Century Therapeutics was created by the investment firm Versant Ventures and has secured $250 million in total initial funding. The firm has partnered with Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI) to license the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) immune effector cell platform that will underlie Century’s investigational oncology therapies.

Century Therapeutics is the latest start-up to launch with plans to develop off-the-shelf cancer cell therapies, and it has gene editing tools, stem cell technology, and $250 million in financing to do it.

With Bayer’s venture arm providing $215m, Versant Ventures’ Century Therapeutics emerges with $250m and a plan to develop allogeneic stem cell therapies for various cancers, including solid tumors.

Century Therapeutics Inc. came out of stealth mode Monday with $250 million in funding commitments from lead investor Bayer AG, founding investor Versant Ventures and strategic partner Fujifilm Holdings Corp. to develop next-generation allogeneic cell therapies for cancer, based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

The financing, which was announced Monday, comes via the German pharma's venture investment arm Leaps by Bayer. Versant Ventures, Century's creator, and Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics will add another $35 million to bring Century's funding to $250 million.

Versant Ventures’ Century Therapeutics has exited stealth with $250 million to take allogeneic cell therapies into the clinic. Bayer’s VC wing led the investment with the support of Versant and Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI).

Company is developing cellular therapy treatments for cancer. Corporate and venture-capital investors are funneling $250 million into startup Century Therapeutics LLC to finance an effort to cure cancers through a new type of cellular therapy.

Look out Fate Therapeutics — Versant Ventures’ Century Therapeutics is lurking in the burgeoning field of off-the-shelf cell therapeutics that offer the promise of quicker, cheaper and potent cancer treatments. The Philadelphia-based biotech unveiled on Monday a meaty $250 million round of financing — led by Bayer’s venture arm — after Versant spawned it in 2018 to develop induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived products to fight cancer.

Looking to tap allogeneic iPS cells to address the shortcomings of CAR cell therapies, Bayer and Versant Ventures launched Century Therapeutics on Monday with $250 million in funding.