May 8, 2025, 00:44

Curebound Catalyst Grants 2025: $250K for Early-Stage Cancer Innovation

Curebound is now accepting Letters of Intent for its 2025 Catalyst Grants, offering up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding to support early-stage companies advancing transformative research in cancer prevention, detection, or treatment. These grants aim to accelerate translational innovations from concept to clinic, with the opportunity for follow-on funding.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must:

Be the Team Leader (PI) at an early-stage small business (<5 years old)
Have >51% employment at a San Diego County-based company
Lead a company that is pre-Series A
Reside in San Diego County and be available throughout the project
Submit only one LOI per Team Leader

Funding at a glance:

250,000 USD for Year 1
Eligible for up to 250,000 USD in Year 2 (based on progress and proposal)
Funds may cover PI salary (NIH cap), personnel, supplies, reagents, CRO services, and capital equipment (case-by-case)
Indirect costs, rent, travel, subcontract fees, and infrastructure unrelated to research are not allowed

Research focus:

Projects must align with at least one of Curebound’s five strategic research pillars:

Prevention + Diagnostic Tools
Cancer Equities
Novel Therapeutics + Platforms
Immunotherapies + Personalized Vaccines
Pediatric Cancers

Priority is given to innovations that demonstrate near-term commercial and clinical impact. Projects must address unmet needs, show competitive differentiation, and be scalable for commercialization.

Key deadlines:

Letter of Intent Due: May 5, 2025 (5 PM PDT)
Invitation to Apply: June 17, 2025
Full Proposal Due: July 29, 2025 (5 PM PDT)
Award Notification: December 2025
Start Date: January 1, 2026

Where to apply:

Apply via ProposalCentral. Applicants must include a company pitch deck, biosketches, and financial statements in the LOI.

Contact:

Program: [email protected]
Tech support: [email protected] | 1-800-875-2562

Catalyst Grants provide early-stage biotech companies with the resources, community engagement, and exposure needed to make lasting impact in the cancer care ecosystem.

cancer cancer commercialization cancer innovation Cancer Prevention cancer research funding Catalyst Grants Curebound Diagnostics early-stage biotech immunotherapy OncoDaily Pediatric cancer proposalCENTRAL San Diego startups Translational Oncology

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