• Zylö Therapeutics

  Led · Grant · Jul 2021

  Zylö Therapeutics has developed the Z-pod® technology, a topical delivery platform intended to extend duration of effect, improve targeting, and enhance performance of therapeutic and cosmetic agents. The Z-pod® platform can be adapted to provide sustained topical delivery of nitric oxide for multiple therapeutic indications. The company reports progress on product candidates including an erectile dysfunction program and a cutaneous lupus program, and seeks partners to conduct human studies for applications such as aging, hyperpigmentation, acne, and diabetic foot ulcers. Proceeds from the Series B financing will be used to complete high value-add internal research projects, scale up manufacturing of Z-pod® particles, and fully implement ISO-9001 and cGMP quality systems. Zylö says the funds will extend its runway and hedge against recession risk over the next two years. The company is based in Greenville, SC. Zylö Therapeutics has developed the Z-pod™ topical delivery platform and a proprietary nitric-oxide-releasing topical drug candidate aimed at treating erectile dysfunction. The company was awarded a $1.7M Phase II SBIR grant from the NIH (NIDDK) to advance the program into human trials. Planned uses of the funds include scale-up of manufacturing, implementation of a cGMP quality system, required toxicity testing for an IND, and a pre-IND meeting with the FDA. In a Phase I award (~$225,000), Zylö reported compelling results in a radical prostatectomy rat model: a single topical application produced an average of 2.0 erections in 60 minutes, and pre-dosing with a 1/10th human-equivalent dose of sildenafil increased erections to 4.6 and halved time-to-initial-erection. If approved, the candidate would target men with ED after radical prostatectomy and men with age-related ED who do not respond to or cannot take PDE5 inhibitors; Zylö cites a U.S. addressable market of over $2 billion per year. The company also highlights potential broader applications of the Z-pod™ technology such as wound healing, atopic dermatitis, gingivitis, and sports recovery.

• Miromatrix Medical

  Led · Grant · Oct 2019

  Miromatrix is developing fully implantable human organs, including livers and kidneys, to address the shortage of transplantable organs. The company uses a proprietary perfusion decellularization and recellularization process and holds issued patents with pending applications in major markets. Its stated ambition is to eliminate the need for an organ transplant waiting list by increasing organ availability. Miromatrix entered into a strategic relationship with CareDx, which announced a minority investment and an R&D collaboration using CareDx technology. The articles do not disclose financing amounts or operating metrics. Intellectual property protection and collaborative R&D are positioned as central to the company’s near-term plans. Miromatrix Medical is developing bioengineered transplantable livers by stripping cells from pig organs to leave a collagen scaffold and then recellularizing that scaffold with a patient’s cells. The underlying technology was first developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota. Miromatrix currently markets two medical devices: Miromesh, used to reinforce soft tissue in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and Miroderm, used for wound management. Combined those two products generated about $1.75 million in 2018 and about $1.2 million in 2017. The company has stated it could begin testing its bioengineered organs in humans as early as the end of next year. Earlier this year Miromatrix spun off part of its business into Reprise Biomedical; Reprise launched with roughly $12.5 million in private funding and now manages Miromesh and Miroderm. Miromatrix is built on Dr. Doris Taylor’s de-cellularization research and aims long term to create human organs using that scaffold technology. In the near term the company is prioritizing commercialization of a biomesh product targeted at hernia repair and breast reconstruction, with a planned launch in a couple of years. After the biomesh launch, Miromatrix plans to pursue additional applications of its technology for the liver and heart. Financially, the company recently raised $2.05M and also benefits from $500,000 in nondilutive state loans, a $150,000 NSF SBIR grant, and a $175,000 strategic investment from Johnson & Johnson. Lab work for the first product is being done at a Glencoe, Minnesota facility the company moved into in October. The company is two years old, led by CEO Robert Cohen with Dr. Jeff Ross as vice president of product development, and counts former governor Tim Pawlenty as a board member. Headcount is small: Miromatrix has a full-time senior product development engineer, a contract senior scientist (partially funded by the SBIR grant), and plans to hire a lab technician soon.

