SBI Japan-Israel Innovation Fund

SBI JI Innovation Fund is a biopharma focused VC. They were formed in early 2017 as a partnership between SBI Holdings of Japan and Vertex. SBI Holdings is a leading Japanese-based, financial services group. Vertex is a global venture capital firm with $700 million under management that boast an impressive track record of exits through M&A and IPO.

David Ben-Ami

General Partner

11 past transactions

Secret Double Octopus

Series C in 2024
Secret Double Octopus Ltd. specializes in developing network-level security solutions that enhance the protection of enterprise communications and critical infrastructure. Founded in 2015 and based in Tel-Aviv, Israel, the company offers a range of innovative products, including Multi-Route Traffic Protection, which guards against data in motion attacks, and Multi-Route Authentication, which ensures secure connections between mobile devices and critical servers. Additionally, it provides Domain Authentication, a password-free solution that improves security for active directory domains while enhancing user experience by eliminating the need for complex passwords. The company's platform emphasizes robust password-less authentication, allowing users and security teams to access workstations, networks, cloud services, and legacy applications efficiently and securely, thus maintaining privacy and operational integrity.

Orasis Pharmaceuticals

Series D in 2024
Orasis Pharmaceuticals develops a corrective eye drop to treat presbyopia. The company's product, CSF-1, is an eye drop that improves the quality of life for people with presbyopia by alleviating the burden of reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective and also safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use.

Orasis Pharmaceuticals

Series C in 2020
Orasis Pharmaceuticals develops a corrective eye drop to treat presbyopia. The company's product, CSF-1, is an eye drop that improves the quality of life for people with presbyopia by alleviating the burden of reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective and also safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use.

BioSight

Series C in 2020
BioSight is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative cancer-targeted chemotherapy pro-drugs. Founded in 2000 and based in Lod, Israel, BioSight has developed a technology known as S2DOT, which allows for the targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs directly into cancer cells. This approach significantly reduces the systemic toxicity often associated with traditional chemotherapy treatments. The company’s lead product is a non-toxic conjugate of cytarabine and asparagine, designed specifically for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Through its research and development efforts, BioSight aims to provide safe and effective therapeutic options for patients suffering from hematological malignancies and disorders.

Ayala Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2019
Ayala Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for patients with rare and aggressive cancers. Founded in 2017 and based in Rehovot, Israel, the company aims to address genetically defined patient populations by targeting the tumorigenic drivers of cancer. Its lead product candidate, AL101, is an intravenous gamma secretase inhibitor currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of recurrent and metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma in patients with Notch-activating mutations. Additionally, Ayala is developing AL102, an oral gamma secretase inhibitor, which is in Phase I clinical trials for desmoid tumors and has a collaboration with Novartis to further develop this compound for multiple myeloma. The company's innovative approach combines bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing to deliver targeted therapies to underserved patient populations.

BiomX

Series B in 2019
BiomX discovers and develops innovative microbiome therapeutics. The Company's mission is to develop novel therapeutics for preventing and treating diseases in which microbiome imbalances have been implicated. BiomX's microbiome modulation technologies are based on the cutting-edge innovative research of its scientific collaborators: Professor Rotem Sorek, PhD and Dr. Eran Elinav, MD, PhD both of the Weizmann Institute of Science and Professor Timothy K. Lu, MD, PhD of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Biond Biologics

Series B in 2019
Biond Biologics Ltd is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Misgav, Israel, specializing in drug discovery and development for cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune diseases. Founded in 2016, the company focuses on creating innovative therapies that address unmet medical needs. Biond is dedicated to uncovering immunoregulatory pathways and conducting internal research on immune checkpoints and immune-evasion mechanisms. Its novel platform aims to enable antibody-targeting of intracellular immune factors, facilitating the development of immuno-oncology drugs and treatments for autoimmune disorders. Through its commitment to high-quality science and innovative approaches, Biond Biologics seeks to provide breakthrough therapies that can effectively combat critical health conditions.

Orasis Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2018
Orasis Pharmaceuticals develops a corrective eye drop to treat presbyopia. The company's product, CSF-1, is an eye drop that improves the quality of life for people with presbyopia by alleviating the burden of reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective and also safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use.

Chemomab

Series B in 2017
Chemomab Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, specializing in the development of therapeutic antibodies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company focuses on discovering innovative treatments for fibrosis-related diseases that have significant unmet medical needs. Chemomab's lead product, CM-101, is a monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the activity of CCL24, a soluble protein that plays a crucial role in promoting fibrosis and inflammation. CM-101 is currently under clinical development, with a particular emphasis on treating orphan diseases such as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Systemic Sclerosis. The company is conducting three Phase 2 clinical trials for CM-101 in various fibrotic indications and anticipates reporting results from these studies in the near future.

LogicBio Therapeutics

Series B in 2017
LogicBio Therapeutics is a genome editing company dedicated to developing innovative treatments for rare diseases, particularly those affecting pediatric patients with significant unmet medical needs. Utilizing its proprietary GeneRide technology, LogicBio aims to integrate corrective genes into patients' genomes, offering potential therapeutic benefits. The company's lead product candidate, LB-001, targets Methylmalonic Acidemia, a severe condition that manifests at birth. Additionally, LogicBio is advancing other candidates, including LB-301, which is being developed in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for Crigler-Najjar syndrome. The company also partners with the Children's Medical Research Institute to create new viral vectors. Founded in 2014 and based in Lexington, Massachusetts, LogicBio is focused on delivering safe and effective genetic medicine to patients suffering from previously untreatable genetic and infectious diseases.

BiomX

Series A in 2017
BiomX discovers and develops innovative microbiome therapeutics. The Company's mission is to develop novel therapeutics for preventing and treating diseases in which microbiome imbalances have been implicated. BiomX's microbiome modulation technologies are based on the cutting-edge innovative research of its scientific collaborators: Professor Rotem Sorek, PhD and Dr. Eran Elinav, MD, PhD both of the Weizmann Institute of Science and Professor Timothy K. Lu, MD, PhD of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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