Led · Series A · Dec 2023

Biolexis Therapeutics uses an AI-driven MolecuLern process to identify novel chemical entities (NCEs) across protein classes with wet‑lab validation, aiming to shorten discovery timelines from years to months. The company is clinical-stage with a development pipeline focused on metabolic drug candidates targeting disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Biolexis reports 40 active discovery programs and 10 programs in IND‑enabling stages, and its leadership has filed over 20 INDs and secured more than 100 patents. The recent financing will be used to advance the development pipeline, expand operations, and accelerate clinical development of key candidates. Founders/lead scientists include Drs. Bearss and Vankayalapati, whose prior company Montigen Pharmaceuticals was backed by the lead investor before being sold.

Led · Series A · Nov 2023

Biolexis Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops small-molecule drug candidates using its proprietary MolecuLern AI-enabled drug discovery process. The company focuses on small molecules targeting cancers, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases. Its MolecuLern process targets any class of protein to identify novel chemical entities with drug-like characteristics and wet-lab validation, aiming to shorten discovery timelines from years to months. Biolexis reports 40 active programs in discovery and 10 pipeline programs in IND-enabling stages. Led by CEO David Bearss and based in American Fork, Utah, the company intends to use the new funds to expand operations and accelerate clinical development of key candidates. The firm raised $10M in a Series A financing led by Clarke Capital.

Participated · Equity · Apr 2023

Giddy builds a recoverable self-custody smart wallet that splits a user’s private key into encrypted shares stored across multiple user-controlled locations. The company says its MPC technology lets users recover their wallet even if they lose a recovery share. Giddy raised $6.9M in new funding, bringing total investments in the company to more than $15M to date. Investors in the round included Pelion Venture Partners, Peak Capital Partners, Clarke Capital and others, with a strategic investment from Fortnite co-creator Geremy Mustard; Pelion led an $8M round in 2022. Proceeds will be used to further Giddy’s strategy to bring crypto adoption to the masses through its recoverable self-custody technology. The firm positions its product as a response to risks highlighted by collapses of centralized exchanges and growing demand for self-custody. Giddy is a Draper, Utah-based mobile app founded in 2021 that aims to enable mainstream DeFi adoption. The company is preparing to launch a platform that provides staking for DeFi users and offers a wallet designed for secure transactions and easy withdrawal. Its technology and product design focus on making DeFi accessible to average cryptocurrency holders regardless of technical experience or wallet size. Giddy raised $8M in seed funding to support its launch and growth. The round was led by Pelion Venture Partners and brought in a diverse group of strategic and angel investors. The article does not disclose operating metrics such as revenue or user counts.

Led · Equity · Aug 2021

Brandless operates an omnichannel commerce platform focused on better-for-you products and community-led innovation. The company emphasizes collaboration over control, quality over packaging and people over promotion, and has built product development around its community. Brandless plans to expand by acquiring mission-driven, digitally-native brands and by launching an influence-as-a-service model to enable micro-influencers to monetize and advocate for products. The company reports millions of customers, thousands of new product requests, hundreds of products and categories, and dozens of marketplace partners. Brandless is headquartered in the Silicon Slopes region of Utah and was previously funded by SoftBank’s Vision Fund; Clarke Capital Partners acquired the company in 2020. Brandless launched in 2017 with a mission to remove the “brand tax” by selling only own‑brand products priced at $3. Its assortment emphasizes organic, non‑GMO, vegan food and cruelty‑free personal care items made without synthetic preservatives or flavours. The site’s vegan section includes peanut butter, pasta sauces, vitamins and supplements, cosmetics, chocolates and treats. In April 2018 Brandless opened its first physical space at 8483 Melrose Avenue. On 31 July the company announced a $240 million investment from SoftBank’s $100 billion Vision Fund, valuing Brandless at over $500 million. The article frames the funding as ensuring the company’s continued success and positioning it to compete with Amazon. Brandless offers a curated range of everyday consumer packaged goods online, pricing every item at $3 each. Its assortment spans non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, health and beauty, personal care, housewares and office supplies, with a narrowed lineup of a couple hundred essentials and plans for seasonal and trend-forward items. Packaging highlights product attributes such as non‑GMO, organic, fair trade, kosher, gluten‑free and no added sugar. The company says its direct-to-consumer model strips away the "brand tax," cutting distributor, breakage and sales trade costs to offer products about 40% cheaper than comparable items. A Minneapolis product-development team led by Rachael Vegas (formerly at Target) sources and limits SKUs to core items. Financially, Brandless had raised more than $50 million over three rounds prior to its public launch.