Bildnachweis: T-Knife.
After a strategic refocus last year, Berlin- and San Francisco-based T-knife is entering a new phase in its mission to bring the promise of cell therapy to solid tumors. CEO Thomas Soloway explains how the company’s next-generation “supercharged” T-cell platform aims to overcome the tumor microenvironment’s toughest barriers — and why a transatlantic investor base and dual presence in Europe and the U.S. have become key advantages as T-knife prepares for its first-in-human Atlas Phase I trial.
VC Magazin: The cell therapy field has been facing many challenges. Last year you adjusted your strategy. What has changed since then and what do you do differently?
Soloway: The field of cell therapy has evolved tremendously in recent years, especially after the first transformative and curative results we’ve seen in hematological malignancies. The challenge now is to bring similar outcomes to solid tumors, which still account for about 90 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer cases. At T-knife, we’ve taken a hard look at everything we’ve learned — not only from our own programs but also across the broader field — and reshaped our strategy accordingly. The result is what we call “supercharging” our T cells. This approach integrates multiple engineering elements to create the most potent and resilient anti-cancer T cells possible. They’re not only powerful but also “armored” to withstand the immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment found in solid tumors. We’re truly excited about this next-generation platform. Our lead program, TK-6302, embodies this “supercharged” approach, targeting a specific cancer antigen. We’re only weeks away from filing our clinical trial application, and we expect to initiate the first-in-human Atlas Phase I trial in the first half of next year.
VC Magazin: In 2020, you completed a Series A financing round worth 66 million euros, followed by a 110 million US dollar Series B in 2021. How do you expect T-knife’s financial strategy to evolve going forward?
Soloway: The biotech landscape has changed dramatically since our Series A in 2020. We’ve been fortunate to maintain a strong balance sheet and the backing of top-tier investors who continue to support our mission. Going forward, our strategy is to stay highly focused and capital-efficient. That means being disciplined in how we invest — both in infrastructure and in our R&D priorities. We’re ensuring that every dollar is aligned with reaching key clinical milestones and creating value inflection milestones. Our goal is to remain lean, agile, and well-positioned to fund our clinical development through the next several years.
VC Magazin: What have been your experiences in financing rounds with a mixed syndicate of US and European venture capital investors, and where do these investors complement each other ideally — and where not?
Soloway: Honestly, it has been an incredibly complementary relationship. Our transatlantic investor base is one of T-knife’s greatest strengths. Great science attracts great investors — and science today is global. Having both European and US investors has given us access to a broader network of expertise, capital, and opportunities than if we had been confined to one geography. It also mirrors the reality of modern biotech: innovation happens everywhere. Our US and European investors bring different but equally valuable perspectives — the European side often brings deep academic and scientific roots, while the US side tends to focus on scaling and commercialization strategies. Together, they make us stronger and more balanced.
VC Magazin: To what extent does your transatlantic presence influence strategic decisions?
Soloway: Our center of gravity remains in Berlin, and for good reason. Germany — and Berlin in particular — offers an exceptional ecosystem for immunology and cell therapy, with outstanding scientific talent, strong academic institutions, and rigorous regulatory standards. That’s where T-knife was born, out of the university system here, and where we continue to build on deep local relationships. We plan to conduct our early proof-of-concept studies in Germany and Europe, leveraging this network of scientific excellence, regulatory experience, and manufacturing capabilities. As our programs advance into later-stage and registrational trials, we will naturally expand into the United States, where we already have a growing presence — including a headquarter in San Francisco. This dual footprint gives us flexibility: the scientific foundation and credibility from Europe, and the commercial and capital access from the US.
VC Magazin: Thank you very much.
About:
Thomas Soloway, CEO of T-knife, has 25+ years in life sciences, with leadership in strategy, operations, finance, and venture capital.
