About Gracell
Gracell is a Healthcare company based in Shanghai (China) founded in 2017 by Wei Cao, and was acquired by Astrazeneca in December 2023. Gracell is focused on developing innovative CAR-T cell therapies. It operates on a HealthTech model. Gracell has raised $195.17 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Astrazeneca, Orbimed and Temasek. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Wei Cao. Gracell offers products and services including FasTCAR, TruUCAR, and SMART CART. Its focus areas include Biotechnology and Cell Therapy. Its legal entity is GRACELL BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Company details
Gracell is engaged in the discovery and development of cell therapies targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company operates in the biopharmaceutical sector, utilizing proprietary platforms such as FasTCAR, TruUCAR, and SMART CART to create next-generation CAR-T therapies. Solutions are designed to address industry challenges, improve accessibility, and provide effective treatments through advanced manufacturing and technology modules.
- Headquarters Shanghai, China
- Founders Wei Cao
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsHealthcare
- Website gracellbio.com
- Acquired by Astrazeneca (Dec 2023)
- Legal Name Gracell Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Total Equity Funding$195.17M (USD)
in 4 rounds
- InvestorsAstrazeneca
& 15 more
- Acquired byAstrazeneca
(Dec 2023)
Products & Services of Gracell
Gracell offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including FasTCAR, TruUCAR, and SMART CART.
Next-day manufacturing is used for enhanced CAR-T cells.
Off-the-shelf therapies are developed for wider patient access.
Enhanced molecules are designed for solid tumor challenges.
Funding Insights of Gracell
Gracell has successfully raised a total of $195.17M across 4 strategic funding rounds. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $195.17M
- Total Rounds 4
- First Round $10.17M
(Sep 2018)
- Investors Count 15
All 4 funding rounds of Gracell with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | Post-IPO | – | – | ||
| Oct 2020 | $100M | Series C | – | Wellington, Orbimed | |
| Feb 2019 | $85M | Series B | – | Temasek, Lilly Asia Ventures | – |
| Sep 2018 | $10.17M | Series A | – | Lilly Asia Ventures, 6 Dimensions Capital | – |
16 investors in total: 16 institutional.
Investors in Gracell
Gracell has secured backing from 16 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Astrazeneca, Orbimed and Temasek.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Venture capital and private equity firm | vivocapital.com | Palo Alto, United States | ||
Exome Asset Management is focused on healthcare industry investments. | 2018 | exomeasset.com | New York, United States | |
Multiple sectors are targeted for venture capital investments. | 1934 | janushenderson.com | London, United Kingdom | |
Private equity fund focused on the biotechnology sector | logoscapital.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
Investments are made by OrbiMed in global healthcare innovations across biopharmaceuticals and related fields. | 1989 | orbimed.com | New York, United States | |
Corporate backed venture capital firm investing in life sciences sector | nanfunglifesciences.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
| tcgcrossover.com | ||||
Multiple sectors are invested in by Morningside, a VC fund. | morningside.com | Newton, United States | ||
An investment platform is provided for diverse sectors and geographies. | 1974 | temasek.com.sg | Singapore, Singapore | |
Life-Sciences focused early and growth stage VC firm funding companies in China & the US | 6dimensionscapital.com | Pudong, China |
Investor details for Gracell
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Gracell
1 people are tracked at Gracell (1 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Wei Cao | Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Gracell
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
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- Team structure
- Board tenure
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Timeline of Gracell
5 dated milestones of Gracell across 6 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Gracell is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $10.2M.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Funding Latest funding round, Post-IPO,.
- Exit Acquired by Astrazeneca.
Web traffic of Gracell
Websites that share an audience with Gracell (gracellbio.com).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Gracell. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| astrazeneca.com.cn | 100% | #6,860,486 | View details |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Gracell
Gracell was founded in 2017 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Gracell is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
Wei Cao is the CEO of Gracell, as recorded in our data. They have also founded this company.
Gracell is a funded company, having raised a total of $195.17M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $10.17M, raised on Sep 2018.
Gracell is engaged in the discovery and development of cell therapies targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company operates in the biopharmaceutical sector, utilizing proprietary platforms such as FasTCAR, TruUCAR, and SMART CART to create next-generation CAR-T therapies. Solutions are designed to address industry challenges, improve accessibility, and provide effective treatments through advanced manufacturing and technology modules.
Gracell offers FasTCAR, TruUCAR, and SMART CART.
Gracell has 16 investors. Key investors include Astrazeneca, Orbimed, Temasek, Janus Henderson Investors, and RA Capital.
Gracell operates through Gracell Biopharmaceuticals, Inc..
Yes. Gracell was acquired by Astrazeneca in December 2023.