 4 | Perry Genova ex-CEO | Acquired | 16 patents Fiber-optic endoscopic probes for low-coherence interferometric tissue imaging and diagnostics | — |
| 23 | Flag Therapeutics Developer of small molecule therapeutics for difficult-to-treat cancers | $2M | 85 mo ago | 2 | Frank Sorgi President & CEO | Seed | — | — |
| 24 | OncoTab Blood test for early breast cancer detection in dense breast tissue | $1M | 14 mo ago | — | Rahul Puri Co-Founder & CEO | Funding Raised | 5 patents Targeted antibody-drug conjugates for tumor-specific therapy | — |
| 25 | Zumatek 3D imaging technologies for lesion detection | $923K | 188 mo ago | — | Randolph McKinley Co-Founder & CEO | Deadpooled | — | — |
| 26 | Falcon Therapeutics Developer of cell therapies to treat brain cancers | $700K | 109 mo ago | 5 | Susan Nichols CEO | Deadpooled | — | — |
| 27 | Albus Imaging Imaging solutions for detection of cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy patients | $565K | 119 mo ago | — | Holly Goodwin Co-Founder | Deadpooled | — | — |
| 28 | Ternalys Developer of therapeutics for cancer treatment | $552K | 17 mo ago | — | Pierpaolo Peruzzi Co-Founder | Funding Raised | — | — |
| 29 | Sapere Bio Diagnostic company that develops non-invasive biomarker tests to measure cellular aging and predict the risk… | $500K | 25 mo ago | 5 | Norman Sharpless Co-Founder | Seed | — | — |
| 30 | MAA Laboratories Transforming molecules into next-generation therapies through advanced nanoparticle technology | $225K | 110 mo ago | 16 | Anjani Jha CEO & President | Funding Raised | — | — |
| 31 | NanoVector Biologic nanoparticle-based therapeutic drug delivery system | $125K | 206 mo ago | — | Albert Bender CEO | Funding Raised | 2 patents Engineering viral vectors for gene delivery and therapeutic applications | — |
| 32 | Fennec Pharma Developer of chemo-protective treatments for cancer patients | — | 46 mo ago | 36 36 → 53 (+47%) | — | Public | — | 1 job opening |
Top 12 Oncology companies in North Carolina
#1
Public · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2006 · 236 employees$135.7Mraised▾
Developer of gene editing therapies to treat rare genetic diseases. The company utilizes novel proprietary ARCUS platform to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, including gene insertion, excision, and elimination. The company's pipeline include therapies for Hepatitis B, duchenne muscular dystrophy, and more.
- Mar 2026Post IPO$7.5M
- Jun 2022Post IPO$75M
- Mar 2019Conventional Debt$39.5M
- Jun 2018Series B$110M
#2
Series B · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2020 · 6 employees$30Mraised▾
A next-generation cell cycle control company advancing precision treatments for cancer. The company’s lead compound, INX-315, is a potent and selective cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) inhibitor entering clinical development and has therapeutic targets across many tumor types, including ovarian, breast, and lung cancers.
- Apr 2026Series B$5M
- Aug 2025Series B$11.2M
- Mar 2022Series B$30M
#3
Series B · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2019 · 72 employees$89Mraised▾
Developer of drug discovery and precision therapy platform for oncology. The company has micro-organ sphere technologies which enable rapid diagnostics, personalized drug screening, and scalable patient-derived models for immuno-oncology drug discovery.
- Apr 2025Series B$19.4M
- Apr 2025Conventional Debt—
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$2.4M
- Jul 2022Series A$19M
#4
Series C · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2011 · 19 employees$18.9Mraised▾
Developer of diagnostics for cancer classification and treatment. The core technology, Cancer Subtype Platform (CSP) identifies biologic subtypes through an integrated analysis of tumor genomics. The lead product, the first-generation Lung Subtyping Predictor (LSPTM) classifies tumors into squamous, adenocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine (small cell and carcinoid) lung cancer.
- Jun 2025Series C$8M
- Sep 2022Conventional Debt$2.5M
- Oct 2021Series B$7.5M
- Jan 2021Conventional Debt$1.2M
#5
Seed · Chapel Hill, North Carolina · founded 2023$37.4Mraised▾
Developer of thymus-based therapies for immune-mediated diseases to increase healthspan. It focuses on preserving, restoring, and manipulating the function of the thymus. The thymus is a master regulator of immune tolerance. The company aims to control immune tolerance by influencing thymus function.
- Dec 2024Seed$20.2M
- Oct 2024Seed$17.2M
#6
Funding Raised · Charlotte, North Carolina · founded 2011$1.1Mraised▾
Blood test for early breast cancer detection in dense breast tissue. The company develops innovative diagnostic and therapeutic products focused on cancer, particularly addressing unmet needs in detection and treatment. They utilize cutting-edge, patented technology to target tumor-associated MUC1 (tMUC1), a key cancer antigen. Their lead product, Agkura® Personal Score, is a simple blood test aiding breast cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue, where mammography alone is often insufficient. The company is also developing agents for tumor imaging and targeted drug delivery, aiming to improve cancer outcomes. Their business model centers on research and commercialization through strategic partnerships. This is a B2C and B2B healthcare and diagnostic company.
