Participated · Equity · Jun 2023

Modulo Bio is a San Diego, CA-based biotech that models the neuroimmune system to identify drug candidates targeting microglia. Its proprietary Modulo Neuroimmune Platform integrates software, automation, and artificial intelligence with advances in stem cell biology and neuroscience to generate an AI-generated neuroimmune fingerprint of disease. Research starts with patients, leveraging stem cell technology to generate brain cells from patients with different diseases. The company has identified novel microglia targets and generated candidate therapeutics that the company says offer the promise of effective treatments for diseases like ALS and FTD. Modulo intends to use the funds to accelerate development of its first therapeutic program and its Modulo Neuroimmune Platform. Leadership includes CEO Michael Horowitz, Scott Patterson, and Justin Ichida, PhD.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2023

JelikaLite builds Cognilum, an intelligent wearable medical device that combines non-invasive transcranial photobiomodulation (near-infrared light), sensors and a personalization platform to improve communication and reduce social anxiety in autistic children. A Phase I NSF SBIR‑funded open‑label study of 25 participants reported improvements in behavior and communication measured by CARS and independent speech‑language pathology observations, and EEG changes from delta to gamma activity. The company says it has completed two clinical studies and received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and an NSF grant. JelikaLite was launched in 2019 and is based in New York; it has conducted extensive customer discovery and assembled a multidisciplinary team. Financially, the company has raised over $2M to date and announced a recent $760,000 raise. The company plans pilot implementation in clinics in early 2023 and a pivotal clinical trial aimed at FDA de‑novo marketing approval.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2022

Eigen Therapeutics is developing a platform that primes cancer cells to raise levels of proteins targeted by immunotherapies and antibody treatments, broadening the range of susceptible tumor cells. The company positions itself to address precision and specificity gaps in conventional cancer therapies, including resistance, rapid cancer cell evolution, and the complex tumor microenvironment. Eigen pairs its biology with an automated lab infrastructure and high-throughput screening to accelerate discovery and scale experimentation. Its approach is intended to enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies and make advanced, tailored treatments accessible to more patients. Leadership includes CEO and Co‑Founder Transon Nguyen, CTO and Co‑Founder Kamran Ali, and Chief Scientific Officer Kathryn Vanderlaag. The company reports significant milestones since December 2022 and cites a growing precision oncology medicines market as supporting demand for its work. Eigen Therapeutics builds priming therapies that increase target expression across cancer cells to make them more recognizable and vulnerable to targeted therapeutics. The company uses a proprietary high-throughput platform combining combinatorial functional screening, in-house robotics, laboratory operations software, and machine-learning analysis to discover agents that change a cell's state. Initial programs are focused on hematological malignancies, with plans to quickly spin up programs for other indications including solid tumors. Founders Transon Nguyen and Kamran Ali are veterans of Notable Labs and have assembled a team of technology and biological-science experts. Eigen launched from stealth in Redwood City, Calif., was founded in September 2021, and announced a $7 million seed round. The company says it will use the seed capital to apply its platform toward the development of priming therapies.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2019

EnClear Therapies is a Cambridge, MA–based early-stage neurotechnology company led by CEO Anthony DePasqua. Its flagship product, the EnTrega CSF management platform, is designed to optimize therapeutic delivery and patient care in neuro-oncology and other central nervous system diseases. The company intends to use newly raised funds to expedite development within the Neuro‑Oncology field and to bolster its pre-clinical programs. EnClear has received more than $5M in non-dilutive SBIR funding from NINDS and NCI, which has supported its preclinical progress. It also reports strategic partnerships within the pharmaceutical sector to advance its technology toward clinical application. The company is focused on translating its neurotechnological strategies into improved CNS disease treatments. EnClear Therapies develops a proprietary device-based therapeutic platform that focuses on removing toxic proteins from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The company’s system is designed for delivery and monitoring of CSF and aims to aid treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Its initial product efforts target improving the lives of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). EnClear intends to use new funding to move its therapeutic system into a first-in-human clinical trial in ALS. The company also plans to expand the platform into additional applications and pursue strategic partnerships. EnClear is led by CEO and co-founder Anthony DePasqua and is based in Cambridge, Mass. EnClear Therapies is a Cambridge, MA-based biotechnology company developing neurology-focused, device-based systems that remove toxic proteins and provide closed-loop delivery and monitoring of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Its platform aims to treat neurodegenerative diseases by directly clearing pathogenic proteins from CSF while enabling closed-loop therapeutic delivery and monitoring. The company’s first products will target improving the lives of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). EnClear intends to use the proceeds from its seed financing to advance development of these therapies. In March 2019 it secured approximately $2m in seed funding from several investors. Leadership includes CEO and co-founder Anthony DePasqua and newly hired Kevin Kalish as Vice President of Research and Development.