The Tubulis success story

Contact persons

Dr. Petra Burgstaller

Co-Lead Venture Creation & MAxL

Christina Enke-Stolle

Co-Lead Venture Creation & MAxL

Funded by:

Tubulis – from the m4 Award to international biotech success

From the BioM Bootcamp and the m4 Award to an acquisition by Gilead Sciences for up to USD 5 billion: The journey of Tubulis demonstrates how excellent research can evolve into an internationally successful biotechnology company.

From research to company formation

The success story began in 2015, when the team participated in the BioM Bootcamp. There, the researchers further developed their scientific idea from an entrepreneurial perspective. In 2017, the project won the m4 Award, coordinated by BioM, receiving EUR 500,000 in funding to advance its approach to novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), designed to deliver highly potent therapeutics directly to tumor cells.

In 2019, Tubulis was founded as a spin-off from LMU Munich and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie in Berlin.

Growth through strong funding

A period of impressive growth followed: In 2020, Tubulis raised EUR 10.7 million in a Series A financing, followed by another EUR 60 million in a Series B in 2022. In March 2024, the company raised EUR 128 million in a Series B2 financing to advance the clinical development of its ADC pipeline.

In 2025, Tubulis set a new record with its Series C. Following an initial closing of EUR 308 million, the round was expanded to a total of EUR 344 million – the largest Series C financing ever raised by a European biotechnology company.

From start-up to global success

The company reached another major milestone in 2026, when Gilead Sciences acquired Tubulis for up to EUR 5 billion. The Tubulis team will continue to be based in Munich, Germany, establishing The Tubulis ADC Innovation Center, continue advancing the development of next-generation ADC technologies.

The story of Tubulis demonstrates how early-stage funding can accelerate the translation of scientific innovation into a successful company – from the m4 Award to global biotech success.

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