favourites: Natural Fiber Welding, Dopavision, OM1
PEP-Therapy Raises €2.6M in Series A Extension Financing
PEP-Therapy, a Paris, France-based biotechnology company, raised an additional €2.6m ($3m) in an extension of its Series A financing round.
The funding, which brought the total raised in the round to date to €5.4m ($6.4m) included €1.6m in equity from Anaxago, i&i Prague and BADGE as well as a €1m loan from Bpifrance.
The company intends to use the funds to finance the Phase I a/b clinical trial of PEP-010, its lead candidate, for the treatment of advanced solid tumors.
Led by CEO Antoine Prestant, PEP-Therapy is a biotechnology company developing cell penetrating peptides as targeted therapies for the treatment of cancers. PEP-010 is the first of a new class of therapeutic peptides based on its innovative Cell Penetrating & Interfering Peptide (CP&IP) technology. These molecules penetrate cells and specifically block relevant intracellular protein-protein interactions, leading to the inhibition of key pathological mechanisms, without altering physiological mechanisms.
PEP-Therapy Raises €2.6M in Series A Extension Financing - FinSMEs
PEP-Therapy, a Paris, France-based biotechnology company, raised an additional €2.6m ($3m) in an extension of its Series A financing round
Natural Fiber Welding Raises $15M in Funding
Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), a Peoria, IL-based developer of technologies based on the sustainable use of plants and natural fibers to obtain durable goods and textiles, raised $15M in funding.
The round was led by The Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA), with participation from BMW i Ventures, Prairie Crest Capital, Ethos Capital, For Good Ventures, and Evolution VC Partners.
The company intends to use the funds to scale production and move into new markets like the automotive industry that need a sustainable solution to replace synthetic materials.
Led by Dr. Luke Haverhals, NFW provides technologies based on the sustainable use of plants and natural fibers for durable goods and textiles. The company’s patented plant-based leather MIRUM is suited to displace both animal leather and synthetic leather alternatives with materials that are plastic-free and high-performance.
Natural Fiber Welding Raises $15M in Funding - FinSMEs
Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), a Peoria, IL-based developer of technologies based on the sustainable use of plants and natural fibers to obtain durable goods and textiles, raised $15M in funding
Stemson Therapeutics Raises $15M in Series A Funding
Stemson Therapeutics, a San Diego, CA-based pre-clinical stage cell therapy company, closed a $15m Series A financing.
The round was led by DCVC Bio with participation from Genoa Ventures, AbbVie Ventures and other investors. In addition, Kiersten Stead, Ph.D., Co-Managing Partner at DCVC Bio and Jenny Rooke, Ph.D., Managing Director at Genoa Ventures will join Stemson’s Executive Chairman Matt Posard and Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Geoff Hamilton on the board of directors.
The company intends to use the funds to advance development of its proprietary therapeutic solution to cure hair loss.
Stemson Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage cell therapy company with a mission to cure hair loss by leveraging the regenerative power of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC). The company uses iPSC to regenerate the critical cells required to grow hair and which are damaged or depleted in patients suffering from hair loss. The iPSC-derived cells are used to grow de novo hair follicles, offering a new supply of hair to treat people suffering from various forms of Alopecia.
Stemson Therapeutics Raises $15M in Series A Funding
Stemson Therapeutics, a San Diego, CA-based pre-clinical stage cell therapy company, closed a $15m Series A financing
ProciseDx Raises $13M in Convertible Note Financing
ProciseDx, a San Diego CA-based in vitro diagnostics (IVD) company, raised $13M in convertible note financing.
Participants included existing major shareholders (Nestlé Heath Science, Biosynex SA) management and new investors.
The company intends to use the funds to move forward with FDA submissions for the platform and to expand the test menu for gastroenterologists.
Led by CEO and CSO Dr. Larry Mimms and President and CFO Peter Westlake, ProciseDx provides a broad portfolio of rapid diagnostic tests for the physician’s office, which use a finger prick blood sample or a stool sample and have a turn-around time of 2-5 minutes. ProciseDx has obtained CE Mark on its instrument and on four gastroenterology (GI) assays which were launched in Q3 2020. The company has established distribution relationships in more than 15 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and expects to continue its market expansion for the rest of 2021. Already over 100 instruments have been shipped to EMEA and further growth is expected in the second half of 2021. The company expects revenues of between $2 million and $3 million for 2021.
