Participated · Series B · Apr 2026

Sepion Technologies develops ultra-thin, drop-in polymer separator coatings and membrane technologies intended to replace legacy ceramic materials in lithium-ion batteries. Its coatings aim to enable higher energy density, faster charging, and improved durability without requiring changes to existing battery manufacturing lines. The company reports its products are currently being manufactured on commercial production lines to support customer qualification with leading global battery manufacturers. Sepion is supporting multiple concurrent qualification programs for electric vehicle, energy storage system, and consumer electronics applications. Led by CEO Peter Frischmann and based in Alameda, CA, the company plans to use recent funding to scale U.S.-based polymer production, expand product lines, and strengthen quality and operations.

Led · Equity · Dec 2025

South 8 Technologies develops a proprietary liquefied gas electrolyte called LiGas and manufactures high-performance, resilient lithium-ion battery cells. The company's LiGas platform is positioned to improve safety, enhance extreme-temperature performance, enable faster charging, and extend cycle life compared with traditional electrolytes. South 8 emphasizes a fully domestic supply chain, with gas-based components produced at industrial scale in the United States. Following the grant, the company plans to expand its San Diego operations to reach annual production capacity of 100 MWh for electrolyte and 2 MWh for lithium-ion battery cells. Its customers and target markets include defense, aerospace, mobility, and global automotive manufacturers working on next-generation battery qualification programs. The company highlighted that the expansion supports job creation and local economic benefits aligned with California's zero-emission transportation goals.

Led · Series B · Oct 2025

Seattle-based Membrion, led by CEO and founder Greg Newbloom, provides adaptive water-infrastructure solutions built around its proprietary ceramic desalination membranes. The technology is designed to process the toughest industrial waste streams, allowing manufacturers to reclaim usable water and valuable minerals while meeting evolving environmental regulations and climate-driven pressures. Membrion positions its membranes as a reliability tool for future-proofing production facilities against regulatory shifts and supply-chain risks. With the fresh capital, the company plans to scale operations and accelerate product development. Since inception, Membrion has raised a cumulative $43 million. No revenue or customer counts were disclosed in the article, but the company emphasizes industrial adoption and continued R&D as key growth drivers.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2025

Mitico develops a post-combustion carbon-capture system that uses potassium carbonate pebbles bound with an additive to prevent them from turning to mush, leveraging a carbonation/decarbonation reaction the CEO described as “prehistorical chemistry.” The pebbles can capture more than 95% of the CO2 in an exhaust stream; once saturated the material is heated to release CO2 for storage or for use in plastics or e-fuels. The company claims that at commercial scale its approach should capture a metric ton of CO2 for much less than $85. An early pilot is attached to a boiler at a refinery in Thailand, and Mitico is initially targeting industrial-scale boilers with ESG-driven customers. Its broader plan is to expand into major emitters, with natural gas power plants cited as the real target market. To support scaling and build larger pilots, Mitico completed a seed fundraising round.

Participated · Equity · May 2017

ViaCyte develops novel cell replacement therapies derived from pluripotent stem cells alongside medical device systems for cell encapsulation and implantation. Its first product candidates are being advanced as potential long-term treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes to achieve glucose control targets and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. The company intends to use new funding to advance its portfolio of stem cell-derived therapies designed to provide a functional cure for type 1 diabetes. ViaCyte has established collaborative partnerships with CRISPR Therapeutics and W.L. Gore & Associates to accelerate and expand its efforts. The company is led by President and CEO Michael Yang and CFO/COO Brittany Bradrick and is headquartered in San Diego, California. ViaCyte is a regenerative medicine company developing cell replacement therapies intended as long-term treatments for insulin-requiring diabetes to improve glucose control and reduce hypoglycemia and complications. Its product candidates are based on directed differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into PEC-01 pancreatic islet progenitor cells delivered in durable, retrievable cell-delivery devices. PEC-Direct (non-immunoprotective) and PEC-Encap/VC-01 (immunoprotective) are both undergoing clinical evaluation for different patient populations. In collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics, ViaCyte is developing immune-evasive stem cell lines for the PEC-QT program to broaden availability to patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and other potential indications. The company holds an intellectual property portfolio of hundreds of issued patents and pending applications worldwide and has partnerships including CRISPR Therapeutics and W.L. Gore & Associates. Financially, ViaCyte closed approximately $27M in a Series D financing and intends to use the proceeds to further advance its multi-product candidate approach; the company is led by CEO Paul Laikind. ViaCyte is a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company based in San Diego developing stem cell-derived islet replacement therapies aimed at treating diabetes. Led by President and CEO Paul Laikind, the company is advancing two clinical-stage candidates: PEC-Direct and PEC-Encap. PEC-Direct is being evaluated in the second stage of a Phase 1/2 trial for high-risk type 1 diabetes patients, with initial proof-of-efficacy data expected as early as mid-2019. PEC-Encap is being developed for all patients with type 1 diabetes. ViaCyte intends to use proceeds from its financing to further advance these stem cell-derived therapies toward potential functional cures and improved glucose control. Together with strategic collaborations and transactions with W.L. Gore and CRISPR Therapeutics, the company has secured commitments for over $100m of new financing in the second half of the year. ViaCyte develops stem cell-based islet cell replacement therapies to treat type 1 diabetes. The company has two product candidates in clinical development: PEC-Direct and PEC-Encap. PEC-Direct is a combination product that delivers PEC-01 pancreatic progenitor cells in an implantable device designed to allow direct vascularization of the cells; used with concomitant maintenance immune suppression therapy it aims to deliver a functional cure for high-risk type 1 diabetes patients. PEC-Encap is a stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy being developed for all patients who require insulin. The company announced regulatory allowance to begin clinical investigation of PEC-Direct in both Canada and the U.S. ViaCyte intends to use the financing to support initiation of clinical development for PEC-Direct and to support other operations, including continued development of PEC-Encap. The company is led by Paul Laikind, Ph.D. ViaCyte is a regenerative medicine company based in San Diego developing a stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy for the treatment of diabetes. Its lead product candidate, VC-01, comprises PEC-01 pancreatic progenitor cells derived from a proprietary human embryonic stem cell line encapsulated in the company’s Encaptra device. When implanted under the skin, the PEC-01 cells are designed to mature into insulin-producing beta and other endocrine cells that regulate blood glucose. The company recently submitted an Investigational New Drug application and a Medical Device Master File to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking permission to begin clinical evaluation of VC-01. ViaCyte intends to use the proceeds from its Series C-1 financing to pursue clinical development of VC-01. The company has operations in San Diego, California and additional operations in Athens, Georgia. The Series C-1 round had multiple closings, bringing investor support to date to $16.5M.