Participated · Seed · Jun 2024

Ability Biologics is a Montreal-based cell targeting company focused on developing antibody therapeutics. Its AbiLeap™ discovery engine combines massively parallel, continuously learning AI with an extensive database of antigen–antibody interactions to generate fully human, IgG-based multi-specific antibodies of high selectivity and affinity. The company’s antibodies are designed to respond to environmental signals within the cellular microenvironment, enabling logic-gated therapeutics. Led by CEO Giles Day, Ability Biologics emphasizes tried-and-tested IgG formats to simplify manufacturing, storage and administration and to reduce risks tied to complex formats and immunogenicity. The company intends to use newly raised funds to expand operations and its R&D sector. Ability Biologics completed a Seed financing to support these development and scaling plans. Ability Biologics uses its AbiLeap™ discovery engine—an AI platform combined with a large antibody–antigen interaction database built from more than five years of discovery data and public and private sources—to systematically generate logic-enabled, fully human antibodies. The company aims to create antibodies that are logic-gated to target specific tissues and cells based on local microenvironment cues such as pH, temperature, or metabolites. Launched by Amplitude Ventures with co-founders Giles Day (CEO) and Jean-Philippe Bürckert (Vice President of Technology), Ability has established a partnership with Charles River Laboratories for drug discovery and non-clinical development collaboration. The company intends to use its new funding to continue developing its solutions and advance its discovery engine. Financially, Ability closed a $12M seed financing to support these development efforts.

Participated · Series A · May 2022

Domain Therapeutics focuses on discovery and development of novel therapeutics targeting GPCR-mediated immunosuppression in cancer. Its lead clinical program is an EP4R antagonist, DT-9081, and the company is advancing two additional GPCR programs including an anti-CCR8 antibody toward IND filing. Domain leverages proprietary platforms to identify first-in-class GPCR assets and is also working on biomarkers and tissue/protein expression strategies to select responsive patients. The company operates across France and Canada and has previously delivered a GPCR drug candidate in collaboration with Merck KGaA. Proceeds from the announced financing will fund clinical development of DT-9081, IND-enabling work for the two additional programs, and progression of its discovery-stage pipeline. Domain Therapeutics is a Strasbourg, France-based biopharmaceutical company specialized in discovery and development of new drug candidates targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in neurology, oncology and rare diseases. Led by CEO Pascal Neuville, the company identifies and develops allosteric modulators and biased ligands. It leverages an innovative business model with three revenue-generating pillars: collaborations with pharma for discovery, out-licensing of its bioSens-All™ technology, and creation of asset-centric vehicles to develop its internal preclinical pipeline. Domain recently closed a €6m non-dilutive debt financing to expand its proprietary drug portfolio and prepare the next round of financing. The financing was provided by the French Public Investment Bank, Banque Populaire Alsace Lorraine Champagne, Credit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) and Caisse d’Epargne Grand Est Europe. The company intends to use the funds to advance its programs and strengthen its position ahead of future fundraising. Domain Therapeutics focuses on discovery and early development of drug candidates that target membrane receptors, using allosteric modulators and biased ligands. Its core technologies include the bioSens-All™ platform and other proprietary approaches to identify and develop candidates. The company operates three revenue-generating pillars: collaborations with pharma for discovery, out-licensing of bioSens-All™, and creating asset-centric vehicles to develop internal preclinical candidates. In 2018 it executed these pillars via a multitarget collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a license of bioSens-All™ to BMS, and the acquisition by Lundbeck of Prexton Therapeutics. Founded in 2008 and led by CEO Pascal Neuville, Domain Therapeutics is based in Strasbourg, France. The company recently secured €3.5M in funding from existing shareholder Seventure Partners to accelerate its next growth phase. Domain Therapeutics, led by CEO Pascal Neuville, is a biopharmaceutical company based in Strasbourg, France and Montreal, Canada focused on discovery and early development of small molecules targeting G protein‑coupled receptors (GPCRs). The company’s current program centers on metabotropic glutamate receptor type III (mGluR3) positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), which Domain found to demonstrate in vitro neuroprotective effects mediated by production of growth factors. Stimulating these growth factors is essential for neuron survival, underpinning the program’s rationale for Parkinson’s disease. Throughout the rest of the year Domain plans to identify the most favorable mGluR3 PAM leads to advance into proof‑of‑concept studies in Parkinson’s disease models. Financial support for the program has come from The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), which previously funded initial stages in 2012. The company received a second MJFF grant to support continued lead selection and preclinical proof‑of‑concept work. Domain Therapeutics is a Strasbourg, France-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and early development of small molecules targeting G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). Led by CEO Pascal Neuville, the company discovers allosteric modulators using its proprietary DTect-All (TM) technology. Its pipeline comprises new chemical entities, ranging from hits to optimized leads for indications including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. The company plans to add some 30 high-throughput screening assays to its existing portfolio. Historically engaged in contract research for the pharmaceutical industry, Domain Therapeutics intends to use the new funds to transition toward collaborations and strategic alliances with existing clients and new partners to discover GPCR-targeting drugs. The company completed a €2m financing committed by a mix of new and existing investors.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2022

