Participated · Equity · Jun 2025

LawZero is a nonprofit research lab founded to develop safer AI systems and advance AI safety practices. Led by Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio, the organization aims to conduct research and advocacy to reduce catastrophic risks from advanced AI. The name LawZero references the Zeroth Law of Robotics, signaling a mission to prioritize humanity's protection. Bengio has been a vocal proponent of AI safety measures and publicly supported California's SB-1047, a bill intended to prevent catastrophic AI scenarios. LawZero raised $30 million in philanthropic contributions to fund its work. Backers include Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn, former Google chief Eric Schmidt, Open Philanthropy, the Future of Life Institute, and other philanthropic supporters.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2021

Icosavax develops vaccines using engineered virus-like particles designed to display prefusion RSV and hMPV antigens and SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domains. Its lead RSV program IVX-121 has entered Phase 1 testing, and the bivalent RSV/hMPV candidate IVX-A12 is being readied for a Belgium clinical trial in the second half of the year. IVX-A12’s Phase 1 is designed to enroll ~100 healthy adults with multiple dose and adjuvant arms; preliminary data are expected in the first half of next year. The company’s SARS-CoV-2 candidate IVX-411 is in a Phase 1/2 study in Australia with proof-of-concept data expected in the first half of next year, while IVX-421 remains in preclinical testing. In April Icosavax closed a $100M Series B and subsequently completed an IPO that raised $182M to support clinical development. Management budgeted roughly $120M to advance IVX-A12 through Phase 2b and about $35M toward other vaccines, and says combined cash and IPO proceeds should fund operations through at least 2024. Icosavax develops computationally designed VLP vaccines intended to protect older adults from life-threatening respiratory diseases. Its lead program is a bivalent RSV/hMPV vaccine candidate built around IVX-121, which displays a stabilized prefusion F antigen (DS-Cav1) licensed from NIAID/NIH. Preclinical data indicate the VLP display induces higher and more durable neutralizing antibody titers and improved stability versus antigen alone. The company is also advancing a SARS-CoV-2 RBD VLP candidate, IVX-411, into initial clinical studies. Proceeds from the recent financing will fund IVX-121 through initial clinical studies, continued evaluation of IVX-411, and expansion of the VLP pipeline. Icosavax exclusively licensed its computational VLP technology from the University of Washington and was founded on work from the Institute for Protein Design. Icosavax is developing a virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine platform and is advancing a COVID-19 vaccine candidate built on that platform. Open Philanthropy recommended an investment to support development of the VLP platform and the new COVID-19 vaccine. The organization notes that Icosavax’s vaccine may more effectively protect people with weakened immune responses compared with other vaccines in development. If the vaccine proves effective, Open Philanthropy’s science team believes the VLP technology could be valuable for vaccines against other viral diseases with pandemic potential. The company was founded by David Baker and Neil King. The Open Philanthropy page was reviewed by grant investigators and also reviewed by Icosavax staff. The work is described as fitting within Open Philanthropy’s scientific research focus on biosecurity and pandemic preparedness. Icosavax was founded on computationally designed self-assembling virus-like particle (VLP) technology licensed from the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington. The company’s lead program, IVX-121, is an RSV vaccine candidate that incorporates the stabilized prefusion F antigen (DS-Cav1) licensed from NIAID/NIH. Icosavax’s platform separates folding of individual protein subunits from assembly, enabling high-density, multivalent antigen display while remaining non-infectious. The company plans to advance IVX-121 into the clinic and apply its VLP technology to a broader class of vaccine targets with unmet medical need. Icosavax has assembled an experienced leadership team, board, and scientific advisors drawn from academia and industry. The company announced a $51 million Series A to fund advancement of its lead candidate through Phase 1b clinical studies.

Led · Equity · Mar 2021

OliLux Biosciences is developing diagnostic and treatment‑monitoring tools for the detection and management of tuberculosis. The tools are designed to rapidly distinguish between active and inactive tuberculosis pathogens and have lower detection limits than existing methods. They are intended to be accessible in low‑resource settings. The technology is expected to aid identification of drug resistance and sensitivity. Open Philanthropy recommended an investment of $400,000 to support the company's development work. The project and recommendation were reviewed by grant investigators Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville, and OliLux staff reviewed the page prior to publication.

