Precision NanoSystems Canada

Precision NanoSystems Inc. (“PNI”) has developed proprietary technology (NanoAssemblr) and companion Reagent Kits (SUB9KITS) that enable the simple manufacture of novel nanoparticles that are used to delivery genetic and small molecule medicines (nanomedicines). Nanomedicines are the "FedEx" of the health-care industry and are used for cell-specific delivery of research tools, diagnostic imaging agents and drugs to study, diagnose and treat disease. PNI's products are commercialized and in high demand from many of leading RNA and small molecule therapeutic biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.  http://www.precisionnanosystems.com/products/

Year Founded
2010
Biotech Phase of Development
Current Financing Needs
PNI is currently raising Series A financing.
Recent Milestones
PNI launched its flagship NanoAssemblr Benchtop and SUB9KIT products in H2 2013. Since that time, PNI has seen significant latent demand for its products and is rapid expanding product manufacturing to satisfy market need. Additionally, PNI has achieved important technical milestones in it's large-scale nanomedicine platform and SUB9KIT products.
Management Team Highlights
PNI’s management, directors & advisors have collectively contributed to over 100 patents and 500 papers, started over 20 biotech companies, raised over $1B in financing/deals and have brought 4 drugs to market. PNI’s CEO, Dr. James Taylor has over 10 years of experience in commercializing biotech and has lead PNI since invention. PNI’s COO, Dr. Euan Ramsay, has 13 years commercializing biotech, has secured over $40M in leveraged financing, and has developed nanomedicines to clinical trials.
James Taylor
CEO 
Euan Ramsay
COO 

Prize4Life

Prize4Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 in Cambridge, MA focused on accelerating therapy development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's disease). Prize4Life uses incentive prizes to attract new minds and drive innovation in ALS drug development. The organization is running the $1M Avi Kremer ALS Treatment Prize4Life challenge for preclinical validation of a novel ALS therapeutic in an ALS mouse model, and submissions to this prize will be accepted until June 6th 2015. In addition to prizes, Prize4Life also runs infrastructure programs to support the ALS research community, such as the ALS FORUM, an online portal of cutting edge research and drug development news in ALS (www.researchals.org).

Sara Shnider
Executive Director 

RCT Ventures

RCT Ventures invests in early-stage life science companies including medical devices, drug discovery platforms, and research tools.

Paul Grand
Paul Grand
LinkedIn logo Managing Director 
BIO

Grand is responsible for sourcing RCT’s investments in medical devices and representing RCT on the boards of its portfolio companies.

Prior to joining RCT, Grand was co-founder and VP Operations of Imagine Pharmaceuticals, which developed a platform to selectively deliver therapeutics and other compounds across the blood brain barrier. He was also co-founder and CEO of MicroSurgeon, which developed a microwave thermal ablation device for the treatment of solid tumors.

Grand has extensive experience in new company formation and fund raising. Since 1990, he has built, operated, recruited management and raised financing for eight high technology, medical device and biotechnology companies. Grand also was a Managing Director for Fruition Ventures, a group of private equity investors focused primarily on tech companies.

Grand is actively involved in programs to encourage bio-entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization of University technologies. He has lectured, judged business plans, and mentored students and scientists at numerous universities, including UCLA, Stanford, USC, and UCSF. Grand serves as an investment advisor to the LARTA NIH Commercialization Assistance Program for SBIR program awardees. He is on the Oversight Committees for the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Programs at USC and University of Washington. Grand is a reviewer for proof of concept and commercialization-focused funding programs for the University of California system-wide, USC, University of Utah and University of Colorado. 

Grand is a frequent panelist at biomedical conferences. He has spoken at more than 100 conferences, been featured in hundreds of articles in publications including Forbes, New York Times and Wall Street Journal and appeared as an expert on Bloomberg Television, CNN, and CNN/FN. Grand serves as Producer and Host for the MedTech Innovator competition that seeks to discover outstanding early-stage MedTech opportunities - http://medtechinnovator.com

Chad Souvignier
Managing Director 

RiverVest Venture Partners United States

RiverVest Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2000 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri with additional office in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm currently has managed over $208 million of total assets. RiverVest has raised two investment funds with total committed capital of $165 million since inception. The recent fund closed at $75 million. RiverVest typically makes equity investments into global companies, and has no specific geographic preferences. The firm will consider making investments at all the stages, and focuses on investments in seed, early-stage and select later-stage companies. The typical investment size is around $6 million, though the firm can invest more or less, depending on the opportunity. 

