Centivax announced it has raised an oversubscribed $45 million Series A round, led by Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures, known for backing Tesla and SpaceX. The round also drew participation from NFX, BOLD Capital Partners, Kendall Capital Partners, Amplify Partners, Base4 Capital, and others, with existing investors increasing their stakes.
The funding comes as Centivax prepares to move its universal flu vaccine candidate into a Phase I clinical trial within eight months. The trial will assess safety and efficacy compared to current flu vaccines by testing against more than 20 flu strains, including the 2024–2025 circulating and pandemic strains.
Centivax’s platform focuses on engineering vaccines and therapies that protect against highly diverse, fast-mutating pathogens. The company has already demonstrated its technology’s ability to induce broad immunity in preclinical studies across animals and human immune organoids.
Lead investor Steve Jurvetson noted: "I have been on a quest to find a credible antiviral breakthrough for over 20 years… Centivax has developed a universal shot for all forms of flu, and they have already demonstrated their universal immunity platforms in other areas, including universal antivenom."
The newly raised funds will primarily support the clinical development of Centivax’s first universal flu vaccine, including manufacturing and regulatory milestones to reach its Phase I trial. According to Dr. Jerald Sadoff, Chief Medical Officer, the study will show how Centivax’s approach “directs the immune system to focus on regions of pathogens that do not change across strains.”
Beyond influenza, Centivax plans to expand its pipeline of universal vaccines and therapies to target RSV/hMPV, herpesviruses, HIV, malaria, oncology, and antivenom—all areas where its epitope-focusing platform shows promise.
Founded by Dr. Jacob Glanville, former CEO of Distributed Bio, Centivax is helmed by a seasoned leadership team. Dr. Sadoff, known for bringing vaccines like Gardasil® and Zostavax™ to market, serves as CMO, while Dr. Sawsan Youssef is Chief Scientific Officer. Other key figures include co-founder and Chief Business Officer Stephanie Wisner, author and former venture investor, and a group of experienced scientists and operators.
Centivax’s approach has been featured in The New Yorker, Netflix’s Pandemic, and major scientific journals. CEO Glanville said: "Universal vaccines won't just be safer, more reliable, and more convenient medicine—their commercialization will end the pandemic era."
In addition to the Series A investors, Dr. Emilio Emini, a former CEO of the Gates Medical Research Institute and senior leader at Pfizer and Merck, has joined Centivax’s board.
The company has also secured $24 million in non-dilutive funding, including a $2 million “Grand Challenge: End the Pandemic Threat” grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and support from CEPI, NIH, and the U.S. military research programs.
Stephanie Wisner added: "This funding carries us through first-in-human studies—a value-inflection point that will catalyze the next phase of growth for Centivax and move the first universal flu vaccine one step closer to market."
