Pioneer Group, a specialist in life science infrastructure and venture building, and global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, have crowned Alceus Bio the winner of their 2025 Golden Ticket programme.
The initiative is designed to support breakthrough scientific discovery with the potential to advance human health and accelerate companies developing novel, transformational therapies and innovations for immunology, oncology, neurology, eye care, aesthetics, or other specialities including obesity, GI and hepatology.
All applications were reviewed by the AbbVie and Pioneer Group selection committee, with shortlisted candidates invited to a pitching event. Following a competitive selection process, Alceus Bio, a developer of synthetic chimeric antigen receptor T-lymphocyte therapies for solid malignancies, was selected as the winner of the 2025 Golden Ticket.
Founded in 2024 by Alexander Evans, CEO, Alberto Conti, CSO, and Rahul Roychoudhuri, CTO, Alceus Bio is advancing next-generation engineered T-cell platforms for treatment-refractory tumours. It is pioneering a first-in-class multimodal CAR-T architecture designed to engage solid tumours through multiple coordinated mechanisms to mitigate resistance and improve therapeutic efficacy.
The Golden Ticket provides a significant package of support designed to accelerate the winner’s growth and development. As winner, Alceus Bio will unlock the following opportunities:
- Grant funding from AbbVie
- 12-months rent-free incubation space at one of Pioneer’s state-of-the-art facilities
- Exclusive access to the Pioneer ecosystem – an inspiring community dedicated to advancing visionary ventures
- Tailored support from Pioneer’s Venture Development and Investment teams and AbbVie’s scientific and business executives
- Specialist business coaching from the Pioneer Expert Network
- Access to site events and socials, with opportunities to learn from industry leaders and expand the company’s network within the broader ecosystem
Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi, Head of Ventures at Pioneer Group, said: “We are delighted to announce Alceus Bio as the recipient of this year’s Golden Ticket – a programme that exists to support innovative companies working to develop the next generation of therapies that can improve human health. The business demonstrated a high level of innovation and ambition in its approach to disrupting the root drivers of cancer. As winner of the Golden Ticket, Alceus Bio will benefit from AbbVie’s scientific expertise, alongside funding, and Pioneer’s specialist support and incubation space to help accelerate their progress.”
Alexander Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Alceus Bio, said: “We are honoured to be selected as winners of the Golden Ticket among so many outstanding applicants. This award offers Alceus an exceptional opportunity to access support and guidance from the teams at AbbVie and Pioneer. We are excited to collaborate with both groups as we continue to advance our immune cell programming platform to unlock the full potential of AI-enabled peptide design.”
Steve Hopkinson, Vice President and General Manager, AbbVie UK, said:”We are delighted to award this exciting opportunity to Alceus Bio. AbbVie is committed to pushing the boundaries of science to tackle patients’ most challenging health issues. We look forward to collaborating with Alceus Bio to help advance its innovative technology, which has the potential to elevate the future outcomes for people affected by cancer.”
Science Minister and Oxford-to-Cambridge Corridor Growth Champion, Lord Vallance, said: “Congratulations to Alceus Bio. This win is recognition not just for their work, but for the vast potential for so many of the UK’s life sciences innovators to build their ideas into thriving businesses and health breakthroughs.
“It’s also a vote of confidence in the strength of Cambridge’s life sciences cluster – something which we want to propel to even greater heights, as an engine for growth for the entire nation.”
For more information, visit www.thepioneergroup.com
