Participated · Series C · Jul 2026

Allotera Therapeutics (formerly Wugen) is advancing Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel), a CD7-targeted allogeneic, off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapy for T-cell malignancies. Sofi-cel is manufactured from healthy donor T cells in the United States and uses CRISPR/Cas9 to delete CD7 and TRAC to reduce fratricide and graft-versus-host disease risk. Sofi-cel is being evaluated in a global pivotal T-RRex clinical trial for relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT06514794). The therapy has received multiple regulatory designations, including Breakthrough Therapy, RMAT, Fast Track, Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease in the U.S., and PRIME in the EU. The company says its approach aims to address biological and manufacturing barriers in T-cell CAR-T development and is using recent financing to support pivotal development, manufacturing scale-up, platform advancement, and team growth. Allotera is headquartered in St. Louis.

Participated · Series B · Oct 2025

Plastomics is an agricultural biotechnology company headquartered in St. Louis that has developed a proprietary chloroplast engineering platform for corn and soybeans. By inserting traits into chloroplast DNA rather than nuclear DNA, the company eliminates pollen out-crossing, delivers maternal inheritance, and achieves higher and more durable trait expression. Its technology is aimed at producing crop varieties with superior insect and herbicide resistance, greater resiliency and improved sustainability. Following a commercial breakthrough in soybean chloroplast transformation, Plastomics plans to enter final commercial-scale field trials for soybean traits over the next 12–24 months. Concurrently, the firm is accelerating development of what it says will be the world’s first chloroplast-based transgenic traits in corn. The company recently secured $5.8 million in Series B funding to advance these initiatives. No operating metrics such as revenue or acreage under cultivation were disclosed in the announcement.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2024

Edison Agrosciences develops natural rubber from sunflower crops using a seed-breeding approach rather than genetic modification. The company has demonstrated that rubber accumulation in sunflowers is heritable and is running diversity and exploratory trials to identify high-rubber genetic lines. Sunflower leaves naturally contain about 1–2% rubber by weight and are already grown on roughly 1 million acres in the U.S., which Edison views as an advantage for scale-up. The new funding will support scaling operations to produce quantities for industry partners and physical and mechanical testing, and to further build out its breeding program. Edison plans to target specialty, higher-margin applications first before pursuing commodity rubber markets. The company describes itself as extremely lean and has previously operated for four years on roughly $100,000 in investor equity; prior funding came from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator.

Led · Seed · Jul 2024

Maximum Fidelity (MaxFi) offers a patented, proprietary cadaver perfusion system that makes cadavers bleed, breathe and handle like live patients, enabling realistic operating room and trauma-care simulations. Its core customers include healthcare professionals, military medical personnel, and medical device manufacturers, with named customers such as Johnson & Johnson, Washington University in St. Louis, and Safeguard Medical. The company’s simulations are used for education, device testing, and research, positioning MaxFi as a specialized service provider in surgical training and medical device development. MaxFi plans to use the newly raised capital to build a leading-edge medical device development and surgical simulation center in St. Louis, equipped with labs, meeting spaces and lecture rooms. The funds will also support hiring full-time employees, development and launch of new technology, and expansion to new markets. Founded in 2014 in Columbia, Missouri, MaxFi emphasizes commercialization and scaling of its simulation services.

Led · Series A · Mar 2023

Agragene develops CRISPR-based genome-engineered sterile male insects as eco-friendly crop pest protection, initially targeting Spotted Wing Drosophila. Its applications are described as safe for bees, birds and workers. The company relocated from San Diego to St. Louis, joining the Helix Center, to reduce costs and extend financial runway. Management says the move lowered burn rate and enabled the firm to regrow to a staff of eight and hit testing milestones for achieving sterility. Agragene holds an exclusive worldwide license on the underlying intellectual property and is pursuing a commercial product launch in the United States alongside an aggressive global licensing strategy. The company has raised $7.2 million to date. Agragene develops Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT) and semiochemical attract-and-kill products as chemical-free pest-control solutions. Its lead product, Knock-Out™, uses a CRISPR-based approach to engineer sterile males that mate with female crop pests, producing unfertilized eggs and reducing pest populations. Knock-Out™ is applied via drone and is described as more affordable than traditional chemical formulations and safe for bees, birds and workers. Border Patrol™ is a semiochemical attractant on a fiber mat that lures females to lay eggs where larvae desiccate and die. These two products form the core of an integrated pest management system, and the company says it has additional pipeline products for real-time insect detection and mating disruption. The company is led by CEO Gordon Alton and is based in San Diego, California. Agragene develops Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), a CRISPR-based approach to engineer sterile male crop pests that mate with wild females as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. Using advanced genome engineering, the company says its products are applicable to thousands of insect pests worldwide. Agragene aims to expand field trials and advance commercialization of its biological crop pest protection. The company plans a commercial product launch in the United States and a worldwide licensing strategy. Led by CEO Gordon Alton, Agragene was founded in 2017 in San Diego, California. It recently completed a seed financing to support its next development and commercialization steps.