Participated · Series A · Jun 2022

Tessa Therapeutics is focused on developing autologous CD30-CAR-T therapy (TT11) and an allogeneic CD30.CAR EBVST platform (TT11X) to treat CD30-positive lymphomas and other cancers. The company plans to use recent financing to advance clinical development of TT11 and TT11X and to support manufacturing at its newly qualified commercial cGMP facility. TT11’s pilot Phase 2 CHARIOT data presented at ASH showed a complete response (CR) rate of 57.1% and an overall response rate (ORR) of 71.4% in relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma; TT11 has received RMAT designation from the FDA and PRIME designation from the EMA. TT11X, the allogeneic EBVST-based program, reported clinical responses in seven of nine patients in a Phase 1 study, including four complete disappearances of tumor. Tessa intends to progress TT11 to a pivotal Phase 2 CHARIOT trial and advance TT11X, with the long-term goal of expanding its platforms to treat a broader range of cancers. The company operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and is headquartered in Singapore. Tessa Therapeutics is a Singapore-based international clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on T cell therapy for solid tumors. Its core product is a Virus Specific T cell (VST) platform that produces VSTs through a selective expansion process enabling them to infiltrate and survive in solid tumors. Tessa says its VSTs migrate to tumor sites and kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, which it cites as a key differentiator to other cell therapies. Led by co-founder and CEO Andrew Khoo, the company is conducting a multi-center Phase III trial targeting nasopharyngeal cancer and a Phase I trial targeting cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. Tessa completed an $80M financing round led by Temasek, and intends to use the proceeds to further advance its clinical pipeline and bring new therapies into clinical trials. Investors in the round included EDBI, Karst Peak Capital, Heliconia, Heritas and others.

Led · Series A · May 2022

Glife operates an app and website that enable food and beverage businesses to buy, manage and track their orders. The company was founded in 2018 by Justin Chou, who is also executive director of plant-based supplier Growthwell and co-founder of Greendot. Glife recently completed a Series A extension, signaling ongoing fundraising activity. The startup has pursued regional expansion through M&A and investments, acquiring a controlling stake in Bali-based PanenID and Malaysia’s Yolek, and investing in Vietnamese agritech supply-chain startup Koina. Financially, filings show Glife secured S$4 million (about $2.88 million) in the Series A extension and had previously raised a total of $10.34 million prior to this round. The company is headquartered in Singapore and continues to engage strategic investors and partners in the region. Glife operates a marketplace connecting over 1,000 farmers with about 900 F&B merchants and offers software for logistics, inventory, and other restaurant operations. The company launched in 2017 and is headquartered in Singapore. Its core product combines direct farm-to-merchant commerce with enterprise software tools for restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Glife plans to expand into Malaysia and Indonesia in Q1 2022 and is investing in AI and data analytics to improve its tech-enabled supply chain distribution model. The startup also intends to deepen its F&B software capabilities via a strategic investment in Novitee, an enterprise software platform for the industry. Earlier backers include Global Founders Capital and 500 Startups.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2019

Lucence develops non-invasive blood-based genomic tests (LiquidHALLMARK) that detect cancer-related genetic mutations and cancer-causing viruses with a single assay and screens for signs of 14 cancer types. Its proprietary amplicon-sequencing targets specific genomic regions for mutations and the company positions the test for screening, diagnosis, treatment selection and monitoring. LiquidHALLMARK has been used by oncologists for about 1,000 patients in Asia so far. Lucence’s Singapore lab holds CLIA certification and CAP accreditation, enabling use by U.S. doctors, and the company is building a Bay Area lab to reduce turnaround times. The company plans to expand further in North America and East Asia and to make its products commercially available to more patients in Asia and North America. It is also preparing two prospective clinical trials, including a sensitivity study in late-stage patients and an early-stage detection study across multiple cancers, and is designing a 100,000-participant validation study with first patient recruitment planned for the middle of next year.