Wa’ed Ventures, the $500 million venture capital fund backed by Saudi Aramco, has led a $10 million pre-Series A round in Kure Cells, a biotechnology company based in the United States. The investment supports the company’s mission to transform manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. This is making advanced cancer treatments faster, more scalable, and more affordable.
What is Kure Cells?
Founded by Dr. David Wald and Dr. Sayer Alfuraydi, Kure Cells is pioneering rapid-manufacturing solutions for CAR-T and other gene-modified cell therapies. Its proprietary Ultra-Fast CAR (UF-CAR) platform enables the engineering of patient T-cells in less than 24 hours. This is very fast compared to the traditional multi-week process. This innovation could redefine how immune-based therapies are delivered globally.
Transforming the Future of Cell Therapy
CAR-T therapy is a groundbreaking cancer treatment that modifies a patient’s immune cells to identify and eliminate cancer. However, conventional production methods are complex, costly, and time-consuming. Kure’s UF-CAR platform directly tackles these barriers by:
- Reducing manufacturing time from several weeks to a single day.
- Lowering production costs to a fraction of conventional methods.
- Improving patient outcomes through healthier and more durable T-cells.
- Simplifying scalability with an automated closed-system process.
Kure’s lead candidate, UF-KURE19, has achieved an 88 percent complete response rate among patients. This is both with relapsed or unresponsive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, alongside fewer side effects. This outcome underscores the platform’s clinical potential in improving cancer therapy access and results.
A Strategic Partnership for Saudi Arabia’s Biotech Ecosystem
The new funding will help Kure expand into Saudi Arabia, establishing local R&D and manufacturing operations. These efforts align with national initiatives led by the Ministry of Investment (MISA) and the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) to build a globally competitive biotech ecosystem.
Key goals include:
- Creating local R&D and production facilities for advanced cell therapies.
- Collaborating with Saudi scientists and clinicians to adapt the UF-CAR platform to local needs.
- Developing specialized biotech talent through knowledge transfer and training programs.
- Accelerating clinical translation of cutting-edge therapies within the Kingdom.
Anas Algahtani, Acting CEO of Wa’ed Ventures, commented, “Partnering with Kure Cells is a vital step in localizing breakthrough biotech innovation. Their ultra-fast cell therapy platform compresses timelines, reduces costs, and enhances patient access while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s growing biotech ecosystem.”
Dr. David Wald, Co-Founder and CEO of Kure Cells, added, “This partnership enables us to bring next-generation CAR-T therapies to new regions. Our goal is to deliver rapid, safe, and cost-effective treatments that can be manufactured locally to serve patients everywhere.”
Powering Global Biotech Innovation
The collaboration between Wa’ed Ventures and Kure Cells reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader vision to attract world-class biotech firms and build an innovation-driven economy. As the global cell and gene therapy market heads toward a projected $100 billion valuation by 2030, Kure’s rapid-manufacturing platform could become a cornerstone in the Kingdom’s journey toward medical and scientific leadership.