Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)

Registration No. 333-274072

PROSPECTUS

5,954,091 Shares

Common Stock

Offered by the Selling Stockholders

This prospectus relates to the proposed resale or other disposition by the selling stockholders identified herein (the “Selling Stockholders”) of (i) 1,647,531 shares of our voting common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock” and such shares the “Merger Voting Common Shares”), (ii) 153,121 shares of our non-voting Common Stock (the “Merger Non-Voting Common Shares” and together with the Merger Voting Common Shares, the “Merger Common Shares”) and (iii) 4,153,439 shares of Common Stock (the “Merger Conversion Shares” and together with the Merger Common Shares, the “Shares”) issuable upon the conversion of 4,153,439 shares (the “Merger Preferred Shares”) of our Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). Shares of the Series A Preferred Stock held by each Selling Stockholder will be converted to voting or non-voting Common Stock, pursuant to the terms of a certificate of designation of preferences, rights and limitations of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”).

The Merger Common Shares and Merger Preferred Shares were issued and sold to accredited investors in connection with the acquisition of Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Pionyr”), which closed on August 4, 2023, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 4, 2023, by and among the Company, Portsmouth Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Portsmouth Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Pionyr, and Fortis Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as the Securityholder Agent (the “Merger Agreement”). We are not selling any Shares under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of Shares by the Selling Stockholders.

The Selling Stockholders may sell the Shares on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, on the over-the-counter market, in one or more transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems, such as privately negotiated transactions, or using a combination of these methods, and at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. See the disclosure under the heading “Plan of Distribution” elsewhere in this prospectus for more information about how the Selling Stockholders may sell or otherwise dispose of their Shares hereunder.

The Selling Stockholders may sell any, all or none of the securities offered by this prospectus and we do not know when or in what amount the Selling Stockholders may sell their Shares hereunder following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

You should carefully read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before you invest in any of the securities being offered.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “IKNA.” On September 11, 2023, the closing price for our Common Stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market, was $4.33 per share. Our principal executive offices are located at 645 Summer Street, Suite 101, Boston, MA 02210.

We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” under the federal securities laws and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and for future filings. See “Prospectus Summary—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company.”

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 6 of this prospectus as well as those included in any accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to purchase these securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is September 8, 2023.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the Selling Stockholders may, from time to time, sell the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings.

This prospectus contains and incorporates by reference information that you should consider when making your investment decision. Neither we, nor the Selling Stockholders, have authorized anyone to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, our securities only in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in any accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates. This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the information incorporated herein or therein by reference contains market data, industry statistics and other data that have been obtained or compiled from information made available by independent third parties. We have not independently verified the accuracy and completeness of such data.

As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Ikena,” “company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Ikena Oncology, Inc. and, where appropriate, our subsidiaries.

We own various U.S. federal trademark applications and unregistered trademarks, including our company name. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus are referred to without the symbols ^® and ^™, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements relate to, among others, our plans, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition, and can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “seek,” “endeavor,” “target,” “continue” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

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The forward-looking statements in this prospectus represent our views as of the date of this prospectus. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus.

We may from time-to-time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our programs and product candidates. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, and other data from our own internal estimates and research as well as from reports, research surveys, studies, and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any third-party information presented in this prospectus, their estimates, in particular, as they relate to projections, involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors. You should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus and the documents that we reference therein and have filed with the SEC as exhibits thereto completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These estimates involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under “Item 1A: Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K, and the section of any accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “Risk Factors.”

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks set forth in our filings with the SEC that are incorporated by reference herein and any prospectus supplement, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K and the other documents we file with the SEC that are deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

Risks Related To This Offering

The issuance of Common Stock to the Selling Stockholders may cause substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and the sale of such Shares acquired by the Selling Stockholders could cause the price of our Common Stock to decline.

