Quark Venture

Quark Venture Inc., established in 2015 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is a venture capital investment firm dedicated to financing innovative companies in the biotechnology and health sciences sectors. The firm focuses on investing in businesses that possess breakthrough technology platforms and projects, aiming to support advancements in healthcare and related fields.

Chen, Jesson

Co-Founder, Chairman and Partner

Karimah Es Sabar

CEO and Partner

Xiao Yu

Director, Investments and Principal

32 past transactions

Alpha9 Theranostics

Series B in 2022
Alpha9 Theranostics is a biopharma company that focuses on radiotherapeutics for the treatment of solid and hematologic malignancies. The company is creating a strong pipeline of radiopharmaceuticals to target solid and hematologic malignancies. Its systematic approach to radiotherapeutic design is fueled by a toolbox of technologies and chemistries, which offers broad potential for expansion into a multitude of oncology targets. Alpha9 Theranostics was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

V-Wave

Series C in 2021
V-Wave Ltd. is a private company that develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for patients suffering from chronic heart failure. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Caesarea, Israel, with additional offices in the United States, V-Wave has created a proprietary interatrial shunt designed to alleviate symptoms associated with both preserved and reduced ejection fraction heart failure. This biocompatible implant regulates left atrial pressure, addressing a key factor in the deterioration of heart failure. The device aims to enhance patients' quality of life by reducing hospitalizations and improving exercise capacity. V-Wave's team consists of experienced engineers and medical scientists dedicated to advancing treatment options for individuals who continue to experience debilitating symptoms despite optimal medical care.

Lyndra Therapeutics

Series C in 2021
Lyndra Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the development of ultra-long-acting oral medicines. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the company focuses on creating orally administered dosage forms that can deliver a sustained release of medications for periods ranging from a week to a month while remaining in the stomach. Lyndra's therapeutic initiatives target a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, psychiatric issues, opioid use disorders, immunology, HIV, malaria vector control, and oral contraceptives. By enhancing medication adherence and improving health outcomes, Lyndra Therapeutics aims to contribute to lower healthcare costs and better patient care.

Volastra

Seed Round in 2021
Volastra Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in New York that focuses on developing therapies for metastatic cancers. Founded in 2019, the company utilizes a library of organoids derived from metastatic cancer samples to understand tumor spread and create targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at chromosomal instability. By integrating artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and proprietary imaging techniques, Volastra identifies cancers at higher risk of metastasis, allowing healthcare professionals to select appropriate patients for therapy and improve treatment outcomes. Through its innovative approach, Volastra seeks to advance the understanding and management of metastatic diseases.

CalciMedica

Series D in 2021
CalciMedica, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in La Jolla, California, specializing in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs aimed at treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Founded in December 2006 by a team of scientists with backgrounds in the field, the company focuses on the specific inhibition of calcium release-activated calcium channels. This proprietary technology is designed to modulate the immune response and protect against tissue cell injury, addressing significant unmet medical needs in life-threatening inflammatory conditions. CalciMedica's innovative approach aims to offer therapeutic benefits for diseases that currently lack approved treatment options.

V-Wave

Series C in 2020
V-Wave Ltd. is a private company that develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for patients suffering from chronic heart failure. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Caesarea, Israel, with additional offices in the United States, V-Wave has created a proprietary interatrial shunt designed to alleviate symptoms associated with both preserved and reduced ejection fraction heart failure. This biocompatible implant regulates left atrial pressure, addressing a key factor in the deterioration of heart failure. The device aims to enhance patients' quality of life by reducing hospitalizations and improving exercise capacity. V-Wave's team consists of experienced engineers and medical scientists dedicated to advancing treatment options for individuals who continue to experience debilitating symptoms despite optimal medical care.

EnClear Therapies

Series A in 2020
EnClear Therapies is a Cambridge (USA) based life sciences company developing a device-based therapy to aid in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease and delivery and monitoring of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). EnClear’s proprietary therapeutic platform focuses on removing toxic proteins from the CSF. The company’s first products will target improving the lives of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Volastra

Seed Round in 2020
Volastra Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in New York that focuses on developing therapies for metastatic cancers. Founded in 2019, the company utilizes a library of organoids derived from metastatic cancer samples to understand tumor spread and create targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at chromosomal instability. By integrating artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and proprietary imaging techniques, Volastra identifies cancers at higher risk of metastasis, allowing healthcare professionals to select appropriate patients for therapy and improve treatment outcomes. Through its innovative approach, Volastra seeks to advance the understanding and management of metastatic diseases.

