RooLife Group
Post in 2022
RooLife Group is a digital platform that connects lifestyle brands, products, and producers with consumers, primarily focusing on the Chinese market. The company offers a range of services, including market entry consultancy, cross-border e-commerce, and general trade assistance. Utilizing an advanced artificial intelligence system, RooLife provides hyper-personalized marketing and customer acquisition services designed to enhance online sales. By enabling businesses to engage in targeted marketing, RooLife helps brands sell directly to Chinese consumers, facilitating transactions through popular mobile payment platforms such as WeChat and Alipay. The company's innovative approach aims to drive revenue growth by delivering tailored customer experiences.
Epic Sciences
Series D in 2017
Epic Sciences, Inc. is a diagnostics company based in San Diego, California, focused on improving cancer management through the development of highly sensitive tests that identify and characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using minimally invasive blood samples. Founded in 2008, the company’s platform enables the profiling of single-cell phenotypes and genotypes, providing detailed information on biomarker expression levels, morphologic characteristics, and genetic changes. Epic Sciences offers the Oncotype DX AR-V7 Nucleus Detect test specifically for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, as well as biopharma solutions. The company collaborates with biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, major cancer centers, and renowned research institutions, including the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, to enhance personalized medicine and guide treatment decisions.
Ardelyx, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Fremont, California, specializing in the development and commercialization of innovative oral therapeutics for cardiorenal diseases. Founded in 2007, Ardelyx focuses on addressing significant unmet medical needs with its proprietary drug discovery platform. The company's lead product candidate, tenapanor, has completed Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and is also being evaluated for hyperphosphatemia in end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis. In addition, Ardelyx is advancing RDX013, a potassium secretagogue aimed at treating hyperkalemia, and other candidates including RDX002, a phosphate transport inhibitor for chronic kidney disease, and RDX009, an agonist for type 2 diabetes, which are currently in preclinical development. Ardelyx's approach emphasizes the creation of minimally absorbed medications that target specific receptors and transporters, thereby reducing the risk of systemic side effects.
Champions Oncology
Post in 2015
Champions Oncology, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in developing and selling technology solutions aimed at personalizing oncology drug development and treatment. Headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, the company utilizes its Tumorgraft Technology Platform, which involves implanting human tumors in immune-deficient mice, to deliver Personalized Oncology Solutions (POS). These solutions aid physicians in crafting tailored treatment plans by providing tumor-specific data from drug panels. Additionally, Champions Oncology offers Translational Oncology Solutions (TOS) that support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in their drug development processes. The company's product offerings include TumorGraft implants and drug panels that evaluate how a patient's tumor responds to various oncology drugs or combinations. Founded in 1985 and previously known as Champions Biotechnology, Inc., Champions Oncology is committed to enhancing cancer treatment outcomes through innovative technologies.
Cidara Therapeutics
Series B in 2015
Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2012. It specializes in the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative anti-infective therapies aimed at treating serious diseases. The company's lead product candidate, rezafungin acetate, is an echinocandin-class antifungal designed to address serious invasive fungal infections such as candidemia and invasive candidiasis, which are associated with high mortality rates. Additionally, Cidara is advancing its Cloudbreak platform, which focuses on developing antiviral Fc-conjugates for the prevention and treatment of various viral infections, including influenza, RSV, HIV, and coronaviruses. Through its unique therapeutic approaches, Cidara Therapeutics aims to enhance treatment paradigms and improve patient outcomes in the face of life-threatening illnesses.
Global Blood Therapeutics
Series B in 2015
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in South San Francisco, California, focused on developing innovative therapies for underserved patient communities, particularly those affected by blood disorders. The company is advancing its lead product candidate, Oxbryta (voxelotor), which is an oral, once-daily therapy designed for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Oxbryta has completed Phase III clinical trials in adult and adolescent patients and is currently being evaluated for safety and pharmacokinetics in a Phase IIa trial involving pediatric patients. In addition to its efforts in SCD, Global Blood Therapeutics is engaged in research and development for other blood-related conditions, including hereditary angioedema, and holds licensed rights to its product candidates in multiple regions, including the United States and Europe.