RiverVest is extremely opportunistic when it comes to investments in the life sciences space; with that being said RiverVests specified sectors and sub sectors of interest may or may not be an area in which RiverVest is currently looking to allocate capital to. The firm invests in companies in the biotech therapeutics and diagnostics, as well the medical technology space. 

Some of the firms investments have included companies developing biotech therapeutics and diagnostics targeting diseases of the blood and blood forming organs, neoplasms, cancer, and oncology, skin and subcutaneous tissue, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the ear, and infectious diseases. The firm has also invested in companies developing anti-body based therapeutics. The firm has also invested in firms developing medical technologies such as therapeutic radiation devices, active implantable devices, non active implantable devices, hospital hardware, and imaging devices.

Year Founded
2000
Investor Type
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Karen Spilizewski
VP 

Roche / Genentech Switzerland

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. is a Swiss global health-care company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Roche is looking for first-in-class or best-in-class opportunities that address diseases of unmet medical need and have the potential to revolutionize the standard of care. Roche focuses on their main disease therapy areas – oncology and Immuno-oncology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and neurosciences–as well as looking at opportunities in promising technologies and early-stage collaborations. Beyond the asset, Roche always look for the right partnership and cultural fit. Roche also seeks collaboration in diagnostics, specifically biomarkers.

Shafique Virani
Global Head Partnering (Neuro) 

Safeguard Scientifics

Safeguard Scientifics is a publicly traded capital deployment firm founded in 1953 and is based in Wayne PA. The firm makes deployments from an evergreen fund and is actively seeking new investments in the healthcare sector. Initial equity placements are typically of $5-1m with the potential for a total allocation of $2-25m over the life of an investment. The firm focuses on North America with a concentration in the Mid-Atlantic and San Francisco Bay Area regions. Deployments are made at a range of stages from early-stage to growth expansion and recapitalization. Safeguard Scientifics prefers to be a sizable minority investor.
Gary Kurtzman
Managing Director 

Science Futures

Science Futures Management is an investment firm based in California USA. In the Life Sciences the firm focuses on biotech therapeutics and diagnostics. The firm typically provides series A financing (equity) in the range of $25K to $5K. The firm is geographically agnostic but generally invests in companies based in the USA and Europe. The firm has no current mandate for the number of allocations it plans to make and will evaluate relevant opportunities as they surface.
Nola Masterson
Managing Director 

SENS Research Foundation, Inc. United States

SENS Research Foundation is based in Mountain View, CA. The foundation provides grants for research into rejuvenation biotechnologies that prevent or reverse age-related tissue damage. Historically grants have ranged from $40,000 to $200,000 although this range may change in the future. Grants are available to researchers worldwide. SENS requests that grants not be used to cover overhead/facilities costs. At present, 15 projects are being supported.

Mike Kope
CEO and President 
Ms Jerri Barrett
VP of Outreach 

Seroba Kernel Life Sciences Ireland

Seroba Kernel is a venture capital firm based in Dublin, Ireland, with representatives in the United Kingdom. The firm has approximately €100M AUM and focuses solely on the life sciences. The firm has 2 funds and plans to raise a third fund in the near future. The firm typically allocates between €5-7M of equity over the life of the investment. The firm primarily invests in companies that are based in Ireland and Europe. Exceptional opportunities in North America will also be considered. The firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities.

Year Founded
2001
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Daniel O'Mahony
Partner 

Shire

Shire is an Irish-headquartered global specialty biopharmaceutical company. Originating in the United Kingdom with a large operational base in the United States, its brands and products include Vyvanse, Adderall XR, Intuniv, Lialda, Pentasa, Fosrenol, Replagal, Elaprase, VPRIV, Firazyr and Dermagraft. 

Shire is currently interested in several therapeutic areas for business development opportunities. The company is most interested in the following products: rare disease therapeutics, pre-clinical to on the market; neuroscience therapeutics, on the market; gastrointestinal, on the market; ophthalmology, post proof-of-concept; and hematology; post proof-of-concept.

Jane Daun-Tremblay