Exogene, a techbio start-up developing T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies for the treatment of cancer, has taken 797 sq ft (74 sq m) R&D laboratory space and co-working in Barclays Eagle Labs at our Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington.
Co-founded by Federico Paoletti and Andrea Mambrini, Exogene uses deep learning to accelerate the discovery of innovative TCR-based therapies to eradicate solid tumours.
The company’s proprietary technology combines its generative AI platform, biophysical simulations, and high-throughput TCR screening in the lab to identify therapeutically relevant TCRs and develop next generation cancer treatments. Exogene is currently advancing a first drug candidate targeting non-small cell lung cancer.
The company has graduated from the BioEscalator, the University of Oxford’s biomedical incubator at nearby Old Road Campus, to the Wood Centre for Innovation as part of the Exogene’s next growth phase as it expands its team and research capabilities.
Exogene is one of six early-stage companies based at the Wood Centre for Innovation, which includes DJS Antibodies, Helio Display Materials, Jack Fertility, Lumai, and PicturaBio.
Federico Paoletti, chief executive officer and co-founder, Exogene said: “The Wood Centre for Innovation provides an ideal environment for our next stage of growth. The combination of cutting-edge lab facilities and a collaborative innovation community will enable us to accelerate our research into new TCR-based therapies and bring transformative treatments to patients.”
Steve Burgess, chief executive officer, The Oxford Trust added: “We warmly welcome Exogene to our innovation community at the Wood Centre for Innovation. Their cancer research is remarkable and their growth ambitions a credit to them. We are delighted they are joining our thriving community. With R&D lab and office space in a beautiful woodland setting right in the heart of the Headington Science Cluster, our centre is now home to six pioneering companies driving breakthroughs in biotech and deeptech, driving positive change.”
The Trust’ has invested £7 million to build its new Aspen Building at the Wood Centre for Innovation. It will sit alongside the existing Linden Building and Science Oxford centre and provide new, high-quality mixed-use laboratory and technical workspace over two floors to support science and tech start-ups and scale-ups. The Aspen Building is scheduled for practical completion in July 2026 and is now available for pre-let to enable flexibility in design for incoming tenants.
Our Wood Centre for Innovation is managed by Oxford Innovation, a spin-out from The Oxford Trust and the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres.
For more information on Exogene, see here.
Photo by Jason Warner, Firefly Studios.



