Led · Series A · Dec 2022

Jellagen develops Collagen Type 0, a jellyfish-derived collagen biomaterial sourced from Rhizostoma pulmo for use in medical devices and culture applications. The jellyfish-derived material is intended to avoid disease and virus-transfer risks associated with mammalian collagens. The company plans to accelerate medical development of Collagen Type 0 and advance its program toward human trials and regulatory filing. Jellagen has established development collaborations with research organisations including the Mayo Clinic in the US and partners in Europe to investigate and corroborate its findings. The company is led by CEO Thomas‑Paul Descamps and bases its work on research from Professor Andrew Mearns Spragg. Jellagen is based in Cardiff, Wales, UK, and recently closed an £8.7M Series A to support its clinical and regulatory programs. Jellagen develops advanced collagen biomaterials sourced from a single species of jellyfish, which the company says avoids mammalian disease risks and offers superior healing benefits. The company has an established range of products for the cell culture reagent market and has completed pre-clinical datasets in proven animal models supporting use in human tissue reconstruction, diabetic wound healing and other medical applications. Jellagen has conducted collaborations with leading research organisations in the US and Europe and notes recent data have been published in peer-reviewed scientific articles. The company plans to develop and partner pipeline products aimed at tissue reconstruction, diabetic wound care management and rare skin applications. Jellagen intends to explore development and licensing arrangements with potential pharma and medical-device partners to commercialize its findings. The business was founded in 2015 and is based in Cardiff, Wales. Jellagen is a commercial manufacturer of jellyfish collagen based in Cardiff, Wales. Its jellyfish collagen is intended for wound care and regenerative medicine, and the company's first product range comprises cell culture reagents used to grow stem cells. Jellagen also plans to produce medical devices engineered around jellyfish collagen. Founded in 2013 by Professor Andrew Mearns Spragg (CEO), the firm is advancing commercial applications of its collagen. The company received funding to accelerate sales of its jellyfish-based medicine, grow its specialist management team and strengthen its intellectual property portfolio. Jellagen exploits jellyfish to provide next‑generation collagen biomaterials for application in 3D cell culture, in vitro diagnostics (including research‑level regenerative medicine R&D) and medical devices. The company completed a further £1.53m in equity funding to support its operations and growth. Jellagen intends to use the funds to expand and increase its collagen processing capacity and to establish a Quality Management System. It plans to recruit up to six new staff over the next two years and to strengthen and build its IP portfolio. The company will also allocate capital to business development and marketing activities aimed at increasing sales. Jellagen was founded in August 2013 by Dr Andrew Mearns Spragg and is based in Pembroke Dock, UK.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2021

Aleph Farms grows beef steaks from non‑genetically engineered cells isolated from a living cow, producing whole cuts without harming animals. The company released the world’s first cultivated steak in December 2018 and a cultivated ribeye in 2021. Co‑founded in 2017 by Didier Toubia, The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group, and Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Aleph Farms is headquartered in Israel. Its global investor network includes L Catterton, DisruptAD (ADQ), BRF, Thai Union and Cargill, and it recently announced an investment from Leonardo DiCaprio, who joined its advisory board. They cite an independent Life Cycle Analysis projecting cultivated beef could reduce climate impact by 92%, air pollution by 93%, use 95% less land and 78% less water versus industrial beef production. Aleph Farms positions its product to deliver familiar meat qualities while eliminating antibiotics and reducing risks of pathogens through an automated, sterile manufacturing process. Aleph Farms grows beef steaks from non-genetically engineered cells isolated from a living cow, producing meat without harming animals and with a reduced environmental impact. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Didier Toubia, The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group, and Professor Shulamit Levenberg from the Technion. Aleph is based in Rehovot, Israel. It raised $105M in a Series B to scale up manufacturing and expand operations internationally ahead of an initial market launch planned for 2022. Near-term milestones include scaling up manufacturing, growing operations internationally, and expanding its product lines and technology platform. The company is working with regulatory agencies on its plans for market entry. Aleph Farms produces real meat cuts grown from cow cells and operates a slaughter-free process to make steaks in large, clean bio-farm facilities similar to dairy operations. Its non-GMO technology, co-developed with Professor Shulamit Levenberg of the Technion, isolates the cells responsible for muscle regeneration and grows them outside the animal to form the same muscle tissue typical of steaks. The company intends to use recent funding to accelerate product development and to transform its prototype into a commercial product. Aleph was co-founded by The Kitchen Hub and Didier Toubia, who serves as CEO. The company is based in Ashdod, Israel and has positioned its platform for scale-up in controlled bio-farm environments.

Led · Equity · Jun 2021

ViAqua Therapeutics develops an orally administered RNA-particle platform designed to prevent diseases in aquaculture species. Its first product is a feed supplement to enhance shrimp resistance to viral infections, initially targeting White Spot Virus (WSSV). The company says the solution will provide production stability for farmers and enable increased production per farm without raising disease risk. ViAqua intends to use the new funding to bring its first product to market and to invest in R&D for future products. The company plans to begin production in India at the beginning of 2024 and has a joint development and marketing agreement with Skretting, a Nutreco company. The company is led by CEO Shai Ufaz and is based in Haifa, Israel. ViAqua Therapeutics develops an orally administered RNA-particle platform using RNA and an encapsulated delivery method to promote shrimp and aquatic animal health, including protection against viral challenges. The company is commercializing its first shrimp health product and plans to develop additional products for aquatic animal health and nutrition. ViAqua intends to use the recent funding to support that commercialization and further product development. The company is led by CEO Shai Ufaz and is based in Misgav, Israel. The platform targets prevalent and devastating viral diseases in shrimp through orally delivered RNA particles.

Participated · Convertible Note · Jan 2021

Founded in 2018, San Diego-based BlueNalu produces premium seafood directly from fish cells, eliminating the need to harvest wild fish. Its first commercial product is cell-cultivated bluefin tuna toro, which the company aims to launch through premium food-service partners once regulatory approvals are secured. The firm collaborates closely with regulators, chefs, distributors and strategic partners worldwide to build a scalable, responsible cultivated-seafood supply chain. Proceeds from the latest financing will fund U.S. and international regulatory engagement, initial commercial-launch activities and manufacturing-process optimization. BlueNalu also plans to deepen strategic partnerships across the value chain to support disciplined commercialization. Agronomics’ investment lifts its fully diluted ownership to 12.96%, giving BlueNalu a committed long-term backer with deep cellular-agriculture expertise. Although revenue figures are not yet disclosed, management positions the company as a leader in the emerging cultivated-seafood category.