ProciseDx Raises $13M in Convertible Note Financing - FinSMEs
ProciseDx, a San Diego CA-based in vitro diagnostics (IVD) company, raised $13M in convertible note financing
Axuall Raises $10.4M in Series A Financing
Axuall, a Cleveland, OH-based digital professional identity network that enables healthcare providers to share their authenticated credentials and qualifications in real-time, raised $10.4m in Series A funding.
The round was led by Flare Capital Partners with participation from Intermountain Ventures, University Hospitals Ventures, MedStar Health, Epsilon Health, InHealth Ventures, AV8 Ventures, JumpStart, M25 Ventures, and North Coast Ventures.
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate R&D, implementations, sales, and marketing.
Formed in 2018 and led by CEO Charlie Lougheed, Axuall is a national digital network that enables clinicians, healthcare systems, and primary source institutions to share and manage authenticated credentials in real-time. Built on a provider-centric model, the network enables healthcare systems, staffing firms, telehealth groups, and health plans to leverage a vast array of verified real-time provider data to eliminate information delays in onboarding staff, develop virtual networks with partners, and manage their care delivery networks. The solution was developed and piloted with three major healthcare systems, University Hospitals, MedStar Health, and MetroHealth, and launched commercially in late 2020.
Axuall Raises $10.4M in Series A Financing - FinSMEs
Axuall, a Cleveland, OH-based digital professional identity network that enables healthcare providers to share their authenticated credentials and qualifications in real-time, raised $10.4m in Series A funding
Dopavision Raises €12M in Series A Funding
Dopavision, a Berlin, Germany-based company focused on development of digital therapeutics, raised €12M in Series A funding.
The round was led by Seventure Partners with participation from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Ababax Health.
The company intends to use the funds for the clinical development of MyopiaX, its lead product in childhood myopia, activities to provide innovative digital treatments for children leveraging games, educational or cognitive training applications, and potentially broaden its pipeline to new indications, as well as for building the team.
Led by Hamed Bahmani, co-founder and managing director, Dopavision is advancing MyopiaX, which is designed to achieve a medical effect while children play games or use educational digital content and can be integrated into their daily routine.
Dopavision Raises €12M in Series A Funding - FinSMEs
Dopavision, a Berlin, Germany-based company focused on development of digital therapeutics, raised €12M in Series A funding
Caspar Health pockets €9M
Frog Capital has led a €9 million investment in Berlin-based Caspar Health, Tech.eu reported. The startup's platform allows users to access online rehabilitation treatment on demand. The company has raised around €16.8 million in total VC funding.
Caspar Health is a developer of an online virtual rehabilitation platform designed to offer tele-therapeutic care to the patients. The company's platform with the help of the software, medical institutions carry out therapy measures such as exercises, seminars, training courses and lectures with their patients, regardless of time and place, enabling healthcare providers to communicate with their patients contactless and securely and offer new options for group therapies.
https://pitchbook.com/newsletter/caspar-health-pockets-9mSweden’s Doktor.se raises €29.5 million from Tencent in advance of IPO
Stockholm-based digital healthcare provider Doktor.se has secured €29.5 million in funding from Tencent Holdings. This funding is an extension to a round announced back in May that saw the firm take home €50 million. Including this extension, Doktor.se has garnered approximately €160.5 million in funding.
Founded in 2016, Doktor.se is the second most downloaded doctor app in Europe according to Appfigures, a number which places it above competitor Kry. Over the course of 2020, Doktor.se provided over 1.2 million patient consultations via their countrywide physical locations and globally available app.
Sweden’s Doktor.se raises €29.5 million from Tencent in advance of IPO - Tech.eu
Stockholm-based digital healthcare provider Doktor.se has secured €29.5 million in funding from…
ISA Pharmaceuticals Closes €26M Funding Round
ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., an Oegstgeest, The Netherlands-based clinical-stage immunotherapy company, closed a €26m funding round.
