Humboldt Fund

Spiral Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company founded in 2016 and based in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in developing novel therapies for inner ear disorders, particularly focusing on acute and subacute hearing loss as well as balance disorders caused by neurodegenerative, inflammatory, or vascular issues. Spiral Therapeutics employs a unique platform that aims to deliver targeted drug therapies directly to the inner ear, optimizing treatment effectiveness by ensuring that the right medications are administered at the right location and for the appropriate duration. Through its innovative approach, the company seeks to provide patients with effective treatments for hearing loss and related conditions.

Deciduous Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative immune-modulatory therapies aimed at addressing age-related diseases. The company specializes in creating novel molecules that activate the body's natural immune surveillance mechanisms to selectively eliminate senescent cells, which are associated with various age-related conditions. Led by Anil Bhushan, a professor at UCSF, and Robin Mansukhani, an experienced biotech entrepreneur, Deciduous Therapeutics is dedicated to promoting a healthier lifespan through its pioneering approach to therapeutics in the aging sector.

Endpoint Health, Inc. is a precision immunology company focused on researching and developing therapies that enhance outcomes for patients with critical and immune-driven illnesses, including sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and COVID-19. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in Detroit, Livonia, and Chicago, the company aims to overcome the limitations of traditional drug development by creating precision therapies tailored to individual patient needs. Utilizing its proprietary AI-powered platform, OMNAI, Endpoint Health identifies and matches high-potential therapies to patients most likely to benefit, ensuring personalized treatment that significantly improves health outcomes. The company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that address the complexities of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

Founded in 2018, Ansa Biotechnologies develops an innovative DNA synthesis technology based on enzymes. This novel approach aims to accelerate biological research and engineering by producing gene-length oligonucleotides more efficiently than traditional chemical methods.

Affini-T Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing T-cell therapies for patients suffering from cancer. Affini-T uses a validated platform to select high-affinity T cell receptors specific to oncogenic mutations to pioneer cutting-edge solid tumor therapies. Affini-T leverages gene editing and synthetic biology to engineer novel T-cell therapies designed to eradicate tumors.

Finless Foods is a biotechnology company that uses cellular agriculture to develop cell-cultured seafood products as sustainable alternatives for human consumption. It grows marine-animal cells to create seafood substitutes, including bluefin tuna, with the goal of offering responsibly produced options that support ocean health and reduce overfishing. Founded in 2017 and based in Emeryville, California, the company concentrates on expanding dietary choices while addressing environmental impacts of traditional seafood.

HAYA Therapeutics develops RNA-based therapeutics focused on treating fibrotic diseases. Its precision medicines target specific regulators of fibrosis in tissues like the heart, aiming to block fibrosis progression and treat associated conditions safely and effectively.

Cellino develops scalable, automated biomanufacturing systems for personalized cell therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The company aims to enable potentially curative, patient-specific treatments by producing autologous iPSCs at scale and applying AI-guided, image-driven laser processing and robotics to remove unwanted cells. By integrating image-guided machine learning, single-cell laser processing, and robotics, Cellino seeks to enhance precision, efficiency, and scalability in optical bioprocessing, accelerating the development of regenerative therapies for chronic degenerative diseases such as vision loss and Parkinson's disease.

Founded in 2018, Ansa Biotechnologies develops an innovative DNA synthesis technology based on enzymes. This novel approach aims to accelerate biological research and engineering by producing gene-length oligonucleotides more efficiently than traditional chemical methods.

Founded in 2009 by three biotechnology engineers from Universidad Andrés Bello, PhageLab develops antibiotic substitutes for use in the livestock industry. Their products are designed to selectively eliminate pathogenic bacteria without harming beneficial flora, enhancing productivity and food safety.

Minus is a beanless coffee company which produces coffee.

Debut Biotechnology, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2019. It specializes in biomanufacturing solutions for high-value molecules, focusing on the development of specialty enzyme solutions and continuous manufacturing processes. The company offers a range of services, including biomanufacturing cartridges, fermentation, and the immobilization of cells and enzymes. Debut Biotechnology is dedicated to creating novel immobilization techniques for enzymes, achieving high success rates and providing immobilized enzymes for continuous manufacturing systems. Its innovative approach enables the production and modification of small and large molecules, catering primarily to the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries. By harnessing natural enzyme technologies, Debut aims to deliver sustainable and cost-effective ingredient solutions to its clients.

