Synthekine
Synthekine develops engineered cytokine therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, with lead programs showing preclinical promise. The biotech has raised $290M, including a Series C in January 2023, and employs 56 people.
The growth story
Synthekine grew from 50 to 56 employees between 2021 and 2026, raising $290M along the way, most recently a Series C in January 2023.
About
Synthekine engineers cytokine proteins to create targeted treatments for cancer and autoimmune conditions. Its approach focuses on partial agonism and immunological specificity to balance safety and efficacy, with preclinical data supporting its lead programs.
The company has raised $290M since its 2018 founding, including a Series C in early 2023 led by investors like Deerfield and Lilly Asia Ventures. With 56 employees, Synthekine is advancing multiple cytokine partial agonists that modulate immune pathways.
Founders and leadership
Research dominates Synthekine's organization, with 18 employees focused on discovery and development. The company is led by a team with deep biotech experience, though specific leadership details are not provided.
The Synthekine org chart
Debanjan Ray (Chief Executive Officer) leads 32 mapped leaders with 7 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Research 16 (-38% YoY), Business Development 8 (-11% YoY), Information Technology 6 (0% YoY), Operations 4 (-43% YoY), Legal 3 (+50% YoY).
Talent flow
Synthekine draws heavily from major biopharma companies, with Genentech, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Gilead Sciences among its top talent sources. Alumni have moved to companies like Vaxcyte, Merck, and AbbVie, with a median tenure of 3 years.
Most common previous employers of Synthekine staff: Genentech (6), Stanford University (4), Bristol Myers Squibb (3), Gilead Sciences (3), Life Technologies (3), University of California, San Francisco (3). Former Synthekine employees most often moved to Vaxcyte (3), Merck (2), Earli (2), AbbVie (2), GondolaBio (1), Hexagon Bio (1).
Alumni worth knowing
Web traffic
Traffic mix: 0% direct, 0% search, 0% social, 0% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Synthekine: Biotechnology (23), Project Management (22), Microsoft Office (21), Data Analysis (20), Assay Development (20), Cell Culture (18), Life Sciences (17), Molecular Biology (17).
Where the team actually sits
Synthekine people are concentrated in California, United States (30), San Francisco Bay Area (18), United States (3), Pennsylvania, United States (1).
Search footprint
Synthekine attracts about 157 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $0K a month if bought through ads. It gained 22 ranking keywords and lost 15 in the last period.
What employees say
- Compensation
- 3.30 / 5
- Career opportunities
- 3.40 / 5
- Senior management
- 2.80 / 5
- Work-life balance
- 3.40 / 5
Frequently asked
Synthekine has 56 employees as of September 2026.
Synthekine has raised $290M in total, most recently a Series C round in January 2023.
Debanjan Ray (Chief Executive Officer) sits at the top of Synthekine's reporting structure, with 7 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Synthekine staff are Genentech (6 people), Stanford University (4 people), Bristol Myers Squibb (3 people).
Former Synthekine employees most often move to Vaxcyte (3), Merck (2), Earli (2).
Synthekine attracts about 157 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $0K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Synthekine staff are Biotechnology, Project Management, Microsoft Office, Data Analysis, Assay Development.
Synthekine staff are concentrated in California, United States (30), San Francisco Bay Area (18), United States (3).
Synthekine has about 16 people in Research, down 38% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Synthekine has about 8 people in Business Development, down 11% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 54 current and 87 former Synthekine profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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