Participated · Series C · Aug 2019

Finch Therapeutics develops investigational oral microbiome drugs designed to restore healthy gut microbiome composition and function, including complete microbiome communities and rationally selected consortia. Its lead program, CP101, is designed to deliver the full diversity of a healthy gut microbiome and met its primary efficacy endpoint for prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection in a large, placebo-controlled trial. Finch also develops FIN-211 for children with autism spectrum disorder with serious GI symptoms and is evaluating CP101 for chronic hepatitis B. The company uses its Human-First Discovery® platform to translate clinical data into engineered microbiome compositions targeting disease-modifying mechanisms. Finch has a strategic partnership with Takeda to develop strain-based programs for inflammatory bowel disease, including FIN-524 (ulcerative colitis) and FIN-525 (Crohn’s disease). The company intends to use new financing to advance CP101 through final clinical development and regulatory submission, initiate Phase 1b studies for FIN-211 and CP101 in new indications, and further develop its platform and pipeline. Finch Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company developing microbial therapies using two proprietary platforms: donor-derived Full‑Spectrum Microbiota (FSM) and Rationally‑Selected Microbiota (RSM). Its lead product, CP101 (an oral FSM capsule), is being evaluated in the potentially pivotal PRISM3 trial for prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection. Finch is also advancing FSM programs in Autism Spectrum Disorder, supporting an actively enrolling Phase II investigator-initiated study (NCT03408886) and holding FDA Fast Track designation for its pediatric ASD program. The company is expanding its pipeline into additional indications, including a preclinical RSM program in inflammatory bowel disease in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Finch recently received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for its CDI program. The company completed a $53 million Series C to fund these clinical and preclinical efforts and advance its platforms toward regulatory milestones. Finch Therapeutics Group develops novel microbial therapies using a human-first discovery approach and machine-learning informed by high-throughput molecular data. Its lead candidate, CP101, is an orally administered, encapsulated Full-Spectrum Microbiota product derived from healthy donors and is being evaluated in the Phase 2 PRISM 3 study for recurrent C. difficile infections. CP101 has been awarded FDA Fast Track designation. Finch says it will advance additional therapeutic candidates into the clinic through sponsored programs and collaborations with Takeda and academic partners. The company operates the largest stool donation program in the world, manufactures approximately 1,000 microbial treatments per month, and—through collaboration with OpenBiome—distributes products to a network of more than 1,000 providers. Finch also cites a comprehensive intellectual property estate, including 29 issued patents, and strengthened its position via a 2017 strategic merger with Crestovo. Finch Therapeutics develops microbiome-based therapies using fecal transplant–derived material and a sophisticated bioinformatics platform to analyze donor and patient microbiota. The company employs clinically annotated datasets and a feedback loop to identify microbiota changes associated with targeted clinical outcomes. Finch announced a collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals in which Takeda will pay an upfront $10 million for exclusive worldwide rights to FIN-524 and any follow-on products for irritable bowel diseases. FIN-524 is described as an investigational therapy for ulcerative colitis, aligning with Takeda’s gastrointestinal therapeutic focus. CEO Mark Smith emphasized the firm’s approach of mining donor-specific efficacy signals, citing a randomized trial in which a single donor produced a disproportionately large therapeutic effect. Finch aims to translate complex, multi-strain microbiota ecosystems into validated human therapies by learning from donor–patient response patterns.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2017

Intabio is a Newark, Calif.-based developer of instrumentation systems for biotherapeutic precision analysis and quality assessment throughout bioproduction. Led by CEO and co-founder Lena Wu, Ph.D., the company is developing analytical solutions to facilitate biotherapeutic development and manufacturing, aiming to provide early product quality characterization and efficiency gains across all stages of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Its first product, the Blaze system, is a microchip-based instrument that provides rapid detection and identification of subtle protein modifications that can undermine the stability and efficacy of biotherapeutic drugs such as monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. Intabio raised $18M in a Series B financing. The company intends to use the funds to build its commercial team and prepare for launch of the platform. Intabio was launched in 2016 by CEO Lena Wu, Ph.D., and is based in Newark, CA. The company offers Blaze™, a microchip-based instrument platform for comprehensive analysis of antibody and protein biopharmaceutical products. Blaze is designed to deliver higher throughput than traditional methods and to provide rapid detection and identification of subtle protein modifications. Those subtle modifications can undermine the stability and efficacy of biotherapeutic drugs such as monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. Financially, Intabio completed a $3.2M Series Seed in 2017 and has since raised a $9.5M Series A. The Series A included board appointments from investors, reflecting continued investor engagement. Intabio, based in Sunnyvale, develops instrumentation to accelerate biotherapeutic drug development. The company is commercializing the Blaze™ system, a bench-top instrument paired with a microfluidic chip and reagent kit that rapidly detects and identifies subtle protein modifications. Blaze performs charge heterogeneity analysis to separate protein isoforms, images at 280 nm for quantitation, and prepares samples for electrospray delivery into an adjacent mass spectrometer to identify unknown modifications. Leadership includes CEO and co-founder Lena Wu, Ph.D., and CTO and inventor Erik Gentalen. Intabio intends to use the financing to advance commercialization of its quality characterization system for biotherapeutics. Dr. Bill Hyun joined the company as a technical advisor.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2014

Privia Health provides a turnkey platform combining a high-performance physician group (Privia Medical Group), an accountable care organization (Privia Quality Network), and population health management technology to help providers succeed in performance-based reimbursement. Its cloud-based technology and care management systems give independent physicians access to modern infrastructure, payer relationships, and patient engagement tools. Privia partners with national payers and self-insured plans to align reimbursements to quality and outcomes. The company operates programs that support physician-driven wellness and population health, and its Privia Medical Group serves over 400,000 patients. Privia plans a national expansion into markets including Virginia, Maryland, DC, New York, Atlanta, Florida, and Texas. The business is led by Founder & CEO Jeff Butler and President Dave Rothenberg and will remain physician-focused as it scales. Privia Health operates a physician-based wellness and care management platform that partners with top doctors and provides web-based technology plus virtual wellness teams to support patients between visits. Its model embeds nurse care managers, dietitians, fitness trainers, and health coaches as a virtual extension of the physician practice. The company emphasizes patient-centered medical home principles and turnkey tools that integrate into physician workflows to boost engagement and adherence. Privia combines a state-of-the-art web platform with wireless monitoring and team-based support to track goals, flag care gaps, and monitor outcomes. Privia will use the equity financing to continue rapid growth of its high-performance physician network and to expand direct-to-consumer retail membership offerings. The company also plans to grow its provider/payor-sponsored business through partnerships with progressive health plans, employers, and health systems. More than 200 top-rated physicians currently participate in the Privia High Performance Network, caring for over 400,000 patients nationwide.