Paul Grand

Activation Capital is seeking #startups to participate in their NEW Frontier BioHealth program. APPLY NOW! https://lnkd.in/dBiSQuNZ - ❗ Application Deadline: June 17, 2024 - 🏁 Program Kickoff: August 8, 2024 - 🎉 Program End: November 22, 2024 - 💻 Location: All virtual except for three in-person events. Travel costs will be covered! -💰 Investment: We do not invest and we do not take any equity. - 🔬 Startups transitioning #lifesciences innovations from research to commercialization, particularly those originating from academic or federal research labs, are highly encouraged to apply. - 🌟 Startups with a clear commercialization path, some initial funding (dilutive or non-dilutive), a full-time founder, licensing, optioning, or the ability to demonstrate control of their IP are highly encouraged to apply. More About the Program: -Website: https://lnkd.in/dBiSQuNZ -Apply Here: https://lnkd.in/dAFb_XpE -Meet with Jackie to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dF3-Ga3h #medicaldevice #pharma #biotech #diagnostic

40

2 Comments

As competition increases for biotech funding, the need for an effective pitch deck continues to grow. A common mistake is neglecting to address potential risks or setbacks. Companies may feel that this will give the impression of an ill-equipped organisation and ultimately erode investor confidence. However, it can have the opposite effect. Acknowledging the risks or potential setbacks you may face demonstrates a clear understanding of the volatile nature of biotech and can show investors that you're prepared to deal with this. If done well, addressing risks can drastically boost confidence and increase your chances of securing funding. #Funding #Biotech #PitchDeck

9

2 Comments

As always, great thoughts from Bruce Booth of Atlas Venture https://lnkd.in/dewT7jdy And it's so important to focus on early quality of team, science and initial data set (not excluding reasonable valuations and lean cap table)

11

Some great advice in this interview — featuring Jeffry Weinhuff of Visionary Ventures — relevant to all sub-sectors of #medtech. My favorite line is “investment capital is not tuition.” 😂 But the best advice stems from the insight that good exits via IPO or M&A processes with multiple buyers competing for your company require that most medtech companies must prove their value via strong commercial metrics. And doing that takes a lot of time, expertise and money. Plan, hire and raise capital accordingly. At Vensana Capital, our investment process centers on a deep analysis of every aspect of getting a breakthrough medtech innovation to market, no matter what stage of development a company is at today. We like entrepreneurs who believe their innovation can be highly impactful to patients. We love the ones who want to leave no doubt. https://lnkd.in/eDsUqgn6

81

1 Comment

Another day another piece of oligo news... This time from Tiba Biotech, who received a BARDA contract to leverage its non-LNP delivery technology for an RNAi-based treatment for swine flu. We wrote about the limitations of LNPs extensively over the years. They saved the day during the pandemic, but also stunted critical R&D on better, novel delivery technologies. LNPs are blunt instrument with lots of potential toxicity concerns. A better delivery vehicle would dramatically enhance the field of precision medicine and nucleic acid therapeutics. I suspect as the pandemic is further in the rear-view, we'll begin seeing more public work around novel delivery vehicles. What do you think about LNPs? We've called them "lamentable nano payloads" in the past. Do you agree? https://lnkd.in/g-csFF_f #oligo #RNA #drugdevelopment #pharma

47

1 Comment

NEJM AI Volume 1, No. 5 is now live! This issue covers a number of urgent concerns for AI x biomedicine, including: • LLM underperformance on automated medical coding tasks • Challenges of integrating AI into traditional healthcare reimbursement models • The effectiveness of histology image search algorithms • Ethical questions for patients engaging with AI tools in their healthcare • Comparative evaluation of AI systems in diagnosing Mendelian disorders Visit http://ai.nejm.org to read all the latest articles on AI in medicine! #healthcare #ai #artificialintelligence #generativeai

40

2 Comments

This will be a fascinating SynBioBeta talk - on how the combined tools of synthetic biology allowed Creyon Bio to build a successful drug in a few months 😳

13

Ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy tests using next-generation sequencing are gaining momentum. As we strive to comprehensively understand how our bodies work at the molecular level and how they react to different types of cancers, early detection, and monitoring have become incredibly valuable and could potentially save millions of lives. I celebrate BillionToOne raise! #cancer #liquidbiopsy #ngs #genetics #MolecularDiagnostics #gene https://lnkd.in/d4a4Bb2y