Backers included new investors Invest-NL and existing investors including Regeneron.
The company intends to use the funds to advance the lead product ISA101b towards first marketing authorization as well as to broaden the clinical pipeline of immunotherapies based on the Synthetic Long Peptide (SLP®) platform technology.
Led by Gerben Moolhuizen, CEO, ISA Pharmaceuticals is an immunotherapy company developing treatments for various cancers and infectious diseases. Its lead asset ISA101b is in late-stage clinical trials for human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) induced cancers in a collaboration with US pharmaceutical company Regeneron. Other assets are in preclinical stage development and include immunotherapies to treat patients that suffer from chronic hepatitis B infections (HBV), cancers that over-express PRAME, cancers caused by other HPV types than HPV16, and SARS-CoV2 infections, the virus that causes COVID-19.
ISA Pharmaceuticals Closes €26M Funding Round - FinSMEs
ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., an Oegstgeest, The Netherlands-based clinical-stage immunotherapy company, closed a €26m funding round
Prime Medicine Raises $315M in Funding
Prime Medicine, a Cambridge MA-based biotechnology company, raised $115M in Series A funding and $200M in Series B funding.
The Series A round was led by ARCH Venture Partners with participation from F-Prime Capital, GV, and Newpath Partners. The Series B included all Series A investors, plus Casdin Capital with participation from Cormorant Asset Management, Moore Strategic Ventures, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Redmile Group and Samsara BioCapital.
The company intends to use the funds to advance towards clinical indications, expand the capabilities of its platform, and to further enhance the promise of Prime Editing. In addition, Prime Medicine expects to employ more than 100 people full-time.
Prime Medicine Raises $315M in Funding - FinSMEs
Prime Medicine, a Cambridge MA-based biotechnology company, raised $115M in Series A funding and $200M in Series B funding
Wugen Raises $172M in Series B Funding
Wugen, a Sant Louis MO- and San Diego CA-based clinical stage biotechnology company, raised $172M in Series B funding.
The round was led by Abingworth and Tybourne Capital Management with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), Sands Capital, Aisling Capital Management, Alexandria Venture Investments, Velosity Capital, Falcon Edge Capital, RiverVest Venture Partners, LYZZ Capital, Lightchain Capital.
The company intends to use the funds to support the clinical development of its memory natural killer (NK) cell platform and advance ongoing trials for patients with severe acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and other oncology indications, as well as to advance its broader pipeline of next-generation products into the clinic.
Led by Dan Kemp, Wugen provides a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of off-the-shelf memory natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat a broad range of hematological and solid tumor malignancies. In addition, the company is developing a pipeline of programs targeting solid tumor indications.
Wugen Raises $172M in Series B Funding - FinSMEs
Wugen, a Sant Louis MO- and San Diego CA-based clinical stage biotechnology company, raised $172M in Series B funding
OM1 Raises $85M in Funding
OM1, a Boston MA-based health technology company, raised $85M in funding.
The round was led by D1 Capital Partners, Kaiser Permanente, and Breyer Capital, with participation from General Catalyst (GC), Polaris Partners, Scale Venture Partners, 7wire Ventures, and Glikvest.
The company intends to use the funds to expand its real-world data cloud, clinical registries, and AI platform for real-world evidence and personalized medicine.
Led by CEO and founder Dr. Richard Gliklich, OM1 provides Health technology solutions focused on real-world outcomes for chronic conditions. The company partners with providers, medical societies, payers, and manufacturers to harness real-world data for advancing medical research, evaluating health outcomes, obtaining regulatory approvals, and personalizing treatment in chronic disease areas, such as dermatology, rheumatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, respiratory, neurosciences, and behavioral health. In addition to these efforts, OM1 develops artificial intelligence (AI) models and solutions for finding patients and predicting outcomes.
OM1 Raises $85M in Funding - FinSMEs
OM1, a Boston MA-based health technology company, raised $85M in funding. The round was led by D1 Capital Partners, Kaiser Permanente, and Breyer Capital
Ribon Therapeutics Raises $65M in Funding
Ribon Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting stress support pathways in cancer and inflammation, closed a $65m financing.
