Participated · Series A · Mar 2025

Wheeler Bio is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) built on its Modular CMC scientific platform, focused on accelerating antibody-based therapeutic candidates from discovery into clinical trials. It provides integrated services including manufacturability assessments, stable pool and clone development, process and analytical method development, process demonstration, technology transfer, and cGMP manufacturing. The company emphasizes a customer-intimate approach to build robust CMC packages vital for regulatory filings and ongoing manufacturing. Wheeler plans to broaden capabilities, expand its partner base and team, and is planning a 52,000 square-foot large-scale biologics manufacturing facility adjacent to a biomanufacturing workforce training center at Convergence in the Oklahoma City Innovation District. The company is headquartered in Oklahoma City and cites regional advantages such as lower business costs and a growing biomanufacturing workforce. The recent financing is intended to fund these expansion and capability-build efforts. Wheeler Bio is an Oklahoma City-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on the gene-to-IND supply chain. Its primary product is Portable CMC, an open-source "CMC middleware" that integrates discovery CROs and CDMOs to streamline translational steps. Portable CMC includes a complement of integrated development services, including manufacturability assessments, stable pool and clone development, process and analytical method development, process demonstration, and technology transfer into CGMP production. The platform also enhances business integrations that speed up translational steps while lowering technical, regulatory, and business risks. Wheeler Bio plans to use the $31M Series A to complete its CGMP cell banking and 500 L drug substance manufacturing facility in The Ziggurat in downtown Oklahoma City. Leadership includes CEO Dr. Jesse McCool, Chief Development Officer Dr. Brian Berquist, and Christian Kanady. Wheeler Bio offers Portable CMC™, a platform that integrates with preclinical discovery to accelerate the discovery-to-IND path. Portable CMC is designed to provide faster, easier, and more predictable tech transfer and clinical supply by partnering with preclinical CROs and antibody drug developers. The company has an initial focus on antibody therapeutics and is partnered with Alloy Therapeutics to extend discovery offerings into IND-enabling manufacturing. Wheeler Bio is headquartered in Oklahoma City and operates pilot labs inside Alloy Therapeutics’ Boston facility. It closed a $14M Seed financing to expand its team and make Portable CMC more broadly available. Scientific and operational leadership for Portable CMC is led by CTO Dr. Stephen Hamilton, and the company emphasizes speed, predictability, and shared success with CDMO and CRO partners.

Led · Equity · Feb 2021

Varo Bank operates a fully digital, nationally chartered banking platform that has focused on the needs of everyday Americans since launching its app in 2017. The company offers a suite of products such as high-yield savings accounts, cashback debit cards, the Varo Believe secured card, Varo Advance, and the Varo Line of Credit. Its proprietary machine-learning models supplement traditional credit data, broadening access to credit beyond conventional scoring methods. In 2025, these lending products generated $547 million in loan volume, underscoring strong demand for Varo’s credit offerings. Management reports simultaneous revenue growth and cost reductions in 2025, demonstrating improved operating efficiency. Varo’s technology-first approach is reinforced by the governance and risk discipline required of a nationally chartered bank, and the company has earned recognition on the Inc. 5000, CNBC World’s Top Fintech Companies, Forbes’ World’s Best Banks, and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies lists. Recent additions to the board, including former Morgan Stanley CMO Alice Milligan and former JPMorgan executive Kevin Watters, bring additional financial industry expertise to guide the next stage of growth.