BrainChild secures $116M to advance CAR-T therapies for rare pediatric brain tumors

BrainChild Bio, a Seattle‑based biotech spun out of Seattle Children’s Hospital, announced it has raised $116 million in venture financing. The capital will fund the development of its CAR‑T cell therapies aimed at treating rare brain cancers that affect children.

The company is focusing on CAR‑T approaches, a type of immunotherapy that reprograms a patient’s own immune cells to target cancer. While several CAR‑T products are approved for blood cancers, few have been tested against solid tumors in the brain, a challenge BrainChild says it is working to overcome.

Its lead candidate has entered mid‑stage (Phase 2) clinical testing, marking a significant milestone for a pediatric‑focused biotech in a market traditionally dominated by adult oncology. The funding round underscores investor confidence in the potential of cell‑based therapies for these underserved cancers.