Eyevensys

Series B in 2020
Eyevensys is a address critical unmet needs in ophthalmology by providing a much better way of delivering ophthalmic drugs that overcomes the limitations of current options, such as intravitreal injections, surgery, intravitreal implants and biodegradable formulations. All of these current options have their drawbacks, given they are invasive procedures. Eyevensys’ goal is not only to improve short and long term therapeutic outcomes, but also to enhance compliance, improve ocular bioavailability and tolerability. They plan to build a high value product pipeline by enabling sustained production of therapeutic proteins in the eye that will deliver improved clinical outcomes while reducing the burden of frequent intravitreal or systemic injections and other invasive procedures.

Raziel Health

Series C in 2019
Raziel Health is a pharmaceutical company based in Rehovot, Israel, focused on developing innovative treatments for obesity and related fat disorders. The company's primary product, RZL-012, is a synthetic small molecule designed for injection into subcutaneous fat, where it induces fat cell death at the injection site, leading to a significant and long-lasting reduction in fat tissue. Raziel Health is actively conducting clinical trials to explore the efficacy of RZL-012 for various fat-related conditions, including Dercum's disease, as well as for aesthetic purposes. In addition to its pharmaceutical endeavors, Raziel Health aims to enhance healthcare accessibility by offering integrated technologies that promote timely clinical intervention and support individual patient wellness and disease management from the comfort of their homes.

Raziel Health

Series C in 2019
Raziel Health is a pharmaceutical company based in Rehovot, Israel, focused on developing innovative treatments for obesity and related fat disorders. The company's primary product, RZL-012, is a synthetic small molecule designed for injection into subcutaneous fat, where it induces fat cell death at the injection site, leading to a significant and long-lasting reduction in fat tissue. Raziel Health is actively conducting clinical trials to explore the efficacy of RZL-012 for various fat-related conditions, including Dercum's disease, as well as for aesthetic purposes. In addition to its pharmaceutical endeavors, Raziel Health aims to enhance healthcare accessibility by offering integrated technologies that promote timely clinical intervention and support individual patient wellness and disease management from the comfort of their homes.

Pi Therapeutics

Series B in 2019
Pi Therapeutics is a discovery-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to develop a novel cancer drug. The company is financed by a syndicate of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company through its venture group Takeda Ventures Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, OrbiMed Israel Partners, Pontifax, and the Israel Innovation Authority, and has operated since March 2015 in the FutuRx biotech accelerator in Ness Ziona, Israel. The company’s mission is to develop novel first-in-class drugs directed against the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), mainly for treatment of cancer.

Lyndra Therapeutics

Series B in 2019
Lyndra Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the development of ultra-long-acting oral medicines. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the company focuses on creating orally administered dosage forms that can deliver a sustained release of medications for periods ranging from a week to a month while remaining in the stomach. Lyndra's therapeutic initiatives target a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, psychiatric issues, opioid use disorders, immunology, HIV, malaria vector control, and oral contraceptives. By enhancing medication adherence and improving health outcomes, Lyndra Therapeutics aims to contribute to lower healthcare costs and better patient care.

Keros Therapeutics

Series B in 2019
Keros Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative treatments for patients with hematological and musculoskeletal disorders that have significant unmet medical needs. The company's lead product candidate, KER-050, targets low blood cell counts, specifically anemia and thrombocytopenia, in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis. Additionally, Keros is advancing KER-047, a small molecule therapy aimed at treating anemia caused by elevated hepcidin levels, as well as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Another candidate, KER-012, is being developed for conditions related to bone loss, such as osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfecta, and for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Founded in 2015, Keros Therapeutics is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Sitka Biopharma

Venture Round in 2018
Sitka Biopharma is a preclinical biotechnology company focused on developing its breakthrough nanoparticle platform technology to increase absorption of drugs in difficult-to-penetrate tissues. Initially targeting oncology indications, we are developing our lead candidate (STK-01) to address the absorption challenge of intravesical chemotherapy for bladder cancer, and later intraperitoneal delivery for ovarian cancer. Their nanoparticle platform technology is highly versatile, offers unique benefits over other nano-delivery systems, and is particularly well-suited for treating relatively localized diseases where local administration of the therapeutic is possible but is currently ineffective or unsafe. Bladder cancer was chosen for their lead program because it is characterized by therapies that exhibit limited uptake and efficacy, or are associated with significant tolerability issues and side effects. Sitka’s novel product (STK-01) is designed to overcome these issues and improve treatment outcomes by delivering a much higher concentration of the chemotherapeutic docetaxel into the bladder wall.

