Participated · Series C · Sep 2025

Galvanize Therapeutics develops and commercializes a pulsed electric field (PEF) platform that uses non-thermal, short-duration, highly focused electrical pulses to modulate biologic processes. Its lead programs include the Aliya® PEF system for solid tumors and RheOx® therapy for chronic bronchitis. The company is commercial-stage and intends to expand its commercial footprint in the United States. Galvanize plans to advance clinical and development activities across its oncology and chronic lung disease programs. Management says it will continue to innovate its novel, non-pharmacologic PEF platform to address unmet needs in patients underserved by pharmaceutical approaches. The company is based in Redwood City, California. Galvanize Therapeutics commercializes the Aliya Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) energy platform, a non-thermal high-voltage, high-frequency electrical system designed to alter cellular physiology for ablation and drug delivery. The company has multiple product lines: RheOx for chronic bronchitis (CE Mark, launched in select European hospitals), CENTAURI for cardiac arrhythmias (CE Mark, launching in Europe), and the Aliya system for soft tissue ablation (recent U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance, launching at select U.S. hospitals). Galvanize is also studying Aliya in immuno-oncology (preclinical and early clinical signals of immune activation) and developing a local drug-delivery system. The company was formed by ATP in 2022 through the merger of Gala Therapeutics, Galaxy Medical, and Galvanize Therapeutics and is headquartered in San Carlos, Calif. Management says it is investing to prove safety and demonstrate enhanced outcomes in initial clinical targets while exploring additional platform applications.

Led · Series A · Aug 2024

Red Queen Therapeutics is a Cambridge, MA–based clinical-stage biotechnology company applying a proprietary stapled lipopeptide platform to design and develop antiviral therapies for coronaviruses, influenzas and other enveloped viruses. Its platform works via fusion inhibition, a mechanism that acts on the virus itself rather than relying on the host immune system. Fusion inhibition blocks viral entry, which can prevent or slow host-cell infection and accelerate viral clearance, and a single fusion-inhibiting lipopeptide can work across variants and within viral families. The company’s stapled lipopeptide therapeutics are designed to be shelf-stable at room temperature and can be formulated for nasal spray, inhaler, or systemic injection. Red Queen also held a contract with BARDA for preclinical development of a pan-influenza therapeutic. The company raised funds to expand operations and advance development efforts.

Led · Series A · Dec 2023

Deep Apple Therapeutics uses an integrated discovery engine combining ensemble cryo-EM, deep learning, and molecular docking screens of ultra-large libraries to discover novel small-molecule therapeutics. The platform moves from target identification to lead optimization in less than 12 months and is broadly applicable across disease areas. It is particularly suited to expedited hit-finding against integral membrane proteins and is advancing multiple programs focused on GPCR modulators with applications in metabolic disorders, inflammation, immunology, and endocrine diseases. The company is led by founding CEO Spiros Liras, Ph.D., and builds on academic co-founders Georgios Skiniotis (Stanford), Brian Shoichet (UCSF), and John Irwin (UCSF). Deep Apple intends to use the new funds to expand operations and accelerate its development efforts; the article reports a $52M Series A financing led by Apple Tree Partners.

Led · Series A · Nov 2023

Ascidian Therapeutics develops RNA exon editors that can replace multiple mutated exons simultaneously to address diseases beyond the reach of viral-vector gene therapy and base editing. Its platform can target genes too large for viral packaging and those with high mutational variance. The approach does not introduce exogenous enzymes, reducing the risk of adverse immune reactions, and it does not modify DNA, lowering off-target risk. The company’s lead program is an RNA exon editor intended to halt progression of Stargardt disease and other ABCA4 retinopathies. Ascidian plans to submit an IND for its lead ABCA4 program to the FDA in early 2024. Beyond ABCA4, it is advancing programs with first-in-class potential in neurological and neuromuscular disorders. The company is based in Boston, MA. Ascidian Therapeutics is a Boston, MA-based biotechnology company whose platform enables therapeutic targeting of large genes and genes with high mutational variance while maintaining native gene expression patterns and levels. Its approach aims to deliver the durability of gene therapy while reducing risks associated with DNA editing by deploying RNA editors that can replace multiple mutated exons without modifying DNA. The platform combines high-throughput molecular biology with computational biology and does not require the introduction of exogenous enzymes, which the company says lowers the risk of immunogenicity. Ascidian's lead program for ABCA4 retinopathy is in IND-enabling studies, and the company is advancing a pipeline across ophthalmology, neurological, neuromuscular, and rare diseases. The company plans to use proceeds from the Series A to expand development efforts to extend the therapeutic potential of RNA medicines. Romesh Subramanian serves as CEO.

Led · Series A · Aug 2023

Aulos Bioscience is advancing AU-007, a computationally designed human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds the CD25-facing portion of IL-2 to redirect IL-2 toward effector T cells and NK cells while avoiding Tregs, vasculature and eosinophils. AU-007 was created using Biolojic Design's machine learning algorithms and is the first human monoclonal antibody designed with AI to enter human clinical trials. The antibody is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study enrolling patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors at sites in the United States and Australia; interim ASCO 2023 data show AU-007 is well tolerated, with trends of decreased regulatory T cells and eosinophils and early signs of anti-tumor activity. Aulos expects to transition to the Phase 2 portion of the study in the fall and to present updated clinical data by year-end. Financially, Apple Tree Partners has remained the lead backer, committing additional capital to advance AU-007 into the Phase 2 portion of the trial. Aulos Bioscience was spun out from Biolojic Design with support from ATP and begins life with IL-2-binding monoclonal antibodies designed by Biolojic Design. The company’s antibodies are engineered to redirect IL-2 away from high-affinity regulatory T cells (Tregs) toward low-affinity effector T cells, aiming to minimize immune suppression while maximizing activation. Preclinical data in mice showed activation of memory phenotype CD8+ cells, natural killer and natural killer T cells, minimal effect on Tregs, superior efficacy in a melanoma model versus IL-2 alone, and a longer half-life for the antibody–IL-2 complex. Aulos plans to study the antibodies in solid tumors and move into human clinical trials this year. The startup begins operations with a $40 million funding commitment from ATP to enable clinical entry and pursuit of clinical proof-of-concept. ATP is described as a VC firm with $2.7 billion in committed capital that supported the spinout from Biolojic Design.