About
Tacalyx was founded in 2019 to make tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens druggable. In April 2026 it selected its first clinical candidate.
01Our story
Tacalyx spun out of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam in 2019, based on the work of Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger and Dr. Oren Moscovitz. Their chemistry makes ultra-pure, complex tumor glycans in useful amounts, and with them antibodies against targets the immune system barely reacts to.
A €7 million seed round co-led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Kurma Partners launched the company. Thuja Capital led an extension to over €14 million in 2024. By then Tacalyx had built a pipeline of seven projects in its Berlin-Adlershof labs. The data followed at AACR in 2024, 2025 and 2026: TCX-201 as an ADC, TCX-101 as a T-cell engager. In April 2026 Tacalyx selected TCX-201 as its first clinical candidate and secured €11 million in the first closing of a further seed extension.
Jean Engela became CEO in December 2025; co-founder Peter Sondermann continues as CSO. Scientific and clinical advisory boards support the move toward a clinical trial application for TCX-201, planned for 2027.
02Leadership
Chief Executive Officer
CEO since December 2025, with more than two decades in drug research and development. Previously CEO of the ADC company NBE Therapeutics and Executive Drug Development Leader at Boehringer Ingelheim, overseeing global oncology and immunology programmes, including multi-specific antibodies and T-cell engagers, and leading NBE's integration into Boehringer Ingelheim R&D.
Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder
Co-founded Tacalyx in 2019 and led it as CEO until December 2025; now focuses on research strategy as CSO. Previously CSO and CEO of SuppreMol (acquired by Baxter in 2015) and Head of Process Biochemistry at Glycart (acquired by Roche in 2005). PhD in chemistry from the University of Bielefeld, later group leader for structural immunology at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry.
LinkedIn profile of Peter Sondermann, PhD
Head of Experimental Medicine
More than 20 years in oncology and early drug development, including global roles at Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim, with several programmes taken into Phase 1. Adjunct professor of experimental medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
LinkedIn profile of Prof. Matthias Ocker, MD
Head of Finance & Administration
More than 20 years in finance in medtech and biotech, including Jerini, JPT Peptide Technologies and Humedics: equity and debt financings and the sale of Humedics to ABL.
LinkedIn profile of Kajo Wiest03Founders
Scientific co-founder · Director, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Glycoscientist and director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam. His group's synthetic glycan chemistry gives Tacalyx access to pure, defined TACA structures in useful amounts.
Scientific co-founder · Group leader, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Glycobiologist and glyco-oncologist. His group develops nanobodies against the sugar patterns of cancer cells, work recognized with the Max Planck Society's Hermann Neuhaus Prize in 2024.
Co-founder · Chief Scientific Officer
Antibody developer who built Tacalyx's platform and pipeline as CEO from 2019 to 2025.
04Team
Cell biology, antibody generation, protein biochemistry and glycobiology under one roof in Adlershof.
Join the team
Head of Cell Biology
Head of Antibody and Protein Biochemistry
Scientist, Antibody Generation
Scientist, Cell-Based Assays
Scientist, Glycobiology
Research Laboratory Technician
Office Manager
05Governance
Chairman of the Board
coparion
Thuja Capital
High-Tech Gründerfonds
Max-Planck-Innovation
Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund
Kurma Partners
Creathor Ventures
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
06Investors
Corporate venture fund of Boehringer Ingelheim
European life-science venture investor
German seed-stage investor
German venture capital fund
European investment group
Early-stage technology and life-science investor
Dutch life-science venture fund
07Location
Tacalyx works from Magnusstraße 11 in Adlershof, one of Berlin's science hubs, next to university institutes, research centers and other biotech companies.
Address and directions