S

Shasqi

Targeted cancer therapy using click chemistry

Overview

Shasqi uses its CAPAC platform to activate cancer drugs directly at the tumor by pairing a tumor-targeting binder with a systemically administered protodrug, so the active drug forms mainly at the tumor site. Its lead asset combines a CEACAM5-targeting binder with an MMAE protodrug, and the platform is modular enough to handle chemotherapy or radiopharmaceutical payloads, as seen in SQ3370 with an intratumoral biopolymer and doxorubicin in early human studies. The approach separates targeting from activation to limit exposure of healthy tissue and extends to multiple payloads, including collaborations like the Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation program. The goal is to improve cancer outcomes by localizing drug activation at tumors and advancing the CAPAC platform toward clinical impact.

YC Company

Work here?Claim your company

About Shasqi

Simplify's Rating
Why Shasqi is rated
C+
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

BiotechnologyHealthcare

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$65.2M

Headquarters

San Francisco, CA

Founded

2015

Get referred to Shasqi

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's take

What believers are saying

  • NIH awarded $1.14M in August 2026 for CEACAM5-targeted chemotherapeutic activation.
  • Shasqi added Roger Dansey in November 2026, sharpening oncology development credibility.
  • Open ADME/PK and toxicology roles in 2026 signal active IND-enabling work.

What critics are saying

  • No announced equity financing since November 2021 leaves runway dependent on grants and partnerships.
  • NCT04106492 terminated in 2023; Shasqi still lacks a clear registrational clinical path.
  • If CEACAM5 and Johnson & Johnson programs stall, CAPAC becomes a science project, not a company.

What makes Shasqi unique

  • Shasqi pioneered first-in-human click chemistry oncology, publishing SQ3370 data in 2025.
  • CAPAC localizes activation at tumors, separating binder and payload to widen therapeutic index.
  • CEACAM5 and Topo1 NIH awards in 2025-2026 validate a modular, multi-payload platform.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Funding

Total Funding

$65.2M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

7 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$35M
$45M
$50M
$65M
$100M

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options
  • Home Office Stipend
  • Company Equity
  • Professional Development Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

3%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

3%
Tracxn
Mar 17th, 2026
Shasqi - Funding & investors.

Shasqi - Funding & investors. Last updated: March 17, 2026 Shasqi's funding rounds. Shasqi has raised a total of $60M over 11 funding rounds: 1 Seed, 2 Early-Stage and 8 Grant (prize money) round s. Shasqi's largest funding round so far was a Series B round for $***** in Nov 2021. Here is the list of all funding rounds of Shasqi: | Date of Funding | Funding Amount | Round Name | Post-Money Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Lead Investors | Other Investors | | Sep 06, 2024 | 2750030 | Grant (prize money) | 4194622 | 4195538 | 5713887 | 8696140 | | Sep 01, 2023 | 3393176 | Grant (prize money) | 5418205 | 9043238 | 3592703 | HHS | | Dec 08, 2021 | 5743177 | Grant (prize money) | 8538904 | 6101996 | 4085788 | National Cancer Institute | | Nov 11, 2021 | 5988582 | Series B | 5737698 | 2342621 | 3215134 | Bill Rieflin | | Sep 16, 2021 | 3705629 | Grant (prize money) | 1334157 | 1950403 | 7256795 | HHS | | Apr 27, 2021 | 6917293 | 823183 | 6481066 | 3557384 | 1807102 | 7440397 | | Apr 01, 2021 | 8188633 | 848533 | 2038637 | 5417071 | 2918478 | 4175337 | | Oct 31, 2019 | 5001812 | 456832 | 5959342 | 4698135 | 2809778 | 8683357 | | Apr 01, 2017 | 3053491 | 479762 | 1802011 | 7379024 | 9628442 | 9119013 | | Jan 01, 2016 | 5281867 | 355739 | 8541574 | 8609781 | 6987622 | 3871008 | | 2015 | 4173 | 63 | 1957 | 6934 | 8673 | 5123 | Shasqi's investors. Shasqi has total 8 investor s, 6 are institutional investors including Y Combinator and 5 others, Shasqi has 2 Angel investors including Bill Rieflin and Juan Jaen. Here is the list of institutional investors of Shasqi: * National Cancer Institute, located in Bethesda (United States), made their first investment in Shasqi on Dec 08, 2021 in its Grant (prize money) round. * HHS, located in Washington, DC (United States), made their first investment in Shasqi on Sep 16, 2021 in its Grant (prize money) round. Are you a Founder? FAQs about Shasqi's funding and investors. Shasqi has raised a total of $60M over 11 rounds. Shasqi's largest funding round was a Series B round held on Nov 11, 2021 for $*****. * 8 Grant (prize money) rounds * 2 Early-Stage rounds * 1 Seed round Shasqi has a total of 8 investors. 6 are Institutional investors and 2 are Angel investors. Explore latest companies that raised funding recently * Athler - raised a funding of $6.69M in Series B round held on Mar 17, 2026. * SmartSolar - raised a funding of $1.3M in Conventional Debt round held on Mar 17, 2026. * Sequential Bio - raised a funding of $3.5M in Series A round held on Mar 17, 2026. * Bamboobox - raised a funding of $6.6M in Series A round held on Mar 17, 2026. * thezoomiesstore.in - raised a funding of $541K in Seed round held on Mar 17, 2026.