The round was led by Deerfield Management and U.S. Venture Partners, with support from new investors Avego BioScience Capital, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Monashee Investment Management and Peregrine Ventures, along with existing investors AbbVie Ventures, Bristol Myers Squibb, Euclidean Capital, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Novartis Venture Fund, Osage University Partners, Takeda Ventures and The Column Group.
The company will use the proceeds to support the clinical development of its novel precision medicine candidates.
Led by Victoria Richon, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Ribon Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting novel enzyme families activated under cellular stress conditions that contribute to disease. The company is exploring novel areas of biology to develop effective treatments for patients with limited therapeutic options. Leveraging its proprietary BEACON+ (Blocking the Enzyme Activity Component of NAD+) platform, the company is building a pipeline of selective, small molecule inhibitors to numerous NAD+-utilizing enzymes, beginning with monoPARPs, which have applications across multiple therapeutic areas. The lead program is RBN-2397, a PARP7 inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of cancer.
Ribon Therapeutics Raises $65M in Funding - FinSMEs
Ribon Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics targeting stress support pathways in cancer and inflammation, closed a $65m financing
Quit Genius Raises $64M in Series B Funding
Quit Genius, a NYC-based digital clinic for treating multiple addictions, raised $64M in Series B funding round.
The round was co-led by Kinnevik and Atomico, with participation from Series A investors Octopus Ventures, Triple Point Ventures and Startup Health.
The company will use the funds to fuel expansion of its platform in the U.S..
Led by Yusuf Sherwani, M.D., Co-founder and CEO, Quit Genius is a digital clinic for treating nicotine, alcohol and opioid addictions. Built on the evidence-based practice of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), the company combines virtual behavioral therapy with approved medication and connected devices to help employers tackle the cost of addiction in the workplace while improving the lives of their employees.
Quit Genius Raises $64M in Series B Funding - FinSMEs
Quit Genius, a NYC-based digital clinic for treating multiple addictions, raised $64M in Series B funding round
Genexa Raises $60M in Series A Funding
Genexa, an Atlanta, GA-based clean pharmaceutical company, raised $60M in Series A funding.
The round was led by Jared Stein, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Monogram Capital, with participation from Unilever Ventures, Verlinvest, Northcastle Partners,and Point King Capital, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Pratt, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Donald Glover, Lily Aldridge, Jennifer Meyer, Regina Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Don Cheadle, Bridgid Coulter, Lana Parrilla, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tony Kanal, Zoey Deutch, Brandon Shainfeld and Angela Fletcher.
The company intends to use the funds to expand its development efforts.
Led by David Johnson and Max Spielberg, Genexa offers OTC medicines spanning all traditional categories of OTC medicine, including pain and fever, cold and flu, and digestion and allergy, with products for infants, kids and adults alike. Its patented preservative system enables the company company to offer products which have the same effective active ingredients as the category leaders but without the unnecessary and potentially harmful fillers found in most other traditional OTC offerings. Their list of unnecessary ingredients that are not found in Genexa formulas include sorbitol, propylene glycol, artificial dyes, synthetic binders, talc and common allergens like gluten and lactose.
Genexa Raises $60M in Series A Funding - FinSMEs
Genexa, an Atlanta, GA-based clean pharmaceutical company, raised $60M in Series A funding
MOBILion System, Inc., a Chadds Fords, PA-based provider of high-resolution instrumentation for biomarker discovery, raised $60M in Series C funding.
The round was led by D1 Capital Partners with participation from aMoon, Agilent Technologies, IP Group, Hostplus and Cultivation Capital.
The company intends to use the funds to scale the commercialization of MOBIE®, and advance product development for expansion into bioprocessing and multiomic biomarker discovery markets.
Led by Dr. Melissa Sherman, MOBILion Systems provides high-resolution, high-throughput analysis solutions for the pharmaceutical industry and clinical researchers to enable earlier disease detection, improve diagnostic accuracy and to accelerate drug development with characterization of more complex biologic therapeutics. The funding follows the recent launch of MOBILion’s first commercial HighResolution Ion Mobility (HRIM) product, MOBIE®, which addresses characterization challenges faced during biopharmaceutical drug development and quality monitoring.