Led · Equity · Jul 2020

Kainomyx is developing small-molecule therapeutics and sensitive diagnostics that target the cytoskeletal proteins of parasites to treat malaria, leishmaniasis and other parasitic diseases. The company is pursuing novel therapeutic targets because resistance is developing against Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy and current mechanisms of action are not well understood. It is also developing easy-to-execute diagnostic tests to identify asymptomatic carriers who contribute to malaria transmission. Founded by five current and former Stanford scientists—James Spudich, Annamma Spudich, Darshan Trivedi, Suman Nag and Kathleen Ruppel—the company leverages academic and biotech expertise and scientific consultants. Kainomyx was founded in September 2019 and has raised roughly $15.5M to advance its programs, including $7.5M in May 2020 and subsequent funding in 2021. Recent funding will be used to advance malaria therapeutics, diagnostics and programs against other parasitic diseases. Kainomyx is developing and producing a novel antimalarial drug intended to inhibit cytoskeletal proteins in malarial parasites. The program aims to address increasing artemisinin resistance to existing treatments. Open Philanthropy recommended a $1,999,999 investment to support the drug's development and production. The project and page were reviewed by grant investigators Chris Somerville and Heather Youngs; Kainomyx staff also reviewed the page prior to publication. The work is presented within Open Philanthropy’s scientific research focus on advancing human health and wellbeing. The article does not provide operating metrics or prior financing details.

Led · Grant · May 2020

Sherlock Biosciences develops a decentralized diagnostic platform for DNA and RNA detection powered by CRISPR and synthetic biology. Its proprietary engineering biology tools include CRISPR-based SHERLOCK™ and synthetic biology-based INSPECTR™, which aim to combine PCR-level accuracy with the convenience of antigen tests. The platform is designed for use without complex instrumentation, making it suitable for the home and low-resource settings. Potential applications cited include infectious disease, early cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and precision medicine. The company plans to use recent funding to expand its products and partnerships. Sherlock also achieved the first FDA-authorized use of CRISPR technology in 2020 and is led by CEO Bryan Dechairo. Sherlock Biosciences develops molecular diagnostics using its SHERLOCK CRISPR platform and the instrument-free INSPECTR synthetic biology platform. INSPECTR enables instrument-free, room-temperature tests that can be formatted as paper strips or electrochemical readouts readable by a mobile phone, and can be adapted for laboratory or point-of-care settings. The company positions INSPECTR to decentralize testing and enable low-cost at-home diagnostics, including an over-the-counter disposable product similar to a pregnancy test for SARS-CoV-2. Sherlock says it aims to advance INSPECTR to be as sensitive as gold-standard PCR tests. The company received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA in May 2020 for its Sherlock CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 kit, the first FDA-authorized use of CRISPR technology. Financially, Sherlock announced a $5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund INSPECTR development and OTC product work. Sherlock Biosciences develops molecular diagnostics through its CRISPR-based SHERLOCK platform and a synthetic-biology INSPECTR platform. INSPECTR is an instrument-free, handheld diagnostic approach that can be programmed to detect nucleic acid targets at room temperature and generate a visible reporter output for at-home and low-resource use. The company is launching the Sherlock Innovation Lab in Cambridge to scale INSPECTR for at-home COVID-19 testing and is hiring industry and academic experts to accelerate development. Open Philanthropy is advancing a $7.5 million grant to support INSPECTR COVID-19 test development, building on a prior $17.5 million non-dilutive grant awarded in 2019. Sherlock also received FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its Sherlock CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 kit, the first FDA-authorized use of CRISPR technology. Non-profit partners including MassBio, MassMEDIC and Gloucester Biotechnology Academy are participating to deploy talent and support the lab's work. Sherlock Biosciences develops molecular diagnostics platforms that leverage CRISPR and synthetic biology to deliver accurate, rapid, and low-cost tests. Its core technologies are SHERLOCK, a CRISPR-based method for detecting specific genetic sequences, and INSPECTR, a synthetic-biology platform that can distinguish targets at room temperature without complex instruments. Both platforms are designed for use in virtually any setting and target applications including precision oncology, infectious disease, low-resource and field testing, agriculture, food safety, and at-home tests. The company launched in March and plans to use new funding to advance development programs for these platform technologies. Sherlock is also incorporating Deep Learning and AI expertise from investors to refine and expand its platforms. Financially, the company announced additional Series A investment of over $31 million and reports total committed capital of $49 million, which includes a $17.5 million non-dilutive grant from the Open Philanthropy Project.