We are registering for resale by Selling Stockholders up to 5,954,091 shares of Common Stock and, following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the issuance of the Shares to the Selling Stockholders (or their permitted designees), subject to certain contractual restrictions and Rule 144, such Shares may be sold by the Selling Stockholders in the public market. If the Selling Stockholders sell, or the market perceives that the Selling Stockholders intend to sell for various reasons, substantial amounts of the Shares in the public market, the price of our common stock may decline. Such sales may also make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate to raise funds through future equity offerings of our common stock.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We are filing the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part to permit holders of the Shares described in the section entitled “Selling Stockholders” to resell such shares. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares in this offering. The Selling Stockholders will receive all of the proceeds from this offering, if they choose to sell such Shares.

The Selling Stockholders will pay any discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers or dealer managers and expenses incurred by the Selling Stockholders for brokerage, accounting, tax or legal services or any other expenses incurred by the Selling Stockholders in disposing of the Shares. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the Shares covered by this prospectus, including, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, printing fees, Nasdaq listing fees and fees and expenses of our counsel and our accountants, including our independent registered public accounting firm.

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

This prospectus covers the resale or other disposition from time to time by the Selling Stockholders identified in the table below of up to an aggregate of 5,954,091 of our Shares.

On August 4, 2023, we completed our acquisition of Pionyr in accordance with the Merger Agreement, pursuant to which we issued an aggregate of (i) 1,647,531 Merger Voting Common Shares, (ii) 153,121 Merger Non-Voting Common Shares and (iii) 4,153,439 Merger Preferred Shares, which are convertible into 4,153,439 Merger Conversion Shares, pursuant to the Certificate of Designation, to certain of the Selling Stockholders. This prospectus covers the resale or other disposition by the Selling Stockholders or their transferees of up to the total number of Merger Voting Common Shares, Merger Non-Voting Common Shares and Merger Conversion Shares issued to the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement. Throughout this prospectus, when we refer to the Selling Stockholders, we are referring to certain of the securityholders under the Merger Agreement listed in the table below.

We are registering the above-referenced Shares to permit the Selling Stockholders and their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in interest that receive their shares after the date of this prospectus to resell or otherwise dispose of the shares in the manner contemplated under “Plan of Distribution” herein.

Except as otherwise disclosed herein, the Selling Stockholders do not have, and within the past three years have not had, any position, office or other material relationship with us.

The following table sets forth the name of the Selling Stockholders, the number of shares of our Common Stock owned by the Selling Stockholders, the number of shares of our Common Stock that may be offered under this prospectus and the number of shares of our Common Stock that will be owned after this offering by the Selling Stockholders assuming the Selling Stockholders choose to sell all such shares. The number of shares set forth below assumes the conversion of one share of Series A Preferred Stock to one share of Common Stock.

The Selling Stockholders may sell some, all or none of their shares. We do not know how long the Selling Stockholders will hold the shares before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the Selling Stockholders regarding the sale or other disposition of any of the Shares. The Shares covered hereby may be offered from time to time by the Selling Stockholders, provided that Shares issued upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock may only be offered after the Shares are converted to Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Certificate of Designation.

Holders of our voting Common Stock have no conversion rights, while holders of our non-voting Common Stock have the right to convert each share of our non-voting Common Stock into one share of voting Common Stock at such holder’s election, provided that as a result of such conversion, such holder, together with its affiliates and any members of a Schedule 13(d) group with such holder, would not beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of our voting Common Stock immediately prior to and following such conversion, unless otherwise as expressly provided for in our Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (“Certificate of Incorporation”). However, this ownership limitation may be increased to any other percentage designated by such holder of non-voting Common Stock upon 61 days’ notice to us. Similarly, pursuant to our Certificate of Designation, the Series A Preferred Stock held by holders of non-voting Common Stock shall convert into non-voting Common Stock to the extent the issuance of shares of Conversion Shares would result in such holder, together with its affiliates and any members of a Schedule 13(d) group with such holder, beneficially owning in excess of 9.99% of our voting Common Stock immediately prior to and following such conversion. Solely for purposes of the table below, the information under the headings “Common Stock Beneficially Owned After Offering” disregards the 9.99% limitation. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Ikena Oncology, Inc., 645 Summer Street, Suite 101, Boston, MA 02210.