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$400K
- Sep 2021Grant (prize money)$260.6K
- Sep 2021Grant (prize money)$400K
#7
Funding Raised · Chapel Hill, North Carolina · founded 2021$551.5Kraised▾
Developer of therapeutics for cancer treatment. It offers SAGUARO technology that provides microRNA replacement therapy, which include a lead candidate (TT-003) for the treatment of glioblastoma via intratumoral delivery.
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$275.8K
- Sep 2022Grant (prize money)$275.8K
#8
Acquired · Durham, North Carolina · founded 1997 · 120 employees$169.7Mraised▾
Argos Therapeutics, previously known as Merix Bioscience, develops RNA-based autologous dendritic cell therapies for cancer and infectious disease. It uses its proprietary ARCELIS platform to 'train' the patient's dendritic cells and stimulate an in vivo tumor-specific immune response. Its lead candidate is in phase III trials for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, while another candidate (AGS-004) in combination with the latency reversing drug vorinostat, is in investigator initiated phase II clinical trials for HIV. The company has received funding from the NIH, NIAID and the Collaboratory of Research for AIDS Eradication.
- Jun 2017Post IPO$6M
- Mar 2016Post IPO—
- Apr 2015Post IPO$10M
- Apr 2015Grant (prize money)$6.6M
#9
Acquired · Chapel Hill, North Carolina · founded 2008 · 100 employees$97.6Mraised▾
Developer of therapeutic solutions for the treatment of different cancer. The company has its proprietary kinase drug discovery platform to advance a pipeline of first-in-class compounds and best-in-class drug candidates. Its drug pipeline includes G1T28, a CDK4/6 inhibitor that is being developed to reduce bone marrow and immune system damage caused by chemotherapy, and G1T38, a CDK4/6 inhibitor that is being developed to treat patients with CDK4/6-dependent tumors. Investigating G1T28 in clinical trials in patients with small-cell lung cancer and G1T38 in estrogen receptor breast cancer patients and castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients.
- Jun 2018Post IPO$38.4M
- Jul 2016Series C$50M
- Feb 2015Series B$33M
- Jun 2014Series A$12.6M
#10
Series B · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2014 · 47 employees$48.6Mraised▾
Developer of viral vaccines and antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer. The company has two platforms in clinical development: Polio Virus Sabin-Rhinovirus Poliovirus (PVS-RIPO) and Antibody-Directed Immuno-Conjugates (ADC). Its drug pipeline includes PVS-RIPO, a viral vaccine for Glioblastoma (Phase 2), D2C7-IT, an ADC for Glioblastoma (Phase 1). PVS-RIP) is also being developed for breast and melanoma (Preclinical). The company has licensed its technology platforms from Duke University.
- Apr 2021Series B$43.5M
- May 2017Series A$1.1M
- Feb 2017Series A$4M
#11
Series B · Chapel Hill, North Carolina · founded 2007 · 13 employees$18.1Mraised▾
Provider of liquid biopsy tests using CTCs. The flagship system uses a capture bed coated with specific antibodies to capture and separate CTCs from blood samples for analysis. The system has been clinically validated for pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.
- Mar 2022Grant (prize money)—
- Dec 2021Series B$6M
- Aug 2021Grant (prize money)$250K
- Mar 2021Series B$6M
#12
Series A · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2019 · 47 employees$45Mraised▾
CoImmune specializes in the development of immuno-oncology therapies based on its two proprietary platform technologies. The autologous RNA-loaded dendritic cell technology for solid tumors specifically targets each patient’s unique tumor antigens. The allogeneic CAR-CIK technology is a variation on CAR-T therapy with greatly reduced toxicity while retaining strong efficacy based on an on-going clinical trial in pediatric and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.
- Nov 2020Series A$45M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Oncology coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time falling
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Oncology & Cancer Therapeutics is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Oncology & Cancer Therapeutics — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 12,968 United States-affiliated papers.
- Harvard University573
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center559
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute413
- Johns Hopkins University356
- Cornell University352
- Tumor microenvironment124→1921
- Immune system80→1464
- Immunotherapy66→1342
- Cancer research197→1345
- Cancer immunotherapy35→714
- Tumor microenvironment212→2712
- Immune system142→2161
- Immunotherapy146→1778
- Cancer research238→1815
- Cancer immunotherapy73→718
- Immunotherapy42→624
- Tumor microenvironment65→585
- Immune system31→529
- Cancer immunotherapy27→298
- Cancer research49→277
Where oncology is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing oncology patents in the United States
United States oncology patent filing is accelerating — 2,574 filings from 797 assignees (2016–2025), led by Bristol Myers Squibb, IO Therapeutics, UNIV California; annual filings 108→277.
- Bristol Myers Squibb105
- IO Therapeutics91
- UNIV California88
- DANA Farber Cancer INST87
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer 74
- Baylor College Medicine63
- UNIV Texas61
- Massachusetts INST Technology47