Core Biogenesis, Carmot Therapeutics, OriCell
Core Biogenesis Raises $10.5M in Series A Funding
Core Biogenesis, a Strasbourg, France-based biotechnology company with a novel plant-based bioproduction platform, completed a $10.5M Series A funding round.
The round was led by XAnge, with participation from Blue Horizon Ventures, and Thia Ventures.
The company intends to use the funds to build out an industrial scale facility dedicated to producing growth factors and cytokines for the cell therapy market and cellular agriculture industry, and to hire additional scientific and technical staff to support the expansion.
Founded in May 2020 by CEO Alexandre Reeber and CSO Chouaib Meziadi, Core Biogenesis has developed proprietary technology to express recombinant proteins from the seeds of the Camelina sativa oilseed plant. While its molecular farming platform can be used to express recombinant growth factors for everything from therapeutics to cultivated meat, the company’s first target is to address the complexity and high costs of next-generation therapeutic modalities such as cell therapies.
Core Biogenesis Raises $10.5M in Series A Funding
Core Biogenesis, a Strasbourg, France-based biotechnology company with a novel plant-based bioproduction platform, completed a $10.5M Series A funding round
Carmot Therapeutics Raises $160M in Series D Funding
Carmot Therapeutics, Inc., a Berkeley, CA-based clinical-stage biotechnology company applying its proprietary drug discovery platform, Chemotype Evolution, to discover and develop disease-modifying therapies in metabolic disease and cancer, raised $160 million in Series D financing.
The round was led by The Column Group with participation from new investor RA Capital Management, Deep Track Capital, Willett Advisors, Horizons Ventures and other institutional investors. In connection with the financing, RA Capital will hold a Board Observer seat at Carmot.
The company intends to use the funds for the completion of phase 2 studies for CT-388, a once weekly, dual modulator of the GLP-1 and GIP incretin receptors, phase 1 studies for CT-996, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, and phase 2 studies for CT-868, a first-in-class fully biased GLP-1/GIP modulator in addition to the advancement of several pre-clinical programs.
Led by Stig K. Hansen, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Carmot Therapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapies for patients living with metabolic diseases and cancer. The company applies Chemotype Evolution (CE), a pioneering drug discovery platform, in combination with biological expertise to identify innovative therapeutics. In metabolic disease, Carmot is combining CE with novel insights into incretin receptor signaling to develop a broad, valuable pipeline of peptide-based and small molecule therapeutics. Carmot’s dual GLP-1/GIP receptor modulator has entered Phase 2 development and has the potential to be best in a new class of treatments for obesity and its many co-morbidities including type 2 diabetes. In addition, the company is using CE to identify novel covalent inhibitors and to develop new therapeutics targeting major oncogenic pathways, internally and with partners. Carmot has applied CE with strategic partners including the collaboration with Amgen that supported Amgen’s development of LUMAKRAS (sotorasib), the first approved KRAS inhibitor.
Carmot Therapeutics Raises $160M in Series D Funding
Carmot Therapeutics, Inc., a Berkeley, CA-based clinical-stage biotechnology company applying its proprietary drug discovery platform, Chemotype Evolution, to discover and develop disease-modifying therapies in metabolic disease and cancer, raised $160 million in Series D financing
Vicinitas Therapeutics Raises $65M in Series A Financing
Vicinitas Therapeutics, a South San Francisco, CA-based biotechnology company advancing a proprietary targeted protein stabilization platform to develop novel therapeutics in cancer and genetic disorders, launched with $65m in Series A financing.
The round was co-led by a16z and Deerfield Management, with participation from Droia Ventures, GV, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and the Berkeley Catalyst Fund.
Vicinitas Therapeutics is a spin-out company that resulted from the Deubiquitinase Targeting Chimera (, which was developed through an academic-industry research collaboration between the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Vicinitas Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on targeted protein stabilizers known as Deubiquituinase Targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs). The company’s mission is to use this proprietary technology to solve critical problems in human health by developing next-generation disease therapies against an entire class of previously inaccessible disease-causing proteins. It was spun out of technology (the DUBTAC platform) that was developed through an academic-industry collaboration between Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Vicinitas Therapeutics has exclusively licensed the DUBTAC platform and aims to become the leading company in targeted protein stabilization by developing next-generation disease therapies against an entire class of previously inaccessible aberrantly degraded proteins. The company is initially focused on developing therapies in cancer and monogenic diseases.
