Participated · Seed · Jan 2026

Founded in 2021, Geneva-based FluoSphera offers a 3D human-organ co-culture system that can house six to seven fluorescently coded tissue types in a single well, allowing researchers to evaluate drug efficacy and toxicity in one assay. The technology gives earlier, more human-relevant read-outs than traditional cell lines or animal studies and is already used by biotech and pharmaceutical partners, with strong traction in antibody-drug conjugate testing and a high-throughput screening collaboration with Revvity. FluoSphera claims its platform can save developers $100-500 million per molecule by cutting late-stage failures and time-to-market. The company aligns with regulatory shifts such as the FDA Modernisation Act 3.0 that encourage non-animal testing. Near-term plans include expanding commercial collaborations with pharma companies and CROs, bolstering business development, and enhancing AI-driven imaging analysis to scale the service. The firm also intends to extend its footprint across the US and EU while making initial inroads into Asia. Its recent CHF 1.15 million seed financing provides the capital to execute these growth initiatives.

Participated · Equity · Oct 2025

iOrganBio is a 2024-founded biotech company leveraging its proprietary CellForge™ platform to industrialize the production of human cells and organoids for drug discovery, regenerative medicine, and cell therapies. CellForge integrates AI-based predictive modeling with high-throughput, closed-loop control of 3D culture environments to optimize human pluripotent stem cell differentiation in real time. Central to the system is the Functional Human CellAtlas™, a growing single-cell multi-omics database that serves as a digital blueprint for engineering targeted cell states. Early applications include generating pancreas models with tailored vasculature and immune competency by selectively producing beta islet cells. The company addresses key industry bottlenecks—definability, generalizability, adaptability, reproducibility, and scalability—to deliver reproducible and cost-effective cell manufacturing. iOrganBio is headquartered at BioLabs in Chapel Hill, NC and currently operates with $2 million in initial capital; no revenue or user metrics were disclosed.

Led · Equity · Oct 2024

SpiralWave develops pulsing plasma systems that capture CO2 from the atmosphere or industrial flue gas and convert it into methanol using three discrete microwave pulse frequencies. The microwaves break CO2 into CO, split H2O into H and OH, and then drive recombination into methanol. The company reports energy-to-chemical conversion efficiencies of 75–90%, with higher efficiencies on concentrated industrial streams and lower on ambient air, comparing favorably with other e‑methanol methods (~50%). Prototypes range from the knee-high Nanobeam to the two-meter Microbeam, and the team plans larger Megabeam and a 100-meter Gigabeam intended to remove up to one gigaton of CO2 annually. Devices can produce a metric ton of methanol using about 7,000 kWh with 90% CO2, about 8,500 kWh at 9% CO2, and roughly 10,000 kWh from ambient air. SpiralWave is focusing on replicating smaller devices and containerizing them for customer sites; the founders say ten 20-foot containers could constitute the largest e‑methanol plant to date. Cofounders include CEO Abed Bukhari (leading R&D from Austria near Munich) and Adam Awad (heading business development from Silicon Valley). The company has raised $1 million from IndieBio.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2022

Puna Bio develops biological inputs based on extremophiles isolated from La Puna to enhance nutrient uptake, stress tolerance and crop quality. Its non-GMO seed treatments aim to boost yields, reduce fertilizer use and enable cultivation on degraded soils. The company currently commercializes two products—Kunza (soybeans, cotton, beans) and Kanzama (wheat, barley)—deployed on over 800,000 acres in three commercial seasons. Puna Bio received initial funding in 2022 led by At One Ventures, which enabled establishment of its first laboratory and core team. The recent investment led by Corteva Catalyst will support deeper innovation and development of new products. Puna Bio plans to expand its business into the United States, Brazil, and Paraguay and has made progress on regulatory approvals and commercialization in those markets. Puna Bio builds a library of extremophile bacteria, archaea, fungi and yeasts and sells patented methods for cultivating, combining and applying those strains to seed stock. The company isolates organisms from extreme environments (e.g., high-altitude Andes, Great Salt Lake) under bioprospection partnerships and Nagoya Protocol agreements with host institutions. Their products are designed to work with farmers' existing seed‑treatment workflows and to act near plant roots without displacing native soil microbiomes, with some trials showing synergies with common beneficial microbes. Puna emphasizes using naturally high-performing organisms rather than genetically modifying microbes, claiming amplified nutrient‑uptake activity from gene copy number or novel biosynthetic pathways. The team includes co‑founders Franco Martínez Levis (CEO) and Elisa Violeta Bertini — the latter with extensive extremophile field experience and more than 150 published papers — plus Carolina Belfiore and María Eugenia Farías. Financially, the company recently closed a $3.7 million seed round to fund product launches, R&D and new facilities.

Participated · Series C · Apr 2022

Upside Foods, led by CEO Dr. Uma Valeti, is developing a way to grow real meat, poultry and seafood directly from animal cells without raising or slaughtering animals. The company raised $400M in a Series C to support commercialization and scale-up. Upside plans to use the funds to build a commercial production facility with a planned annual capacity of tens of millions of pounds of cultivated meat products and an initial focus on chicken. The facility is being designed to produce any species in both ground and whole-cut formats. Proceeds will also be used to build a supply chain for critical cell feed components to reduce costs and enable greater scale, and to invest in R&D for next-generation cultivated products. Other priorities include enhancing consumer education and continuing to grow its more than 170-person team; pending regulatory review, Upside expects to be available to U.S. consumers later this year. Memphis Meats develops methods to produce meat, poultry and seafood directly from animal cells without breeding or slaughtering animals. Led by co-founder and CEO Uma Valeti, M.D., the company demonstrated a cell-based meatball in February 2016 and a cell-based poultry product in March 2017. It plans to build a pilot production facility, continue growing its team, and launch products into the market. The company completed a $161m Series B and has raised more than $180m in total funding to date. The round also extends Memphis Meats’ coalition into Asia, which the company sees as a strategically valuable market. Memphis Meats develops cell-cultured “clean meat,” having already synthesized beef, chicken and duck in small-scale production. The company is focused on scaling production and lowering cost so meat can be grown at commercial scale. It envisions production facilities that resemble craft breweries where meat is grown, harvested and cooked rather than slaughterhouses. Current operations are small-scale and used for testing and development; the team tests many cell varieties and can produce enough meat to feed a family of four-to-eight for a big meal. Future product work includes targeting flavor profiles and consistencies to make the tastiest meat possible. The company presents the offering as actual meat produced directly from cells rather than plant-based substitutes. Memphis Meats positions the technology as a potential large-scale alternative to conventional animal agriculture. Memphis Meats develops biologically identical meat grown from animal cells in a lab, aiming to produce real meat without industrial animal slaughter. The company cultivates cells in dishes to create ground and, eventually, formed meats such as chicken breast, steak and potentially whole turkey. It positions its products as cruelty-free and more planet-friendly than conventional animal agriculture, citing water use and foodborne-illness concerns with traditional meat. Memphis Meats operates from a Bay Area lab and has produced prototype products (including video of a beef-like product). The company aims to get its “clean meat” products on shelves within the next five years and is working to prepare consumer acceptance. Financially, it has raised a $3 million seed round and is running an Indiegogo campaign that has brought in more than $52,000 from nearly 700 backers.