DrugBank provides an intelligent drug knowledge platform that uses artificial intelligence and expert curation to gather, author, verify, and structure the latest biomedical information. The platform is accessible through DrugBank Online (a free-to-use website) and via data and software integrations. Led by CEO Mike Wilson and CTO Craig Knox, the company supports over 12 million annual users, 300+ open source projects, and 26,000+ academic citations, and is used by 13 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies. In November 2022 DrugBank raised $9M in seed funding. The company intends to use the proceeds to continue scaling operations and to invest in research and development. DrugBank combines expert-authored content with AI-enabled tooling to serve both public and commercial users.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2022

Cascador Health offers a data platform that bridges the gap between disparate hospital data sources and users of healthcare data, helping providers retrieve patient data across many IT systems and interfaces. The company curates, validates and anonymises real‑world data for life sciences and other third parties, operating in full compliance with GDPR and privacy legislation. The fresh capital will be used to further develop the platform and support European expansion, with specific plans to scale activities in Belgium and Switzerland. The funding follows Cascador Health’s acquisition of Swiss company CORTS from Hirslanden to secure access to medical data by third parties. The company says its technology, financial resources and business model position it to handle the complex technical, legal and economic dynamics across European markets. The platform’s stated goal is to enable better healthcare outcomes by giving providers and researchers actionable insights from integrated hospital data.

Led · Series A · Dec 2021

HypnoVR is a market leader in digital therapies that combines medical hypnosis with immersive virtual reality to manage pain and stress. Its digital medical hypnosis solution has been clinically validated and is used as a non-pharmacological anesthesia to reduce pain, anxiety and general discomfort during medical procedures. The therapy is deployed in operating rooms and across specialist fields such as dental care, oncology, urology, gynecology and medical imaging, and can also help healthcare professionals manage workplace stress. More than 240 healthcare institutions across Europe currently use HypnoVR's technology. The company is ISO 13485 certified. The €4.5M Series A will fund acceleration of commercial roll-out in France and internationally and increased R&D to improve therapeutic efficacy and broaden clinical applications. HypnoVR is a Strasbourg, France-based developer of virtual reality software that enables large-scale deployment of medical hypnosis to manage pain, stress and anxiety. Co-founded by Dr. Denis Graff, Dr. Chloé Chauvin and Nicolas Schaettel, the company uses commercially available headsets such as Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear to deliver intense multisensory tridimensional immersion experiences. The technology is in the final stages of obtaining a class 1 medical device CE marking and is currently being used in applications for pediatric surgery, gastroenterology, gynecology and dental surgery. In September 2018 the company will bring to market its medical hypnosis virtual reality solution. The company secured €700k in seed funding to pursue product development and reinforce its sales and marketing team.