• Circle Pharma

  Participated · Series A · Apr 2017

  Circle Pharma advances the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles designed for multiple routes of administration, including oral delivery. Its MXMO platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to create macrocycle therapies for challenging targets. The company is developing CID-078, described as its first-and-only-in-class cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, and is focused on cyclins as key drivers in many cancers. With a recently closed financing, Circle Pharma plans to fund CID-078's clinical development and continue progressing its portfolio of discovery programs built on the MXMO platform. The company aims to address unmet clinical needs in cancer and other serious diseases. Circle Pharma is based in South San Francisco, California. Circle Pharma deploys a structure-based rational design and synthetic-chemistry platform to design intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address intra- and extra-cellular targets and be delivered by multiple routes, including orally. The company is initially focusing on intracellular protein–protein interactions that drive cancer, with lead programs aimed at cyclin proteins such as cyclin A and cyclin E. Its cyclin-targeted programs are being developed for Rb-dysregulated cancers (including small cell lung cancer) and cyclin E–dependent malignancies like ovarian and uterine cancer. Circle intends to advance its wholly owned cyclin programs toward the clinic. The platform will also be applied to other precision oncology targets that are considered undruggable with small molecules. The company is based in South San Francisco, Calif. Circle Pharma is a macrocycle drug discovery and development company focused on intractable cancer targets. Its technology facilitates the rational design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extracellular therapeutic targets and can be delivered by oral administration. The platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases, and the company is initially focusing on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its lead program targets cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls cell growth and division; inhibiting cyclins A and E has been shown to be synthetically lethal in cancers with Rb pathway dysregulation. With the new financing, Circle plans to expand its team, drive its cyclin-targeted programs toward the clinic, and apply its macrocycle platform to additional intractable targets. The company raised $45 million in a Series B to fund advancement of its cyclin inhibitor programs and to expand the pipeline. Circle Pharma is developing a macrocycle drug discovery platform that uses rational design and synthetic chemistry to create intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles for intra- and extracellular targets, with the aim of oral delivery. The company is initially focused on intracellular protein-protein interactions that drive oncogenic pathways and other serious diseases. Circle is expanding its therapeutic pipeline to add targets including MCL1 and the substrate-binding site of cyclinA/cdk2. Its chemistry process development has achieved key steps toward a more highly automated synthesis platform. With support from Pfizer, Circle is building a physical library of macrocycles predicted to have optimized permeability and will begin synthesis shortly to deliver the library to Pfizer and potentially other collaborators later this year. The company was founded by Prof. Matthew P. Jacobson and Prof. R. Scott Lokey and will use the Series A funds to support platform development and its therapeutic pipeline. Circle Pharma develops intrinsically cell‑permeable macrocyclic peptides using a rational computational design platform combined with synthetic chemistry. The company is focused on intracellular protein‑protein interactions that drive oncogenic pathways and aims to deliver macrocycles that can be orally administered. With seed funding, Circle established its computational design capabilities, advanced synthetic chemistry in collaboration with ChemPartner, and entered a target‑based collaboration with Pfizer. The firm is building a physical library of cell‑permeable macrocycles to augment its computational tools and to provide to collaboration partners. Series A proceeds are intended to support Circle’s therapeutic pipeline and these development efforts. Founders include Prof. Matthew P. Jacobson (UCSF) and Prof. R. Scott Lokey (UC Santa Cruz).

• AquaVenture Holdings

  Led · Equity · May 2015

  AquaVenture Holdings deploys state-of-the-art water purification and desalination technologies and markets a Water-as-a-Service™ (WAAS™) model to deliver affordable clean water without upfront capital costs. WAAS™ targets business, agricultural, and industrial customers and is designed to generate recurring revenue from deployed systems. The company expanded through a 2014 merger with Quench, bringing in the largest independent provider of filtered water coolers and ice dispensers in North America, and also added Seven Seas Water, which operates in 11 countries. Recent financing includes a $30 million investment from Element Partners and a prior $50 million investment tied to the Quench merger led by Element and mutual funds managed by T. Rowe Price. AquaVenture frames its opportunity against a global water market estimated at $600 billion with 7% annual growth and a projected 40% shortfall in clean water by 2030.

• Quench

  Participated · Equity · Jan 2014

  Quench is a clean-technology company that rents and services “bottle-less” water filtration systems (point-of-use water coolers) and ice dispensers for businesses and institutions. Led by CEO Tony Ibarguen and based outside Philadelphia, the company purifies tap water through its installed systems. Quench is described as a large independent provider of filtered drinking water and ice dispensers in North America. It has an installed base of over 27,000 customers across 49 states, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. The company secured $38.5m in equity and debt financing and intends to use the funds to invest in organic sales and pursue strategic acquisitions over the coming year. Its customer footprint and capital raise position it to expand sales and acquisition activity in the near term. Quench USA rents, installs and services “bottleless” water filtration systems for businesses, purifying tap water as an environmentally responsible alternative to 5-gallon plastic jugs. The company is described as a clean technology business led by Chairman Douglas Brown and CEO Anthony Ibarguen. It has an installed base of more than 50,000 water filtration systems across 47 US states, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Quench recently closed an approximately $30m financing composed of equity and debt. The company intends to use the funding to continue to grow organically and through acquisitions. Operations are focused on the North American market, servicing businesses with filtration equipment and related services. Quench USA owns, markets and distributes point-of-use bottle-less drinking water purification and dispensing systems. The company focuses on providing bottle-less purification and dispensing hardware to customers. It recently completed a $13M equity financing. The round was led by Virgin Green Fund with participation from existing investors Element Partners and Douglas Brown. Quench says the funds will enable it to expand its product offering into new regions across the USA. A Virgin Green Fund partner said the firm is positioned to capitalize on growth in the point-of-use sector and will support execution of Quench’s business plan.

