Yellowstone Biosciences

Founded
2024
Founder
Professor Paresh Vyas
Shareholding
61%
Stage
Pre-clinical
No. of employees
20+
Raised in Series A financing
£16.5m

Unless stated all financials at 31 March 2025.

YellowStone website

Yellowstone is pioneering soluble T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies to unlock a new class of cancer therapeutics.

Yellowstone has been spun out from the University of Oxford with the support of Oxford University Innovation (OUI) and is built around the pioneering work of renowned academic clinician, Prof. Paresh Vyas, Professor of Haematology Deputy Director of MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Yellowstone has proprietary access to a biobank of over 10,000 samples from over 3,000 AML patients, which includes patients that received allogeneic stem cell transplantation. A small number of the 3,000 patients were cured by bone marrow transplantation whilst, unusually, avoiding any donor immune-related toxicity against healthy tissues. Work from Professor Vyas’s laboratory at the University of Oxford, through the study of this unique cohort of cured patients, has identified a set of frequently expressed antigens belonging to a novel target class that has been poorly explored to date. Targeting these antigens, and others in their class, has the potential to extend life and possibly cure patients from cancer by killing the tumorous cells whilst minimising harming healthy cells.

Leveraging this unique biobank and world-class protein engineering capabilities, Yellowstone is advancing its lead programme in AML, with pipeline potential across a range of other common cancers including ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer, prostrate cancer and melanoma.

Syncona added Yellowstone to the portfolio by committing £16.5 million to the company in a Series A financing in March 2024. The company subsequently launched with an experienced and industry-leading team, including Prof. Vyas as CSO, Julian Hirst as CFO, who has over 20 years of financial experience, and Neil Johnston as Executive Chair, who spent 17 years at Novartis, most recently as global Head of BD&L and member of the Novartis Pharma Executive Committee.

Syncona team

Chris Hollowood

Chris Hollowood

Chris is the Chief Executive Officer of Syncona Investment Management Ltd. He has been instrumental in the foundation and development of Syncona's gene therapy strategy, where it has founded companies focused on the eye, the liver, the kidney, and central nervous system. He is Chairman of Spur, and is a Board member of Beacon and Yellowstone. He was also previously Chairman of Purespring and retin…
View Chris' biography
Position
Board member
Qualification
PhD
Gonzalo Garcia

Gonzalo Garcia

Gonzalo is a Principal of Syncona Investment Management Limited. Gonzalo is a Director on the Board of Yellowstone Biosciences and Resolution Therapeutics. He was closely involved in the foundation of both companies, including their strategic and operational set-up, through hands-on membership of their founding leadership teams. Previously, Gonzalo was a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group w…
View Gonzalo's biography
Position
Board member
Qualification
PhD
Raghd Rostom

Raghd Rostom

Raghd is a Senior Associate of Syncona Investment Management Limited. Raghd is a Director on the Board of Kesmalea Therapeutics and an Observer on the Board of Yellowstone Biosciences. She was closely involved in the foundation of both companies, including their strategic and operational set-up. Previously, Raghd was a core member of the healthcare practice at the Boston Consulting Group, with a p…
View Raghd's biography
Position
Board Observer

Yellowstone Biosciences leaders and founders

Professor Paresh Vyas

Professor Paresh Vyas

Co-Founder and CSO
Julian Hirst

Julian Hirst

Co-founder and CFO

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