Digest 5/24/23
Surveying great inventors and businesses
Axial: https://linktr.ee/axialxyz
Axial partners with great founders and inventors. We invest in early-stage life sciences companies such as Appia Bio, Seranova Bio, Delix Therapeutics, Simcha Therapeutics, among others often when they are no more than an idea. We are fanatical about helping the rare inventor who is compelled to build their own enduring business. If you or someone you know has a great idea or company in life sciences, Axial would be excited to get to know you and possibly invest in your vision and company . We are excited to be in business with you - email us at info@axialvc.com
Adaptive Biotechnologies:
- Founded in 2009 by Harlan and Chad Robins
- Based on work from Harlan's lab at Fred Hutch to invent the 1st immuno-sequencing technology to profile the T-cell repertoire at scale
- Developing clonoSEQ for MRD testing, working with Genentech & more
Stable expression of large transgenes via the knock-in of an integrase-deficient lentivirus led by Michael Chavez from the Stanley Qi lab https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-023-01037-x
Scientist Stories: Phil Sharp, Co-Founder of Biogen and Discovering RNA Splicing
ElevateBio:
- Founded in 2017 by Vikas Sinha, Mitchell Finer & David Hallal
- Raised $401M led by AyurMaya/Matrix Capital
- To scale its technology platforms: gene editing (LifeEdit), iPSCs and RNA, cell, protein, vector engineering
- And BaseCamp, their cGMP business
“Exits were never the strategy. You build a company to grow it and bring in more products, and if along the way you prove to be of interest to big companies, that’s great. But I never put up a ‘for sale’ sign."
- Arie Belldegrun, Co-Founder of Kite, Allogene, among others