Vicinitas Therapeutics Raises $65M in Series A Financing
Vicinitas Therapeutics, a South San Francisco, CA-based biotechnology company advancing a proprietary targeted protein stabilization platform to develop novel therapeutics in cancer and genetic disorders, launched with $65m in Series A financing
OriCell Therapeutics Raises Over $120M in Series B Financing
OriCell Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. , a Shangai, China-based developer of novel immunotherapies to satisfy globally unmet clinical needs, closed a Series B financing totaling over US$120m.
The round was jointly led by Qiming Venture Partners and Quan Capital with participation from Chinese investment funds, as well as existing shareholder C&D Emerging Capital.
The company intends to use the funds for the development of its cell therapy pipeline, and the proprietary discovery platform, as well as for the construction of a manufacturing plant for both clinical and commercial purposes.
Led by Helen Yang, Chairman and CEO, OriCell has constructed 4 versatile and patented technology platforms: Ori®Ab antibody discovery technology platform, Ori®CAR CAR-T technology platform featuring high memory and high vitality, Ori®TIL, a stable and controllable cell culture platform for efficient expansion, and Ori®UCAR, a universal, convenient, and efficient CAR-T technology platform.
Its Investigational New Drug (IND) submission for Ori-C101, the company’s first internally developed CAR-T product targeting GPC3 for the treatment of advanced liver cancer, was accepted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China in June of this year. OriCAR-017, China’s first GPRC5D CAR-T product developed by OriCell for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) confirmed the product’s potential with clinical results from the investigator-initiated phase I trial (POLARIS) presented in an oral presentation at the 2022 ASCO and EHA2022 annual meetings, respectively. Presently, the company is accelerating its registration and clinical development in China and the United States.
OriCell Therapeutics Raises Over $120M in Series B Financing
OriCell Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. , a Shangai, China-based developer of novel immunotherapies to satisfy globally unmet clinical needs, closed a Series B financing totaling over US$120m
African fintech acquires health insurer
Nigeria-based Royal Exchange Healthcare has sold a majority stake to Dot and will use the proceeds to fund operations and expand staff numbers. Africa-focused financial services company Dot has taken a majority stake in health insurance provider Royal Exchange Healthcare (REH).
Amsterdam-headquartered Dot was founded in 2021, and leverages technology and a 27,000-strong agency network to expand access to financial and insurance services to consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa.
Operating under Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme, Lagos-headquartered REH functions as a financial intermediary between healthcare users and providers, designing and selling a variety of medical health plans to suit differing needs.
The deal will provide additional working capital for sustaining REH’s operations and increasing staff numbers across many aspects of the business, with a view to transforming it into a pre-eminent health maintenance brand in Nigeria.
African fintech acquires health insurer | ALB Article
Nigeria-based Royal Exchange Healthcare has sold a majority stake to Dot and will use the proceeds to fund operations and expand staff numbers.
Genoa Ventures Closes Second Fund, at $84M
Genoa Ventures, a San Francisco, CA-based venture firm investing in the convergence of biology and technology, closed its second fund, at $84 million.
Genoa Ventures Fund II will continue Genoa’s investing focus on startups innovating in markets as diverse as research tools, diagnostics, Agri/Food Bio, and industrial bio.
The fund nearly tripled Fund I raised in 2018 while maintaining the early-stage focus and small incremental investing in Seed and Series A companies.
Led by Jenny Rooke, Ph.D., Founder and Managing Director, Genoa invests in early-stage companies working in the convergence of biology and technology to accelerate the pace of innovation, transform industries, and solve some of the most fundamental challenges to life. The firm identifies opportunities early and focuses its investments and expertise to empower the next great category-defining companies.
To date, the team has made nine portfolio investments from Fund II, including Aqtual, a cell-free DNA diagnostics platform; Stemson, personalized hair regeneration based on stem cell technology; Epitel, a first-in-class wireless, 24/7 EEG monitoring for seizures; SimBioSys, enabling informed clinical decision support for cancer patients and their doctors; Meiogenix, developing breeding technologies to address global food and industrial challenges; Redux, developing advanced animal health products; and Codetta, enabling highly multiplexed, quantitative multi-omic analysis of DNA, RNA, and protein.
In addition to Dr. Rooke, Genoa has nine other investment professionals all with advanced degrees in the sciences, including Vikram Chaudhery, Ph.D., who was recently promoted to partner, Bill Hyun, Ph.D., Negin Mokhtari, Ph.D., Dave Summa, Paco Cifuentes, Ph.D., Landon Merrill, Richard Kenny, Tony Day, Ph.D., and Paul Conley, Ph.D.
