BioNTech co‑founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci will step down to establish a new company focused on next‑generation mRNA technologies. BioNTech will grant the startup certain technology rights and retain a minority stake while continuing to advance a late‑stage oncology pipeline. The move signals a shift back to hands‑on research by the founders after BioNTech evolved into a multiproduct commercial biotech following its COVID‑19 vaccine success. Company statements framed the transition as a way to accelerate innovation across mRNA platforms while preserving BioNTech’s push to commercialize multiple late‑stage cancer candidates. Investors and partners will watch governance arrangements, intellectual property licensing terms and any early funding for the new venture. The departure could reallocate visionary leadership while keeping core mRNA assets accessible to both organizations.