Salt Lake City, UT, June 2, 2026. NanoKar Therapeutics, an early-stage biotechnology company developing intracellular signaling optimization technology for CAR-T based cell therapies, has been awarded funding from the University of Utah Launchpad Seed Fund to support continued development of the company’s next generation CAR-T cell therapy platform.
The Launchpad Seed Fund, administered through the Utah Venture Hub at the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office, provides early-stage capital to promising startups emerging from the University ecosystem, helping accelerate development and commercialization.
“This selection reflects strong institutional confidence in both the science and the strategy behind NanoKar. Support from the University of Utah reinforces the potential of our platform and accelerates our efforts to generate meaningful translational data.”
Craig Mosman, J.D. · Chief Executive Officer
The technology originates in the laboratory of Matt Bettini, Ph.D., at the University of Utah, and NanoKar is advancing it with a focused, partnership-oriented strategy designed to enable integration into existing and next-generation CAR-T programs.
“The Launchpad Seed Fund supports innovations with strong potential for real-world impact. NanoKar represents a compelling example of how foundational research can be translated into technologies with meaningful clinical potential.”
Kyrsten Woolstenhulme · Senior Director of Venture Development, University of Utah Technology Licensing Office
The funding will support generation of translational validation data for the ITAM optimization platform, including studies characterizing CAR-T persistence and activity in solid tumor models, and will help prepare the platform for evaluation by potential development partners.
NanoKar’s proprietary ITAM optimization platform is designed to tune intracellular CAR signaling to improve persistence, reduce toxicity, and expand the potential for efficacy in solid tumors, the areas where current therapies have shown limited success. The platform is intended to integrate into existing and next-generation CAR architectures without requiring changes to antigen targeting, co-stimulation, or manufacturing workflows. Its pipeline includes programs across hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including CD19, HER2, GD2, Nectin4, EGFRvIII, and B7-H3-directed approaches.
About NanoKar Therapeutics
NanoKar Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation CAR-T cell therapies. Founded on breakthrough research from the University of Utah, NanoKar’s proprietary platform technology is designed to overcome the key limitations of current CAR-T therapies, including T-cell exhaustion and limited efficacy against solid tumors. The company is committed to advancing its platform through strategic partnerships and clinical development to bring transformative cell therapies to patients in need.
For more information, visit www.nanokartherapeutics.com.
Media Contact
NanoKar Therapeutics, Inc. craig@nanokartherapeutics.com