• Edeniq

  Participated · Series B · Apr 2010

  Edeniq develops processes and technologies, including its Pathway Technology, to produce and measure low-cost cellulosic ethanol that can be integrated into existing biorefineries with no capital investment. The company sells or licenses its solutions to U.S. ethanol plants and positions them as operationally efficient ways to increase ethanol output. Edeniq expects to more than double average customer cellulosic ethanol production over the coming year through plant optimization and technology enhancements being introduced as early as Q3 2017. Customers currently average just over 1% cellulosic ethanol and a 2% lift in total ethanol production, while best-performing plants have exceeded 2% cellulosic ethanol and a 3% lift in total production. The company’s pipeline has reached 27 plants; four are registered with the EPA for D3 RIN generation and the remainder have applied or are in trial validation. Registered co-producing plants represent approximately 400 million gallons of total ethanol production and have generated well over $1 million in D3 RIN credits less than halfway through the calendar year. Edeniq states a 120 million gallon-per-year plant can increase revenue by up to $10 million or more through integration of its technology without additional capex. Edeniq develops Pathway, a capital-light technology that produces low-cost cellulosic sugars and cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber and integrates with existing fermenters at ethanol plants. The company is a leader in analytical methods required for EPA registration of co-produced cellulosic ethanol; three ethanol plants received EPA cellulosic registrations after deploying Pathway within the past four months. Edeniq sells or licenses its technologies to U.S. biorefineries and plans to use recent financing to support rapid growth in its Pathway cellulosic ethanol business, accelerate customer acquisition, and add resources for existing customers. The company is investing in sales, field services, laboratory services, and R&D and is developing technology enhancements to potentially increase the amount of cellulosic ethanol eligible for D3 RINs and other regulatory incentives. Edeniq was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Visalia, California, with a field office in Omaha, Nebraska. Edeniq develops combined mechanical and biological technologies to break down biomass and liberate cellulosic sugars that can be converted into ethanol, chemicals, and other products. Its PATHWAY™ Platform increases ethanol yield at existing plants by 3–6% through more complete conversion of starch and corn kernel fiber. The company owns and operates a two ton per day pilot plant in Visalia, California, and is constructing a 20 ton per day demonstration plant with Usina Vale in São Paulo State, Brazil. Edeniq has a partnership with Global Bio-chem to integrate technologies in a commercial demonstration plant in Jilin Province, China, targeting production of 50,000 metric tons per year of sugars from corn stover. The company sells or licenses its capital-light, operationally efficient solutions to biorefineries in the U.S. and Brazil and plans to roll out new products and expand into new markets. Edeniq raised more than $16 million in equity to support PATHWAY™ expansion and international demonstration projects. Edeniq builds patented mechanical and biological systems — including its Cellunator mills and Pathway enzymes — that break down corn and non-food plant material into sugars for cellulosic ethanol and other renewable products. Its technologies are designed as low‑cost, bolt‑on additions to existing corn ethanol plants or for integration into new cellulosic facilities. The company operates a pilot plant in Visalia, California (built with Logos Technologies under a $25M program 80% funded by the U.S. Department of Energy) that can process two dry tons per day of feedstock and produce about 50,000 gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol. Edeniq says it is working with facilities across California and the U.S., creating the potential for hundreds of millions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol production. The company recently secured a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission to advance enhancements to its cellulosic ethanol technology. Edeniq has also raised over $32 million in additional funding and entered a partnership with Flint Hills Resources Renewables. The company is headquartered in Visalia, CA, with locations in Omaha, Nebraska and the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil. EdeniQ develops processes and products that unlock sugars from renewable natural resources to supply raw material for sustainable chemical and fuel production. The company is led by President and CEO Brian Thome, CTO Dr. Thomas Griffin, VP of Business Development Peter Kilner, and CFO Scott Janssen. EdeniQ is based in Visalia, California and also has locations in Omaha, Nebraska and the state of Sao Paolo in Brazil. It recently raised over $30m in additional debt and equity financing. The equity round included existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Cyrus Capital, The Westly Group, Angeleno Group, I2BF Global Ventures and Element Partners, alongside new investor Flint Hills Resources Renewables LLC. As part of the financing, Jeremy Bezdek of Flint Hills Resources joined EdeniQ's board of directors.

• Petra Systems

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2010

  Petra Solar designs and supplies pole-mounted smart grid and solar systems for utility customers. The company recently raised $40M to support growth. It plans to use the financing to expand its customer base and accelerate hiring. Petra Solar intends to add 30 executive and professional employees immediately. By the end of 2010 the company expects to employ 165 people, a ten-fold increase from its base of 15 last spring. The firm is actively recruiting across the United States for project developers, regulatory experts, account managers, engineers and manufacturing staff.

No current team members are available.