Centivax raises $45M in funding to launch first-ever universal flu vaccine to human trials

Centivax is betting big on ending the flu as we know it. The biotech startup just closed a $45 million Series A round to bring what it says could be the first universal flu vaccine into human trials. The raise was led by Steve Jurvetson’s Future Ventures, with backing from NFX, BOLD Capital, Base4, Kendall Capital Partners, Amplify Bio, and existing investors.

The company isn’t new to big bets. Since its founding in 2019, Centivax has pulled in $10 million in seed funding and secured $24 million in non-dilutive grants and awards from major players like the Gates Foundation, CEPI, the NIH, and various U.S. military agencies. That money helped fuel early R&D work. This new round is about getting to the real test: humans.

Backed by $45M Series A, Biotech Startup Centivax Moves Closer to Ending Flu As We Know It

Over the next eight months, Centivax plans to take its universal flu vaccine candidate through CMC development and into a Phase I clinical trial. The trial will use the gold-standard hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) assay to pit its shot head-to-head against traditional flu vaccines—testing protection across 20+ strains, including pandemic and mismatch types. In animal studies and human organoid models, the candidate showed broad protection, including against the much-feared H5N1 “bird flu.”

“This financing positions us to help the U.S. government meet its goal of a universal flu vaccine within five years—and extend our platform to other rapidly mutating threats,” said CEO and founder Dr. Jacob Glanville.

The company’s platform focuses on what it calls epitope-targeting: zeroing in on the weak spots in viruses that don’t mutate easily. That same approach is now being applied beyond flu—to RSV, HIV, malaria, oncology, and even snake venom.

Alongside the funding, Centivax announced that Dr. Emilio Emini has joined its board. He’s a well-known figure in vaccine R&D, having held senior leadership roles at Pfizer, Merck, and the Gates Medical Research Institute. “Centivax’s approach to universal immunity is unique and creative,” said Emini. “It has considerable potential for achieving what’s eluded the field for decades.”

Centivax founder and CEO: Dr. Jacob Glanville

The company’s leadership is stacked with vaccine veterans. Glanville himself was featured on Netflix, Fox, and CNN and previously sold his last startup, Distributed Bio, to Charles River in 2020. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jerald Sadoff helped lead the development of 14 approved vaccines, including Gardasil and J&J’s COVID-19 shot. CSO Dr. Sawsan Youssef helped push a cancer drug into the clinic during her time at Pfizer. Co-founder and Chief Business Officer Stephanie Wisner wrote a book on biotech and previously worked at ARCH Venture Partners.

Centivax’s first clinical candidate targets a market that sees over $7 billion in annual flu vaccine sales. But its ambitions don’t stop there. The company is already working on vaccine and therapeutic candidates for other tough diseases and hopes to build out a platform that can take on a wide range of fast-mutating pathogens—from viruses and bacteria to parasites and even chronic diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration.

With fresh cash, a seasoned team, and a clear shot at clinical trials, Centivax is stepping into a race that’s been ongoing for decades. This time, it thinks it might just win.

Centivax Team