Participated · Seed · Sep 2019

Unnatural Products has built an integrated discovery platform to engineer synthetic macrocyclic peptides at scale, combining computational design, automated chemistry, and high-throughput biological testing. The company positions macrocyclic peptides as a modality that can marry biologics-level selectivity with small-molecule delivery properties, including potential oral delivery and cell permeability. Its pipeline targets cardiometabolic, inflammatory, and immunological diseases, and the company is advancing lead programs toward clinical development. Unnatural Products has established collaborations with pharma and biotech partners including Novartis, Merck, BridgeBio and argenx; the Novartis deal includes up to $100 million upfront and up to $1.7 billion in milestones. The recent $45 million Series B will fund further platform development and pipeline advancement. The company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California.

Participated · Seed · Aug 2018

DNAlite Therapeutics is an early-stage, preclinical biotechnology company developing gastrointestinal gene therapies. The company is pursuing a gene therapy strategy to treat monogenetic gastrointestinal diseases by delivering a functional copy of the gene to patients' gastrointestinal epithelium using a proprietary delivery platform. Proceeds from a recent seed financing will be used to continue development of treatments for genetic intestinal diseases. DNAlite focuses on bringing next-generation drugs to organs protected by mucosal barriers and on addressing patient populations with limited therapeutic options. The company was founded in 2016 by UC Berkeley graduates Mubhij Ahmad and Timothy Day and is Berkeley-based. Recent additions to the team include Xixi Zhu (operations, cross-border fundraising and business development) and Dr. Cassandra Callmann (nanoparticle drug delivery) to help advance the pipeline.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2015

Ringly designs wearable smart jewelry, initially selling a notification ring that buzzes and lights to alert users to calls, texts and app updates and syncs with an iOS/Android app for configurable alerts. The product line includes a premium “Launch” collection (18K matte gold with precious and semi-precious stones) and a “Limited” collection (rhodium-plated settings with tourmalated quartz), with multiple stone options and different band styles. The ring currently runs on a battery lasting about two to three days and charges in a case that doubles as a USB charger. Ringly sold out its pre-orders, exceeded its sales goal within eight hours of launch, and sold its first 1,000 rings within 24 hours; the company declined to disclose exact unit sales. The team of 12 full-time employees includes designers and engineers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Stanford; the company plans to hire more engineers and designers, expand its jewelry collection and add features. Ringly also intends to pursue partnerships with fashion brands and designers and introduce other form factors such as bracelets. Ringly is a stealth, pre-launch wearable-technology startup focused on changing users’ relationships with their devices and reducing obsessive digital interaction. The founder and CEO is Christina Mercando, an eBay/Hunch alumna; she also notes an unnamed cofounder. The company has articulated three core values: redefining your relationship with technology, less is often more, and embracing quirky users. AngelList lists Ringly as an early-stage hardware startup; the site is not fully launched but accepts sign-ups for an announcement. Mercando has promoted themes around presence and fashion in wearables via links to The New York Times and Wired in social posts. Financially, Ringly has secured a $1 million initial investment but has not disclosed further operating metrics or investor identities in the article.