Propel Bio Partners
Propel Bio Partners is a new private equity firm targeting high-potential business in the biosciences space. The firm was established during March 2022 by Dr. Leen Kawas and Richard Kayne. Dr. Kawas and Kayne established Propel Bio Partners with the mission to help biosciences businesses that have disruptive technologies further develop those technologies. The firm is especially interested in businesses that are ready to pursue clinical trials or regulatory approval, although promising businesses at other stages might also be considered. When Propel Bio Partners invests in a business, the equity firm will provide both capital and supportive guidance. Starting with Dr. Kawas and Kayne, the firm’s leadership team is a veritable who’s who of the biosciences field. Dr. Leen Kawas comes to the investment firm from Athira Pharma, of which she was both Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. At the pharmaceutical company, Dr. Kawas oversaw everything from drug discovery and clinical trials, to operations and financing. She has a doctoral degree in medical research. Richard Kayne has sustained a long career in private equity and venture capital, having established Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors in 1984. The Kayne Anderson firm grew to have billions under management. Richard Kayne has since been personally involved in several promising biosciences startups. A third member of Propel Bio Partners’ leadership team is Dr. Dasom Yoo, whose expertise is in regenerative medicine and stem cells. Dr. Yoo has previously conducted research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She is joining the private equity firm as a Senior Advisor. The trio is complemented by a board room that’s full of leaders from some of the top biosciences companies and high-level government agencies. These advisors have specialized expertise in many areas of research, medicine and business, and it’s Propel Bio Partners’ vision that companies the firm invests in will have access to board members when expertise is needed. Propel Bio Partners maintains offices in Los Angeles, California.
Achieve Life Sciences
Post in 2024
Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Vancouver, Canada, focused on developing and commercializing cytisinicline as a treatment for smoking cessation. Cytisinicline is a plant-derived alkaloid that aids in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain. The company aims to make this established treatment, which is already approved and marketed in Central and Eastern Europe, widely available to assist those struggling with nicotine addiction. Achieve Life Sciences has formed licensing agreements with Sopharma AD and the University of Bristol to further advance its mission in addressing the smoking health epidemic.
Inherent Biosciences
Series A in 2022
Inherent Biosciences is a molecular diagnostics company focused on transforming the trial and error approach in medicine by leveraging insights from epigenetics. The company aims to provide clarity on complex health issues by identifying dysregulation across multiple genes and pathways, which informs personalized treatment strategies. Inherent Biosciences develops innovative therapies for a range of conditions, including pain, infertility, embryo quality, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, fetal heart disease, and COVID-19. By translating biological discoveries into actionable insights, the company seeks to enhance patient care and improve outcomes in various medical fields.
Persephone Biosciences
Seed Round in 2022
Persephone Biosciences develops healthcare technology designed to focus on microbial therapeutics for immuno-oncology applications. The company's technology uses artificial intelligence and omics techniques on multiple cancer patient gut microbiome and blood samples to identify microbes needed for normal immune function for population-scale patient data analytics, enabling lab researchers to design microbial drugs that prevent and fight cancer. Persephone Biosciences was founded in 2017 and is based in San Diego, California.
OmniVis
Seed Round in 2021
OmniVis is a biotechnology company that has created an integrated portable platform for the detection of pathogens in various environments, including food processing facilities. The company offers a handheld device that quantitatively measures pathogens, providing accurate results in under 30 minutes. This technology utilizes single-use disposable test kits that analyze swabs or liquid samples, significantly reducing the time and labor associated with traditional lab testing. By delivering a low-cost and user-friendly solution, OmniVis enables health organizations to enhance their pathogen detection capabilities effectively.
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