PR Newswire
Jan 8th, 2025
Shasqi To Present At 43Rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Shasqi, Inc. ("Shasqi") a biotech company whose mission is to make cancer drugs more effective with click chemistry, today announced that Founder and Chief Executive Officer José M. Mejía Oneto, MD, PhD, will present at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Thursday January 16th at 11:00am Pacific Time / 2:00pm Eastern time in conference hall Elizabethan C.Dr. Mejía Oneto will be sharing emerging data from Shasqi's novel Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC®) technology, a pre-targeting approach that separates the binder from the payload and reunites them at the tumor using in vivo click chemistry."We are honored to present at this year's J.P

PR Newswire
Apr 5th, 2024
Shasqi To Present Data On Novel Tumor-Targeted Drug Activation Technology At 2024 American Association For Cancer Research (Aacr) Annual Meeting

SAN FRANCISCO, April 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shasqi, Inc. ("Shasqi"), a biotech company whose mission is to make cancer drugs more effective with click chemistry, today announced it will present five posters on the company's novel tumor-targeted drug activation approach at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, April 5-10, 2024.The posters will describe data generated with Shasqi's CAPAC® (Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer) approach. CAPAC uses 2022 Nobel Prize winning technology, click chemistry, to selectively activate high doses of cancer drugs directly at the tumor, minimizing toxicity to healthy cells and potentially improving the therapeutic index by dramatically altering the exposure. This approach overcomes many limitations of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)."We are looking forward to sharing new data from the Shasqi pipeline at AACR," said Shasqi Vice President of Research, Travis Biechele, Ph.D. "It is exciting to see data showing that we can effectively activate cancer drugs at the tumor using antigen-bound activators, resulting in sustained tumor regression."Shasqi is advancing a pipeline of assets based on validated targets and payloads. The posters presented at the AACR meeting will show preclinical efficacy and safety data for assets targeting HER2, TROP2, and NECTIN-4, each paired with either an MMAE or exatecan payload.PresentationsAbstracts are available and can be viewed on the AACR website.Monday, April 8 between 9 AM - 12:30 PM PSTClick chemistry enabled selective activation of highly cytotoxic MMAE payload at tumors using TROP2 targeting agentLead Author: George Coricor, Ph.D.Poster Section 28, Poster Board: 13Wednesday, April 10 between 9 AM - 12:30 PM PSTTumor targeted activation of an attenuated exatecan protodrug through Click Chemistry demonstrates efficacy in murine tumor studiesLead Author: Sangeetha Srinivasan , Ph.D., Ph.D

PR Newswire
Jan 4th, 2024
Shasqi Expands Board of Directors with Appointment of Biopharma Executives

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Shasqi, Inc. ("Shasqi") a biotech company whose mission is to make cancer drugs more effective with click chemistry, today announced the expansion of its board with the appointment of Pamela M. Klein, M.D., and Mark McCamish M.D., Ph.D.

Ochre Digi Media Pvt Ltd.
Oct 5th, 2023
Shasqi's Plans for Expanding Ongoing Research Collaboration to Enhance Targeted Cancer Treatment

Shasqi, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a mission to enhance the efficacy of cancer drugs through click chemistry, has recently announced the expansion of its ongoing research collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc.

Recently Posted Jobs

Sign up to get curated job recommendations

There are no jobs for Shasqi right now.

Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today

We update Shasqi's jobs every few hours, so check again soon!Browse all jobs