• Ciris Energy

  Led · Series C · Jul 2013

  Ciris Energy develops bioconversion technologies that convert carbon in low‑rank coal into natural gas and industrial chemicals using proprietary in‑situ bioconversion (ISBC) and ex‑situ bioconversion (ESBC) processes. The company is operating a first‑phase commercial ISBC plant in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and is targeting initiation of a demonstration ESBC plant in 2014. Its ISBC process rejuvenates unproductive coal territories by stimulating and optimizing naturally occurring processes, while ESBC converts mined coal into methane and chemicals. Ciris positions these technologies as cleaner, sustainable alternatives to traditional coal utilization and aims to harvest untapped energy resources. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. Recent capital raises and partnerships are intended to advance commercialization and support international expansion, particularly into Asian markets. Ciris Energy develops biochemical technologies to convert coal into natural gas with the goal of reducing environmental harm and improving economic efficiency. The company aims to make coal a far less dangerous and polluting energy resource than it is today. Its core work includes in-situ biochemical conversion of coal to methane and an ex-situ biochemical coal conversion process. According to the company, it plans to commercialize both approaches and advance the ex-situ technology to commercial-ready status. Ciris recently strengthened its balance sheet via a disclosed financing, which the company says will fund its first commercial-scale projects. The company is identified in filings as based in Cenetennial, Colorado.

• Oxitec

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2012

  Oxitec develops genetically modified mosquitoes intended to reduce or eliminate populations of disease vectors. The company has raised and reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which the article states transmit malaria, Zika and dengue. Oxitec inserts a gene into male mosquitoes that is inherited by females, causing the next generation of females to die before they begin biting and feeding on blood. The firm reports the genetic modification can eradicate mosquito populations within ten generations. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's $4.1M investment will support Oxitec's work to create malarial Anopheles mosquitoes for trials planned at the end of 2020. Oxitec previously received £3.7M from the Gates Foundation in 2010. Oxitec develops a platform that produces a unique strain of the dengue mosquito (Aedes aegypti) containing sterility and marker genes. The company releases engineered male mosquitoes that do not bite; when they mate with wild females the resulting offspring inherit the additional genes and die before reaching adulthood. The inherited marker is visible under a specific wavelength of light, enabling simple programme monitoring in the field. Oxitec recently received the first approval for its technology to control dengue mosquitoes from Brazil’s National Technical Commission for Biosecurity (CTNBio) in April. The company completed a £6.1m ($10.2m) funding round to establish commercial production facilities and enable rollout of dengue mosquito control programmes, initially in Brazil. The funds will also support local recruitment and training and expansion into additional countries impacted by dengue fever; Oxitec was established in 2002 as a University of Oxford spin-out and is led by CEO Hadyn Parry. Oxitec develops genetically engineered 'sterile' male insects as a method to suppress populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and other pest species. Its core product is the Oxitec Control Programme, designed to reduce dengue-mosquito populations in hard-hit communities. The company intends to use newly raised capital to conduct further trials of the Control Programme. Oxitec leverages advanced genetics to extend the principle of sterility-based suppression to a broader range of insect species and to overcome cost-efficacy hurdles. The technology targets public-health and agricultural threats driven by insect vectors. Oxitec is led by CEO Hadyn Parry and is based in Oxford, UK.

• Brightcom Group (formerly LYCOS Internet Ltd)

  Participated · Equity · Jan 2011

  Ybrant Digital provides digital marketing solutions and operates the Lycos search portal. The company serves major brands including SAP, Porsche, UPS, Chevrolet and Lufthansa and has partnerships with publishers such as Facebook, Google, MSN, Yahoo!, Viacom and About.com. It maintains offices in 20 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. Ybrant says it will use new funding to grow its reach, develop new technology, expand internationally and explore acquisitions. Founded in 2000, the company has raised a reported $103 million to date per CrunchBase. The firm acquired Lycos last year for $36 million.

No current team members are available.