Mission Barns, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Berkeley, California, founded in 2018. It specializes in the production of cell-cultured meat by cultivating animal cells in a nutrient-rich environment. By utilizing cellular agriculture techniques, Mission Barns aims to create sustainable meat products that minimize the negative impacts associated with traditional intensive animal farming. The company focuses on growing meat in a way that is efficient and environmentally friendly, allowing consumers to enjoy juicy and savory meats while contributing to a more sustainable food system.

Meatable is a Dutch food production company that specializes in creating cultured meat using stem cell technology. Founded in 2019, the company employs pluripotent stem cells to transform various types of cells into muscle or fat tissue, eliminating the need for animal slaughter. This process enables Meatable to produce sustainable, guilt-free meat without compromising taste and texture.

Cellino develops scalable, automated biomanufacturing systems for personalized cell therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The company aims to enable potentially curative, patient-specific treatments by producing autologous iPSCs at scale and applying AI-guided, image-driven laser processing and robotics to remove unwanted cells. By integrating image-guided machine learning, single-cell laser processing, and robotics, Cellino seeks to enhance precision, efficiency, and scalability in optical bioprocessing, accelerating the development of regenerative therapies for chronic degenerative diseases such as vision loss and Parkinson's disease.

Concerto Biosciences develops microbe-based products that rebuild microbial communities in and around humans and ecosystems. The company uses an ultra-high-throughput platform to experimentally measure millions of microbial interactions and map interaction networks, enabling the discovery of ensembles, which are specific combinations of microbes that work together to shepherd damaged microbial communities back to health. These ensembles have potential applications across medicine and agriculture, addressing global challenges in health, food, and industry. By focusing on microbial community engineering, Concerto aims to become a leading inventor of ensembles and to redefine how microbiomes are leveraged for health and environmental outcomes.

CellX specializes in developing mushroom-based protein ingredients through morel mycelium fermentation. Their products cater to savory snacks, protein powders, and meat alternatives. Additionally, they license intellectual properties to facilitate the commercialization of cultivated meat.

MycoWorks is a biotechnology company specializing in the production of non-plastic and non-animal materials. Utilizing fungal mycelium, they create energy-efficient and biodegradable alternatives to plastic foams, textiles, woods, and leather for various industries such as aerospace, automotive, apparel, and architecture.

Metagenomi is a genetic medicines company headquartered in Emeryville, California. It leverages metagenomics and machine learning to discover novel genome editing systems from diverse organisms, then convert these natural systems into compact, highly efficient, and specific tools aimed at reducing immune responses. The company maintains a proprietary, metagenomics-derived genome editing toolbox that includes programmable nucleases, base editors, small RNA-mediated integration systems (RIGS), large template RIGS, and CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs). Its development focus is in vivo gene editing with a wholly owned pipeline, while exploring technology out-licensing for ex vivo cell therapies to pursue curative therapeutics for genetic diseases.

Geltor designs and produces animal-free collagen and other bioactive proteins for beauty, wellness, and nutrition applications. Founded in 2015, the company uses proprietary AI to create customized proteins tailored to specific industry needs.

Founded in 2018, Ansa Biotechnologies develops an innovative DNA synthesis technology based on enzymes. This novel approach aims to accelerate biological research and engineering by producing gene-length oligonucleotides more efficiently than traditional chemical methods.

Metagenomi is a genetic medicines company headquartered in Emeryville, California. It leverages metagenomics and machine learning to discover novel genome editing systems from diverse organisms, then convert these natural systems into compact, highly efficient, and specific tools aimed at reducing immune responses. The company maintains a proprietary, metagenomics-derived genome editing toolbox that includes programmable nucleases, base editors, small RNA-mediated integration systems (RIGS), large template RIGS, and CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs). Its development focus is in vivo gene editing with a wholly owned pipeline, while exploring technology out-licensing for ex vivo cell therapies to pursue curative therapeutics for genetic diseases.

Founded in 2013 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, CollegeVine is a technology company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence platforms to replace administrative tasks within the higher education sector. Its primary goal is to save time and money for universities globally by deploying safe AI agents, aiming to make higher education sustainable and efficient.