• Flow Forward Medical

  Led · Grant · Sep 2018

  Flow Forward Medical is developing the Arteriovenous Fistula Eligibility (AFE) System, a small external blood pump designed to stimulate flow-mediated vein dilation to make more patients eligible for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation. The company aims to increase AVF success rates and unassisted maturation, addressing high AVF failure rates and inadequate vein diameter that prevent many patients from receiving preferred vascular access. The article cites that hemodialysis is a lifesaving treatment for more than 2.3 million patients worldwide and notes AVF failure can be as high as 60 percent after conventional placement. Flow Forward highlights that there are currently no FDA‑approved products to increase AVF eligibility or unassisted AVF maturation. The company plans to advance the AFE System into a first‑in‑human clinical trial planned for 2019. Management states the technology could enable more rapid creation of fully mature, reliable, and long‑lasting AVF vascular access sites. Flow Forward Medical is an early-stage company developing the Arteriovenous Fistula Eligibility (AFE) System, a small, minimally invasive external blood pump intended for temporary use to stimulate flow-mediated dilation of peripheral veins prior to AVF surgery. The AFE System aims to increase the number of patients eligible for arteriovenous fistula creation and to improve post-surgical AVF success rates. In early nonclinical studies the company reported more rapid vein dilation, large increases in blood flow, and a significant reduction in vein wall scarring compared with conventional AVF creation. The company plans to use Series A proceeds to continue development of the AFE System, and will use NIH SBIR funding to test peripheral vein dilation in a nonclinical model. Flow Forward is headquartered in Olathe, Kansas, and to date has raised approximately $5.7 million in equity funding.

• Arcadia Biosciences

  Led · Grant · Feb 2010

  Arcadia Biosciences develops agronomic performance and nutrition trait technologies aimed at improving environmental outcomes and human health. Its trait portfolio includes Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Water Use Efficiency, Salt Tolerance, Heat Tolerance, and Herbicide Tolerance; it also markets SONOVA® 400 GLA safflower oil. The company has granted more than 70 technology licenses worldwide and reports licensee progress across multiple crops. Arcadia is pursuing regulatory submissions based on Nitrogen Use Efficiency data and notes regulatory field trials for stress-tolerant soybeans (via Verdeca LLC, its joint venture with Bioceres) completed in Argentina and the US, with a first submission anticipated in 2014. Proceeds from the Series D will be used to accelerate development and commercial launch of products and to generate key data for commercial regulatory approvals. The company is based in Davis, California. Arcadia Biosciences develops agricultural technologies and health-oriented grain products, including agronomic traits such as nutrient use efficiency, water efficiency, salt tolerance, heat tolerance, and herbicide tolerance. The company is advancing a research program to identify genetic variants that naturally reduce the most harmful components of gluten in cereal grains. Arcadia’s internal research team will collaborate with Dr. Karol Sestak at Tulane University on the current project. The work builds on a prior NIH award conducted with Dr. Diter von Wettstein at Washington State University. The company says its goal is to create wholesome reduced-gluten grains to expand food choices for people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Arcadia is based in Davis, Calif. Arcadia Biosciences is a Davis, CA-based agricultural technology company developing technologies and products intended to benefit the environment and human health. The company is working on wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease–causing proteins and applied TILLING® high-throughput genetic screening in Phase I to identify low-toxic-protein plants. Arcadia received a two-year, $855,500 STTR Phase II grant funded by the NIDDK and the ARRA to support Phase II development in partnership with Washington State University. Phase II will take a broader approach to remove a larger number of toxic proteins while maintaining proteins critical for bread-making. Arcadia believes removing targeted toxic proteins could increase beneficial proteins and potentially yield more nutritious bread. The company operates additional facilities in Seattle and Phoenix and expects to complete Phase II research in mid-2011; no commercialization timeline has been released. Arcadia Biosciences is a Davis, Calif.–based company that engineers crops for agricultural efficiency and human-health qualities. Its first commercial product is GLA Safflower Oil, modified for high gamma-linolenic-acid (GLA) content to make foods containing it more hearty and healthy. Arcadia plans to launch the GLA Safflower Oil by the end of the year in partnership with Bioriginal Food and Science. The company has previously developed infused canola oil and rice and has engineered corn and wheat plants that require less nitrogen fertilizer to thrive. Financially, Arcadia raised $15 million in a recent second round led by Exeter Life Sciences and had previously raised $30 million. An additional $10 million is noted in connection with its 2005 purchase of agricultural firm Anawah.

No current team members are available.