Naurex Inc. is a clinical-stage company based in Evanston, Illinois, focused on developing innovative therapies for depression and other central nervous system disorders. The company is pioneering a new mechanism of action for modulating the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR), resulting in the creation of a novel class of compounds known as glycine-site functional partial agonists (GFPAs). These compounds offer a different approach to receptor modulation compared to existing NMDAR agents. Naurex's drug development pipeline includes the first-generation molecule GLYX-13, as well as the second-generation NRX-1050 small molecule series and additional compounds derived from its platform of novel NMDAR modulators. The company's mission is to address unmet needs in psychiatry and neurology by providing safe and effective treatment options.
Blueprint Medicines
Series C in 2014
Blueprint Medicines Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing small molecule kinase inhibitors aimed at treating genomically defined cancers and rare diseases. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company focuses on personalized cancer therapies by leveraging its proprietary chemical library and advanced research capabilities. Its key drug candidates include avapritinib for systemic mastocytosis and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and pralsetinib for RET-altered non-small cell lung cancer and medullary thyroid carcinoma. Additionally, Blueprint Medicines is advancing BLU-263, a KIT inhibitor for mast cell disorders, and fisogatinib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, both currently in clinical trials. The company’s innovative approach seeks to address the molecular drivers of cancer and resistance mechanisms, aiming to enhance treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes. Blueprint Medicines has established collaborations with several pharmaceutical companies to further its research and development efforts.
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals
Series C in 2014
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Houston, Texas, dedicated to the development of novel cellular immunotherapies for treating various cancers, including hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The company is advancing its innovative product candidates, notably BPX-601, an autologous GoCAR-T therapy targeting solid tumors that express prostate stem cell antigen, and BPX-603, a dual-switch GoCAR-T therapy aimed at tumors expressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Bellicum utilizes its proprietary Chemical Induction of Dimerization technology platform, which allows for real-time control over immune system components, enhancing the efficacy and duration of therapeutic responses. Founded in 2004, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals has established collaborations with several organizations to further its research and development efforts in immunotherapy.
Dermira, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing and commercializing therapies for dermatologic diseases, primarily targeting the U.S. market. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Dermira offers QBREXZA, a topical treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis in patients aged nine and older. The company is also advancing its pipeline with lebrikizumab, a monoclonal antibody currently in Phase IIb trials for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, alongside several other early-stage research initiatives in dermatology. Dermira has established strategic partnerships for the development and commercialization of its products, including agreements with Maruho Co., Ltd., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Genentech, Inc., and UCB Pharma S.A. Notably, Dermira was previously known as Skintelligence, Inc. before rebranding in September 2011. As of early 2020, Dermira operates as a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company.
Adverum Biotechnologies
Series B in 2014
Adverum Biotechnologies is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing innovative treatments for ocular and rare diseases. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, the company aims to establish gene therapy as a new standard of care, aspiring to provide functional cures that restore vision and prevent blindness. Its pipeline includes several product candidates, notably ADVM-022, which targets wet age-related macular degeneration through a single intravitreal injection designed to deliver long-term therapeutic effects. Other candidates include ADVM-043 for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and ADVM-053 for hereditary angioedema. Adverum collaborates with partners like Editas Medicine and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to leverage advanced AAV vectors and develop treatments for various inherited retinal diseases and ocular therapeutic targets. Founded in 2006, the company was previously known as Avalanche Biotechnologies and rebranded in 2016.
Stem Cell Therapeutics
Venture Round in 2013
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. is a Toronto-based biopharmaceutical development company focused on advancing cancer stem cell research into innovative therapies for cancer treatment. As Canada's only public company dedicated to this field, it leverages over fifty years of pioneering stem cell research and collaborates with leading academic institutions and oncology treatment centers in Toronto, a prominent hub for cancer research. Additionally, the company develops drug-based therapies aimed at treating central nervous system diseases. These therapies stimulate the patient's own resident stem cells to repair neurological functions impaired by conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis, ultimately providing potential cures for various nervous system disorders.
Arno Therapeutics
Post in 2013
Arno Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Flemington, New Jersey, dedicated to developing innovative treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The company's product pipeline includes Onapristone, a type 1 anti-progestin hormone blocker currently undergoing Phase I/II clinical studies for various solid tumors, including breast and endometrial cancers in post-menopausal women and advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer in men. Additionally, Arno is advancing AR-12, an orally available cancer treatment that has completed Phase I studies for solid tumors and hematological malignancies, as well as AR-42, another oral therapy currently in Phase I investigator-initiated studies targeting hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The company has established collaboration agreements with several institutions, enhancing its research and development efforts.