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The information set forth below is based upon information obtained from the Selling Stockholders and upon information in our possession regarding the issuance of the Shares in connection with the Merger. The percentage of Common Stock owned after the offering is based on 42,301,253 shares of common stock outstanding as of August 14, 2023, and, for each Selling Stockholder, assumes the conversion of only the Series A Preferred Stock owned by such Selling Stockholder but not the Series A Preferred Stock owned by any other Selling Stockholder. Unless otherwise indicated below, references to “Common Stock” refer to our Voting Common Stock. Unless otherwise set forth in the footnotes to the table below, none of the Selling Stockholders nor any of their affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders has had any positions or office or has had any material relationship with us within the past three years.

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Relationship with the Selling Stockholders

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, we agreed to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement that permits the resale or other disposition of the Selling Stockholders’ Shares, including those issued upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock issued to such Selling Stockholder, and, subject to certain exceptions, use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part effective under the Securities Act for so long as such securities registered for resale thereunder retain their character as Registrable Securities.

We have also agreed, among other things, to indemnify the Selling Stockholders and their officers, directors, agents, partners, members, managers, stockholders, affiliates and employees from certain liabilities and to pay all fees and expenses incident to our obligations under the Merger Agreement.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We are registering the Shares issued to the Selling Stockholders to permit the resale of these Shares by the holders of the Shares from time to time after the date of this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the Selling Stockholders of the Shares. We will, or will procure to, bear all fees and expenses incident to our obligation to register the Shares.

The Selling Stockholders may sell all or a portion of the Shares beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time, and in the case of Shares issued upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock, may only be offered after such Shares are converted to Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Certificate of Designation, directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers or agents. If the Shares are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the Selling Stockholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agent’s commissions. The Shares may be sold on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market and in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions. The Selling Stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:

The Selling Stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as permitted by that rule, or Section 4(a)(1) under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of those provisions.

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. If the Selling Stockholders effect such transactions by selling Shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the Selling Stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the Shares for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal. Such commissions will be in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this Prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction will not be in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2121; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2121.01.

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In connection with sales of the Shares or otherwise, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the Shares in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The Selling Stockholders may also sell Shares short and if such short sale shall take place after the date that this registration statement is declared effective by the Commission, the Selling Stockholders may deliver Shares covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. The Selling Stockholders may also loan or pledge Shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Selling Stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Selling Stockholders have been advised that they may not use shares registered on this registration statement to cover short sales of our Common Stock made prior to the date the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, has been declared effective by the SEC.

The Selling Stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the Shares owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the Shares from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act, amending, if necessary, the list of Selling Stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as Selling Stockholders under this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders also may transfer and donate the Shares in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of the Shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Selling Stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act including Rule 172 thereunder and may be subject to certain statutory liabilities of, including but not limited to, Sections 11, 12 and 17 of the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act.

Each selling stockholder has informed the Company that it is not a registered broker-dealer and does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Shares. Upon the Company being notified in writing by a selling stockholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of Common Stock through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, a supplement to this prospectus will be filed, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each such selling stockholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s), (ii) the number of shares involved, (iii) the price at which such the Shares were sold, (iv) the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable, (v) that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and (vi) other facts material to the transaction. In no event shall any broker-dealer receive fees, commissions and markups, which, in the aggregate, would exceed eight percent (8.0%).

Under the securities laws of some U.S. states, the Shares may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some U.S. states the Shares may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.

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There can be no assurance that any selling stockholder will sell any or all of the Shares registered pursuant to the shelf registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.

Each selling stockholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the Shares by the selling stockholder and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the Shares to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Shares. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the Shares and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Shares.