2

Excited to have led the closing panel entitled "Bridging Science and Investment" in San Diego, CA. Joined by Dr. Sanjeev Thohan (Cogentis Therapeutics, Inc./Phoenix Molecular Designs) and Dr. Yuhua Ji (Grace Science, LLC ), we explored the intersection of scientific innovation and investment strategies. Key topics of this thought-provoking panel included: - Strategic investment approaches in the evolving biotech landscape - The critical role of venture capital in accelerating drug discovery - Innovative funding models for cutting-edge pharmaceutical research - The future of biotechnologies and the investment opportunities they present Thank you to the panelists for sharing their invaluable insights. Our discussion underscored the vital role of strategic investments in driving innovation and shaping the future of drug discovery and development. Together, we are paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in biotech. #biotechnology #MedicinalChemistry, #strategy #drugdevelopment Proventa International #Bio2024 BIO International Convention #DrugDiscovery #Investment #VentureCapital #Biotech #SanDiego American Association for Precision Medicine (AAPM) WISE World Investors & Entrepreneurs Society Agility Pharmaceuticals Precision BioPharma #ai #news

35

2 Comments

Wow, Tempus AI is swinging for the fences: going public next week (same week as GRAL😳) with a target valuation of $6.2B. The IPO will raise about $400M which is about 24 months of cash burn. If this IPO goes well this might open an IPO window for Element Biosciences 🤔 Might be bullish for GRAIL too: Tempus is NGS onco testing + data + AI; going to need a receptive market to raise more cash 🤔

203

15 Comments

Many companies find that navigating the complexities of fundraising can be daunting, but you don't have to do it alone. 📈 2024 Highlights: The number of biotech assets in phase 3 clinical trials has increased compared to 2023. 📊 Trend Over a Decade: Over the past ten years, the number of active biotech products in phase 3 trials has increased fourfold. 🏢 Current Landscape: More than 430 companies are currently funding these trials, reflecting an annual growth rate of 13.7% since 2012 🌟 This growth in late-stage trials is attracting more investment into the biotech sector. Investors are typically more confident in funding companies with advanced clinical assets, leading to potentially higher funding rounds and partnerships Whether you're an investor on the hunt for the next big opportunity or a company in need of funding, this group is here to link you with the right people: https://lnkd.in/ey4v9x3U

19

6 Comments

An investor-dominated board is usually a fact of life for life science companies - learn to live with it. #Investors bring considerable experience and expertise to the table but CEOs must develop strategies to make the #board work for them and thereby get the most out of their boards. Elaine Jones shared her extensive experience with the LifeScience ORG CEO community with clarity and candour. The recording of the session is really worth watching. Join the conversation with 220+ life science #CEO peers at LifeScience ORG. #biotechnology #lifesciences #leadership

5

Fast-forward 10 years when every bio company has access to highly performant models for in silico molecular design... Assuming this translates into many more high quality candidate molecules, there will be insatiable demand for already-scarce clinical development talent. Clinical development skillsets will become multiples more valuable. An optimist might argue we need to start preparing our clinical development regulatory and operational infrastructure for materially higher throughput.

114

13 Comments

Looking back at the past 30 years, I remember myself doing science about 55-60 hours a week, and then helping venture capitalists and biotech start-ups about 70-80 h/week. Usually unsatisfied, sometimes exhausted, but pleased overall. This overexciting workaholism was somehow interrupted last year. I had less work and a lot of mountaineering, - climbed about 5.5 Chomolungma attitudes during the year. It feels like I have reached the stage at which it is a time to start sharing experiences and understanding of the universe. This week, I started to share by publishing an analytic report at SeekigAlpha about TG Therapeutics. This small biotech company has developed a third-to-market anti-CD20 mAb for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Along with the company, this report briefly touches upon current treatments for MS, the competitive landscape of therapeutics, and the uncertainties surrounding the development of new BTK inhibitors. https://lnkd.in/drAFx9vt

10

How do we minimize the number of protocol amendments and increase the operational feasibility of our clinical trials? This article below points out the benefits of using data, conversations and real world data to enhance the feasibility of the protocol design and inclusion/exclusion criteria: 1) Are we being too strict on our criteria in order to "control" for data variability? 2) Do are criteria allow for the intended patient population in the real world (if not, they need to) 3) How realistic is your design in how the study sites actually work? How they see and treat patients? How is your company ensuring the design meets these requirements? https://lnkd.in/gzJzFd-3

4

1 Comment

We look forward to supporting Asceneuron SA’s seasoned management team as they advance ASN 51, a highly promising oral OGA inhibitor into Phase2 testing for Alzheimer’s disease. This sizeable and oversubscribed financing alongside top-tier investors, led by Novo Holdings, is a testament to the high quality of the opportunity. It throws a spotlight on an exciting novel oral compound class of OGA inhibitors targeting a key disease driver protein: Tau, particularly intracellularly, where the vast majority of Tau associated pathology resides in Alzheimer’s disease. The potential for success in Phase 2 of this novel class of oral agents offers the promise to help significantly advance the Alzheimer’s field, currently dominated by anti-amyloid injectable drugs. With this latest biotech deal in Switzerland, the Novo Holdings Venture Investments team is continuing its mission to identify and invest in the most innovative and exciting European and US biotech companies which can help to truly advance patient care. Magne Stoknes Principal, joins me on the Board of Asceneuron as Board Observer. #NovoHoldings #Alzheimer’s #Swissbiotech #CNS #Neurodegeneration #Europeanlifesiences #venturecapital

