Participated · Series D · Feb 2019

Presto Phoenix develops a voice artificial intelligence platform purpose-built for quick-service restaurant (QSR) drive-thrus. Its technology aims to increase restaurant revenue, cut labor costs, boost staff productivity, and improve the overall guest experience by automating order taking. The company positions its product as an enterprise solution that can be rapidly deployed across large QSR chains. A graduate of Y Combinator, Presto Phoenix plans to use newly raised capital to scale operations and accelerate product development. Management highlights the platform’s ability to serve high-volume, multi-location operators, although no user or revenue figures were disclosed. The firm’s recent funding underscores growing investor interest in applied voice AI within the food-service sector.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2016

C4 Therapeutics pioneers a class of small-molecule drugs that selectively destroy disease-causing proteins via targeted protein degradation using the cell's innate machinery. The company emphasizes advantages of degraders over traditional inhibitors, including potential for higher potency, reduced resistance, and greater selectivity. C4T has invested heavily in its TORPEDO™ platform, which combines a chemistry engine, proprietary assays, high-throughput screening, and predictive modeling to accelerate discovery and design of drug candidates. The company plans to use proceeds to advance multiple degrader candidates to human proof-of-concept, filing its first IND by the end of this year and targeting four drug candidates in the clinic by the end of 2022. C4T recently closed a $170 million financing (a $150 million Series B and $20 million venture debt) to support these plans. The company says the round was oversubscribed and attracted top-tier life-science investors. C4 Therapeutics is developing a new class of targeted protein degradation (TPD) therapeutics built on its proprietary Degronimid™ platform. The Degronimid technology, pioneered in the Bradner Lab at Dana-Farber and described in Science, uses small-molecule adapters to recruit the ubiquitin/proteasome system and rapidly degrade disease-causing proteins. The platform is positioned to target previously undruggable proteins and to reduce the potential for drug resistance. C4 has executed a worldwide-exclusive license with Dana-Farber for Degronimid applications and plans to advance multiple proprietary and partnered drug programs. The company announced a $73 million Series A financing to fund its early development and build its team. C4 will be located at Mass Innovation Labs in Kendall Square, Cambridge, and has appointed Jason Fisherman, M.D., as CEO to lead clinical and business development.