We will pay all expenses of the registration of the Shares pursuant to the Merger Agreement, including, without limitation, SEC filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws; provided, however, that each selling stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any and any related legal expenses incurred by it. We will indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, or the Selling Stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the Selling Stockholders against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the Selling Stockholders specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, or we may be entitled to contribution.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and therefore is not a complete description of our capital stock. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our Certificate of Incorporation, our Amended and Restated By-Laws (“Bylaws”), and applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. You should read our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, in each case, as amended and supplemented, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 150,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, including 8,000,000 shares of non-voting common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, in each case, as amended and supplemented.

Common Stock and Non-Voting Common Stock

As of August 17, 2023, we had outstanding 36,088,555 shares of voting common stock, held of record by 15 stockholders, and 6,215,465 shares of non-voting common stock, held of record by 3 stockholders.

The holders of our common stock and non-voting common stock have identical rights subject to two exceptions. First, except as otherwise expressly provided in our Certificate of Incorporation or as required by applicable law, on any matter that is submitted to a vote by our stockholders, holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share of common stock, and holders of our non-voting common stock are not entitled to any votes per share of non-voting common stock, including for the election of directors. Second, holders of our common stock have no conversion rights, while holders of our non-voting common stock shall have the right to convert each share of our non-voting common stock into one share of common stock at such holder’s election, provided that as a result of such conversion, such holder, together with its affiliates and any members of a Schedule 13(d) group with such holder, would not beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of our common stock immediately prior to and following such conversion, unless otherwise expressly provided for in our Certificate of Incorporation. However, this ownership limitation may be increased or decreased to any other percentage designated by such holder of non-voting common stock upon 61 days’ notice to us.

Except as otherwise provided by law, our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting at which a quorum is present and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting at which a quorum is present and entitled to vote on the election of directors.

Holders of our common stock and non-voting common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Our common stock and non-voting common stock have no preemptive rights or other subscription rights or redemption or sinking fund provisions.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock and non-voting common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities and any liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock. Holders of shares of our common stock and non-voting common stock are not required to make additional capital contributions.

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The shares to be issued by us in this offering will be, when issued and paid for, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

Preferred Stock

As of August 17, 2023, we had outstanding 4,153,439 shares of preferred stock, including 4,153,439 shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

Our board of directors will have the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 5,846,561 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof.

These rights, preferences and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting, or the designation of, such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon our liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company or other corporate action.

Series A Preferred Stock

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to receive dividends on shares of Series A Preferred Stock equal, on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, and in the same form as, dividends (if any) actually paid on shares of our Common Stock. Except as otherwise required by law, the Series A Preferred Stock does not have voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, we will not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Preferred Stock, or alter or amend the Certificate of Designation, (b) amend our Certificate of Incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, (c) issue additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock or increase the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, (d) prior to the stockholder approval of the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into shares of our Common Stock, consummate a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) or a merger or consolidation of our company or stock sale or business combination in which our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction do not hold at least a majority of the capital stock immediately after such transaction, (e) authorize or issue any class or series of stock that is senior to the Series A Preferred Stock, or (f) enter into any agreement to effect any of the foregoing. The Series A Preferred Stock does not have a preference upon any liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of our company.

Following stockholder approval of the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, each share of Series A Preferred Stock is automatically convertible into one (1) share of our Common Stock, subject to certain limitations, including that if a holder of Series A Preferred Stock was a holder of our non-voting Common Stock prior to the conversion, such holder would receive non-voting Common Stock to the extent such conversion would result in such holder beneficially owning more than 9.99% of our voting Common Stock.

Registration Rights

Certain holders of our common stock are entitled to rights with respect to the registration of these securities under the Securities Act. These rights are provided under the terms of an investor rights agreement between us and certain holders of our common stock (the “Investor Rights Agreement Parties”). The investor rights agreement includes demand registration rights, short-form registration rights, and piggyback registration rights. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations under this agreement will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting discounts and selling commissions, will be borne by the holders of the shares being registered.

