Telum Therapeutics Raises $19.2M to Fight Hospital Infections

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-01

A Spanish biotech company just scored a big win in the fight against some of the toughest infections out there. Telum Therapeutics, based in Spain, has closed a $19.2 million Series A round to push its lead drug toward human trials. This funding targets hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP) and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP) -- two conditions that are incredibly dangerous for patients already fighting for their lives. ### The Money Behind the Mission The round was led by the AMR Action Fund, a group that's all about tackling antimicrobial resistance. New investor Inveready also joined in, along with existing backers Invivo Partners, CDTI with its SICC Innvierte, Clave Capital, and Sodena. Dr. Subhendu Basu, CEO of Telum Therapeutics, shared his excitement: "We are delighted to welcome AMR Action Fund and Inveready as new investors. Their focus and expertise in antimicrobial resistance, plus continued support from our existing partners, reinforces our confidence in the APEX platform." ### A Bigger Picture: European Biotech Is Booming Telum's news doesn't stand alone. It's part of a wider wave of European biotech funding. Here are a few other notable rounds from this year: - **mbiomics** (Bavaria): Raised $32.1 million Series A for microbiome therapies - **Generare** (Paris): Closed a $21.4 million Series A for drug discovery data - **Helical** (London): Secured $9 million in seed funding for AI in pharma R&D - **Gate2Brain** (Barcelona): Raised $7.5 million for brain tumor treatments - **Avenue Biosciences** (Finland): Got $5.1 million seed extension for protein engineering All together, these five rounds plus Telum's add up to about $94.4 million in disclosed funding in 2026 across European biotech. ### What Telum Is Actually Doing Founded in 2019, Telum is going after *Acinetobacter baumannii*, a nasty multidrug-resistant bug. It's a Gram-negative pathogen that causes serious infections in hospitalized patients worldwide. Think of it as one of the toughest enemies in modern medicine. "This financing gives us a clear path to finish Phase 1 development for our lead program," Basu added. "It also lets us advance our broader pipeline against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens." The company's secret sauce is its proprietary APEX platform. It creates biologically derived, protein-based antimicrobials that could sidestep the weaknesses of traditional antibiotics. Dr. Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund, put it bluntly: "Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most formidable bacterial threats in modern medicine. It's clinically challenging, often resistant to first-line therapies, and progress has been slow." ### Why This Matters for You If you're in the startup or investment world, Telum's story is a great example of how European biotech is stepping up. The funding brings together international and Spanish life sciences investors, tech-focused funds, and public institutions. It's a model for how to tackle a global health crisis with smart money and bold science. For patients, the hope is real. These infections kill thousands every year because antibiotics just don't work anymore. Telum's approach could change that. ### What's Next? The AMR Action Fund's investment will push Telum's lead candidate through Phase 1 clinical trials. That means generating critical safety data to move toward larger studies. If you're tracking European startup funding, this is one to watch. The biotech space is heating up, and Telum is right at the center of it.