MOBILion Systems Raises $60M in Series C Funding - FinSMEs
MOBILion System, Inc., a Chadds Fords, PA-based provider of high-resolution instrumentation for biomarker discovery, raised $60M in Series C funding
Entos Raises $53M in Series A Funding
Entos, Inc., a San Diego, CA-based creator of a platform combining AI-driven technology and automated synthetic development to design small-molecule therapeutics, closed a $53m Series A financing.
The round was led by Coatue and Catalio Capital Management, with participation from OrbiMed and Sequoia Capital as well as existing investors Nexus Ventures and Freeflow. As part of the funding, Aaron Weiner, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at Coatue, and R. Jacob Vogelstein, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Catalio, joined Entos’ Board of Directors that includes Tom Miller, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fred Manby, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, and Naren Gupta, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Nexus Venture Partners.
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the development of its OrbNet AI-platform, including integrating the technology with robotic synthesis and high-throughput experimentation and to further strengthen its science and engineering talent.
Entos Raises $53M in Series A Funding - FinSMEs
Entos, Inc., a San Diego, CA-based creator of a platform combining AI-driven technology and automated synthetic development to design small-molecule therapeutics, closed a $53m Series A financing
VisiQuate Receives $50M Equity Investment from Sixth Street Growth
VisiQuate, Inc., a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based provider of advanced analytics and AI-powered automation offerings to healthcare providers, received a $50m equity investment from Sixth Street Growth.
In conjunction with the funding, Lee Mooney at Sixth Street will join VisiQuate’s Board of Directors.
The company intends to use the funds to continue to build solutions and expand its business reach.
Founded in 2009 by Brian Robertson, CEO, VisiQuate provides data management and analytics solutions that let anyone in a healthcare organization explore complex data from multiple sources to gain insights and create actionable workflows. Ana, its cognitive learning platform and interactive, automated data assistant, use natural language chats that are powered by AI, ML, and informed by crowdsourced data.
VisiQuate Receives $50M Equity Investment from Sixth Street Growth
VisiQuate, Inc., a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based provider of advanced analytics and AI-powered automation offerings to healthcare providers, received a $50m equity investment from Sixth Street Growth
Swift Medical Raises $35M in Series B Funding
Swift Medical, a Toronto ON-based digital wound care company, raised $35M in Series B funding.
The round was led by Virgo Investment Group LLC with participation from DCVC, BDC Capital, Women in Technology Venture Fund, Claritas Capital, Chrysalis Ventures, Pender Ventures and Export Development Canada.
This company intends to use the funds to expand its market position and scale their digital wound management platform across North America.
Led by CEO Carlo Perez, Swift Medical provides an AI-powered, digital wound care platform that allows any patient or clinician to capture a high precision image of their wound with their mobile phone, autonomously determines wound dimensions and clinical characteristics, enables virtual wound care consultations and provides real-time, predictive insights to drive enhanced preventive and personalized care.
Swift Medical Raises $35M in Series B Funding - FinSMEs
Swift Medical, a Toronto ON-based digital wound care company, raised $35M in Series B funding
PAQ Therapeutics Raises $30M in Series A Funding
PAQ Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company focused on restoring heath and curing disease through autophagy, closed a $30m Series A financing.
The round was led by Sherpa Healthcare Partners with participation from Huagai Capital, MSA Capital, and MRL Ventures Fund, we well as seed investors Nest.Bio Ventures and Matrix Partners China.
Led by Nan Ji, Ph.D., Co-founder, President and CEO, PAQ Therapeutics is a biotechnology company advancing a new approach to restoring heath and curing disease through autophagy, the body’s most versatile mechanism for natural cellular degradation. With its ATTEC (autophagosome-tethering compound) technology, the company is developing a novel class of small molecule degraders capable of binding a diverse array of substrates to the autophagy pathway. PAQ’s research advances are driving a new class of degradation therapies with the potential to transform drug discovery and development and target a range of substrates including proteins, aggregates, lipids, organelles and pathogens.