Canary Medical

Venture Round in 2018
Canary Medical Inc. focuses on developing innovative medical implant and data management devices that facilitate remote patient monitoring and data collection. Founded in 2013 and based in Vancouver, Canada, the company has created the Canary Health Implantable Reporting Processor (CHIRP), a sensor-based device that autonomously gathers medical data without requiring significant patient compliance or physician intervention. In 2021, it launched canturio™te, the first "smart knee" tibial extension, which continuously monitors patient activity and joint performance, transmitting the collected data to the cloud. Canary Medical aims to enhance healthcare outcomes while reducing costs by providing reliable and efficient healthcare data monitoring and analysis. The company is backed by a team of experienced professionals with expertise in medical device design, development, and data informatics.

V-Wave

Series C in 2018
V-Wave Ltd. is a private company that develops percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for patients suffering from chronic heart failure. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Caesarea, Israel, with additional offices in the United States, V-Wave has created a proprietary interatrial shunt designed to alleviate symptoms associated with both preserved and reduced ejection fraction heart failure. This biocompatible implant regulates left atrial pressure, addressing a key factor in the deterioration of heart failure. The device aims to enhance patients' quality of life by reducing hospitalizations and improving exercise capacity. V-Wave's team consists of experienced engineers and medical scientists dedicated to advancing treatment options for individuals who continue to experience debilitating symptoms despite optimal medical care.

ARTMS

Venture Round in 2017
ARTMS is a technology developer focused on transforming the production of diagnostic imaging isotopes. The company has created the QUANTM Irradiation System, which supports decentralized and local production of essential medical isotopes such as gallium-68, zirconium-89, technetium-99m, and copper-64. This innovative technology allows for cost-effective, high-yield production using local hospital-based medical cyclotrons, thereby enabling the nuclear medicine industry to better manage supply chain demands and enhance the availability of critical imaging agents. Through its advancements, ARTMS aims to improve access to important diagnostic tools in healthcare.

Bioarray Therapeutics

Series B in 2017
BIOARRAY's Therapeutics, Inc. (BIOARRAY) is a privately held start up biotechnology company founded in 2009 in Boston, MA. BIOARRAY is developing proprietary predictive diagnostic tests, based on cancer genes (markers), to choose to the most efficacious treatment for cancer patients beforehand, rather than the trial and error approach currently used.

CathWorks

Series B in 2017
CathWorks Ltd. is a medical technology company that specializes in enhancing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) therapy decisions through its advanced computational science platform. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Kfar-Saba, Israel, with an additional office in the United States, the company has developed the CathWorks FFRangio, a non-invasive device that provides objective, multi-vessel physiologic measurements. This tool transforms coronary angiography from a subjective visual assessment into an objective decision-making framework based on fractional flow reserve (FFR) metrics. By utilizing sophisticated algorithms to process visual information, CathWorks aims to improve the efficiency of cath lab operations and support healthcare providers in making data-driven clinical decisions.

Sitka Biopharma

Seed Round in 2017
Sitka Biopharma is a preclinical biotechnology company focused on developing its breakthrough nanoparticle platform technology to increase absorption of drugs in difficult-to-penetrate tissues. Initially targeting oncology indications, we are developing our lead candidate (STK-01) to address the absorption challenge of intravesical chemotherapy for bladder cancer, and later intraperitoneal delivery for ovarian cancer. Their nanoparticle platform technology is highly versatile, offers unique benefits over other nano-delivery systems, and is particularly well-suited for treating relatively localized diseases where local administration of the therapeutic is possible but is currently ineffective or unsafe. Bladder cancer was chosen for their lead program because it is characterized by therapies that exhibit limited uptake and efficacy, or are associated with significant tolerability issues and side effects. Sitka’s novel product (STK-01) is designed to overcome these issues and improve treatment outcomes by delivering a much higher concentration of the chemotherapeutic docetaxel into the bladder wall.

PhysIQ

Series B in 2017
PhysIQ, Inc. is a health technology company based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in a cloud-based predictive platform for personalized physiology analytics. The company has developed a platform that analyzes multiple data streams to establish individual baseline norms for patients, allowing clinicians to monitor vital signs and detect clinically significant changes. This innovative approach helps manage chronic illnesses by predicting acute medical events before symptoms arise and empowers consumers to take control of their health and fitness. PhysIQ's solution is applicable in both regulated healthcare and unregulated health and fitness markets, and it can be integrated into other patient monitoring devices, enhancing their capabilities. Founded in 2013, PhysIQ was previously known as VGBio, Inc.