76

2 Comments

Congratulations to Israeli Digital Health venture Nucleai for their remarkable achievement in raising $14 million in funding, led by Merck Group’s VC arm, M Ventures 🎉 Nucleai's groundbreaking work in leveraging AI and machine learning to analyse pathology images and spatial data at cellular and tissue levels. Their proprietary technology extracts detailed patterns and features from medical images, providing invaluable insights into the tumour microenvironment, cellular morphology, and spatial relationships between different cell types. This round, led by M Ventures, and support by existing investors, brings Nucleai's total funding to an impressive $60 million. Notable backers include S32, Sanofi Ventures, Debiopharm, 复星锐正资本 FOSUN RZ Capital , Vertex Ventures Israel, and Grove Ventures. With this new funding, Nucleai plans to deploy its AI algorithms for the prospective enrollment of patients in clinical trials—a pioneering move in personalized healthcare solutions tailored to each patient's unique needs. Founded in 2018, Nucleai is spearheaded by Avi Veidman, Eliron Amir, Lotan Chorev, and Albert Achtenberg. They bring expertise from their tenure managing the AI computer vision department in the Israeli military’s Intelligence Corps. This achievement underscores Israel's prowess in driving innovation at the intersection of technology and healthcare. 🌟 #DigitalHealth #Israel #fundingnews

31

1 Comment

Imagine transforming clinical studies from regulatory checkboxes to powerful sales engines. ​ May 2nd is your opportunity to learn from a master. ​ Meet 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐌𝐃, 𝐏𝐡𝐃 - a titan in digital health, lead clinical advisor at Manos Health and researcher and hospitalist at UCSF. ​ Dr. Rosner's will be leading our ��𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 workshop. ​ But this isn't just another academic exercise. It's a deep dive into leveraging validation studies for market dominance. ​ Why settle for traditional when you can: ​ 🚀 Propel your clinical trials from costly obligations to potent revenue streams. 🧭 Navigate the complex studies decisions with ease, selecting only the most impactful and cost-effective. ✍🏻 Seamlessly translate hard data into compelling marketing narratives that captivate your target customers. ​ This workshop is designed for the forward-thinking Founders, Health-Tech Executives, and Product Leaders. ​ As a bonus, we’ll also be sharing the internal tools we use with clients: ​ 🧬 Study Type Diagnostic (Determine the best and most cost-effective trial for your stage) 📈 Marketing Dissemination Templates (How to share your study results across socials and other marketing) ✅ Trial Readiness Checklist (What you need to get together to be ready to start with trials) ​ Spaces are limited. Get your spot here ​ 

150

23 Comments

🚀 Venture Bytes #108: Drug Discovery Process Major Beneficiary of AI Integration 🧪💊 In this edition, we dive into two exciting areas: 1️⃣ AI in Drug Discovery 🔬 The drug discovery process, known for its lengthy timelines, high costs, and low success rates, is being revolutionized by AI integration. AI can predict molecule properties and identify potential drug candidates, making AI-powered drug discovery startups attractive acquisition targets for contract research organizations (CROs). Notable startups include Generate:Biomedicines, BigHat Biosciences, Seismic Therapeutic, and BenchSci 💊 2️⃣ Data Labeling for AI Models 🏷️ Data labeling startups are becoming the gatekeepers of mass AI adoption, refining data for AI model utilization. As enterprise SaaS companies focus on integrating AI across their product suites, these startups are poised to achieve significant value in the coming years. Snorkel AI, WEKA and Scale AI are leading the charge. 📈 Plus, get our takes on: - Topical news items 📰 - Selected funding rounds 💰 - Exits 🎉 - Private and public valuations 📊 👀 The Liquidity Watchlist has one change: Gong.io has returned to the top-25 list, replacing WIZ. Our proprietary list features the top 25 promising TMT companies that could have a liquidity event in the next 12-18 months. Check out the full report 🔗: https://lnkd.in/essuuUv8 As always, Santosh Rao looks forward to your comments and suggestions. 💬 #VentureBytes #MarketResearch #InvestmentInsights #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #MachineLearning #ML #DrugDiscovery #BioTech #Pharma #CRO #DataLabeling #DataAnnotation #AIAdoption #SaaS #Enterprise #StartupFunding #Acquisitions #Exits #Valuations #LiquidityWatchlist #IPO #Merger #TMT #Technology #Media #Telecom #Investing #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #Innovation #Disruption #FutureOfWork Manhattan Venture Partners

16

1 Comment