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Demand registration rights

Certain holders of our common stock are entitled to demand registration rights. Under the terms of the investor rights agreement, we will be required, upon the written request of a majority of holders of the registrable securities then outstanding that would result in an aggregate offering price of at least $10.0 million, to file a registration statement and to use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration of all or a portion of these shares for public resale.

Short-form registration rights

Certain holders of our common stock are also entitled to short-form registration rights. Pursuant to the investor rights agreement, if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, upon the written request of at least 20% in interest of these holders to sell registrable securities at an aggregate price of at least $3.0 million, we will be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to effect a registration of such shares. We are required to effect only two registrations in any twelve-month period pursuant to this provision of the investor rights agreement.

Piggyback registration rights

Pursuant to the investor rights agreement, if we register any of our securities either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, certain holders of our common stock are entitled to include their shares in the registration. Subject to certain exceptions contained in the Investor Rights Agreement, we and the underwriters may limit the number of shares included in the underwritten offering to the number of shares which we and the underwriters determine in our sole discretion will not jeopardize the success of the offering.

Indemnification

Our investor rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, under which we are obligated to indemnify holders of registrable securities in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions attributable to them.

Expiration of registration rights

The demand registration rights and short-form registration rights granted under the Investor Rights Agreement will terminate on the earlier of (i) the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering and (ii) such time following our initial public offering as Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of the Investors Rights Agreement Parties’ shares without limitation during a three-month period without registration.

Anti-takeover effects of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware Law

Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing another party from acquiring control of us and encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the items described below.

Board composition and filling vacancies

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for the division of our board of directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, with one class being elected each year. Our Certificate of Incorporation also provides that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds or more of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors.

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Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office even if less than a quorum. The classification of directors, together with the limitations on removal of directors and treatment of vacancies, has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board of directors.

No written consent of stockholders

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that all stockholder actions are required to be taken by a vote of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting, and that stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting. This limit may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions and would prevent the amendment of our Bylaws or removal of directors by our stockholders without holding a meeting of stockholders.

Meetings of stockholders

Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that only a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office may call special meetings of stockholders and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our Bylaws limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting.

Advance notice requirements

Our Bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year provided, however, that in the event the annual meeting is first convened more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, or if no annual meeting were held in the preceding year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be received at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the scheduled date of such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. Our Bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting.

Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Any amendment of our Certificate of Incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and if required by law or our Certificate of Incorporation, must thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, board composition, and limitation of liability must be approved by not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the Bylaws; and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, voting together as a single class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to notice of stockholder business and nominations and special meetings must be approved by not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, or, if our board of directors recommends that the stockholders approve the amendment, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, in each case voting together as a single class.

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Undesignated preferred stock

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock, 4,153,439 of which have been designated as Series A Preferred Stock. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable our board of directors to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our Certificate of Incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.

Exclusive Forum

Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claims for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers and employees to us or our stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws (including the interpretation, validity or enforceability thereof) or (4) any action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that this provision shall not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act or Exchange Act. In addition, our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act, or the Federal Forum Provision. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these forum provisions. These forum provisions may impose additional costs on stockholders, may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a forum they find favorable, and the designated courts may reach different judgments or results than other courts. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether our Federal Forum Provision will be enforced, which may impose additional costs on us and our stockholders.

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

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Section 203 defines a business combination to include:

In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.

Listing on the Nasdaq Global Market

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “IKNA.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021, and its telephone number is (800) 962-4284.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters with respect to United States law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on our investor website at ir.ikenaoncology.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) between the date of the initial registration statement and the effectiveness of the registration statement and following the effectiveness of the registration statement until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:

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In addition, all reports and other documents filed by us pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:

Ikena Oncology, Inc.

645 Summer Street, Suite 101

Boston, MA 02210

Attn: Investor Relations

(857) 273-8343

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5,954,091 Shares

Common Stock

Offered by the Selling Stockholders

PROSPECTUS

September 8, 2023