PHEMI

Series B in 2017
PHEMI Systems Corporation specializes in developing a comprehensive privacy, security, governance, and data management system optimized for Microsoft Azure. Founded in 2013 and based in Vancouver, Canada, the company focuses on the healthcare sector, offering the PHEMI Data Privacy Manager. This cloud-based platform addresses the critical need for healthcare organizations to secure, manage, and control access to sensitive information while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. Built on a privacy-by-design architecture, PHEMI’s software facilitates data sharing and integrates seamlessly with numerous data sources, as well as popular data science and business analysis tools. The platform is designed to scale according to the organization's size and offers a flexible usage-based pricing model.

Lyndra Therapeutics

Series A in 2017
Lyndra Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the development of ultra-long-acting oral medicines. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the company focuses on creating orally administered dosage forms that can deliver a sustained release of medications for periods ranging from a week to a month while remaining in the stomach. Lyndra's therapeutic initiatives target a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, psychiatric issues, opioid use disorders, immunology, HIV, malaria vector control, and oral contraceptives. By enhancing medication adherence and improving health outcomes, Lyndra Therapeutics aims to contribute to lower healthcare costs and better patient care.

Biscayne Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2017
Biscayne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company that develops therapies based on growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogs. The compounds include GHRH antagonists in development for the treatment of cancer, including castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and GHRH agonists for the repair of cardiac damage in heart disease patients. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.
Biscayne Neurotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Miami, Florida, focused on developing innovative therapies for challenging neurological disorders. The company is advancing its lead compound, BIS-001, aimed at treating refractory forms of epilepsy, including complex partial seizures and conditions like Dravet syndrome. BIS-001 is a synthetic version of huperzine A, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor known for its ability to penetrate the brain effectively, offering a distinct mechanism of action. Biscayne Neurotherapeutics is supported by a seasoned executive team with a strong background in drug development, as well as a group of esteemed scientific advisors specializing in seizure and central nervous system disorders. The firm is part of the expanding biomedical sector in South Florida, positioning itself to contribute significantly to the treatment landscape for epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

Microbion

Venture Round in 2017
Microbion Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for resistant and difficult-to-treat infections. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, with an additional office in Vancouver, Canada, the company specializes in bismuth-thiols, which are designed to prevent microbial biofilms from forming on implanted medical devices and to manage biofilms in various infectious diseases. Microbion's product pipeline includes treatments for chronic and acute wound infections, particularly those related to diabetic foot ulcers, orthopedic implant-related infections, and other chronic wounds. The company also addresses the challenges posed by antibiotic-resistant microbes, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and aims to reduce infections associated with military wounds.

SQZ Biotech

Series B in 2016
SQZ Biotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative cell therapies for patients facing cancer, infectious diseases, and other serious health conditions. Utilizing its proprietary CellSqueeze technology, SQZ Biotech can deliver a variety of materials into diverse patient cell types, enabling the engineering of therapies that address a wide array of clinical challenges. The company aims to create well-tolerated cell therapies that not only enhance therapeutic benefits but also improve the overall patient experience compared to traditional cell therapy methods. Through a combination of internal research initiatives and external collaborations, SQZ Biotech is advancing a new generation of cellular therapies aimed at both immune activation and immune suppression.

MSI Methylation Sciences

Venture Round in 2016
MSI Methylation Sciences, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Canada that focuses on developing oral and small molecule therapies for the adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Founded in 2007, the company is known for its product Strada, an orally administered therapy designed to alleviate symptoms of depression in MDD patients. Additionally, MSI develops S-Adenosyl Methionine, a prescription drug that serves as a dietary supplement. The company aims to reduce drug development risk while providing effective treatment options based on ademetionine, a naturally occurring molecule crucial for various biochemical processes in the body.

Sitka Biopharma

Seed Round in 2016
Sitka Biopharma is a preclinical biotechnology company focused on developing its breakthrough nanoparticle platform technology to increase absorption of drugs in difficult-to-penetrate tissues. Initially targeting oncology indications, we are developing our lead candidate (STK-01) to address the absorption challenge of intravesical chemotherapy for bladder cancer, and later intraperitoneal delivery for ovarian cancer. Their nanoparticle platform technology is highly versatile, offers unique benefits over other nano-delivery systems, and is particularly well-suited for treating relatively localized diseases where local administration of the therapeutic is possible but is currently ineffective or unsafe. Bladder cancer was chosen for their lead program because it is characterized by therapies that exhibit limited uptake and efficacy, or are associated with significant tolerability issues and side effects. Sitka’s novel product (STK-01) is designed to overcome these issues and improve treatment outcomes by delivering a much higher concentration of the chemotherapeutic docetaxel into the bladder wall.
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