Cavidi United States

Cavidi is a Swedish based diagnostic company that has developed a novel method for measuring HIV viral load in patients recieving anti-retroviral therapy for treatment of HIV. Viral load is a critical indicator of the effectiveness of HIV therapy, and has been the standard of care in the developed world for many years. Just recently the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its recommendations to include viral load for patients in the developing world where the vast majority of HIV patients exists, and a large influx of international funding has significantly increased aceess to HIV drugs. The Cavidi method is novel in that it measures the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT), and not viral nucleic acid (RNA) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The Cavidi method is not subject to the logistical challenges of PCR such as contamination risk. The Cavidi RT assay is much less expensive and can be performed in labs that lack the sophisitication to perform technologies such as PCR. Therfore, the Cavidi assay significantly improves access to this vitally important technology. For the past several years a manual version of the Cavidi technology has been utilized in laboratories in the developing world. The performance of the assay has been validated vs the industry leading PCR methods in many peer review publications. The company is now seeking funding to develop an automated version of the assay that will make it more widely adaptable to many laborartories. 

Website:
www.cavidi.com
Year Founded
2007
Biotech Subsector
Medtech Subsector
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview
Cavidi's novel IVD technology uses Reverse Transcriptase(RT) as a marker for measuring replication competent HIV in blood (HIV viral load). Measuring viral load in HIV patients receiving anti viral therapy is now a global World Health Organization recommendation. Unlike PCR tests, Cavidi's RT assay requires minimal resources & lab footprint, can measure all subtypes of HIV, and at half the cost or less of PCR tests. The technology has been proven in over 400,000 tests in 50 markets worldwide.
Alliance & Collaborations
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Uganda • Burnet Institute, Australia • University of Maryland School of Medicine IHV (Institute of Human Virology) • Karolinska Hospital, Sweden • SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) • Royal Free Hospital, London, UK • Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Botswana- • New York University School of Medicine, Kenya • Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Sweden • Virus Reference Depart
Supporting Metrics or Evidence
The Cavidi ExaVIr Load assay has been widely cited in peer review publications, and favorably compared to industry standard PCR technology. In addition to routine HIV viral load measurement, the Cavidi RT assay has demonstrated favorable performance vs. industry standard PCR for early infant HIV diagnostic (EID) market. ExaVir™ assay showed excellent concordance with real-time molecular assays Abbott M2000sp and Roche Cobas TaqMan...Journal of Clinical Microbiology 47(10): 3266-3270
Current Financing Needs
Development project completion 2015 $7M + 2016 $3M =$10M Global product launch 2016 $3M + 2017 $2M=$5M
Current Timeline
Next generation of fully automated HIV viral load test development project started in 2102. Prototype 1 and 2 now working. OEM selected Q12015, validation and verification of final design Q22015, Distribution Partner selection by Q22015, pre-series Q42015, serial production start Q12016, and CE Registration Q22016. Cash flow positive 2017.
Current Investors
Two private US investors hold majority interest
IP Status
IP is strong and broad covering key aspects of the technology methods with over 100 international patents in five patent families.
Recent Milestones
• Awarded SWECARE Export Award by Swedish MOH May 2013 • Supply Agreement signed with Load Zero Foundation in June 2013 • Presentation at UN Global Health Impact Forum May 2014 • TECH20 award as top 20 (2%) of 800 startups in Sweden June 2014 • UNITAID grant LOI accepted (3/12) June 2014, Full Application grant pending Dec. 2014 • POLS/One Technology evaluation meta study (2/2014) ranks Cavidi ExaVirLoad with top global diagnostic comp
Management Team Highlights
Experts in diagnostic technology development covering: Clinical Assay Chemistry, Devices, Instruments, Software, System Integration, QA & QC, Regulatory Strategy. Commercial scale up of new technologies in global markets with focus on emerging markets in Africa and Asia. Capital raising for start up and early stage companies.
Bob Barrett
Global Head, Business Development 

CDRD Ventures Canada

CDRD Ventures Inc. (CVI) is the commercialization vehicle of the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Canada's national drug development and commercialization center that was founded in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. CVI seeks to advance promising drug development projects from CDRD using internal funds and through partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies, venture capital firms, biotech companies, and other funding agencies. CVI also seeks to in-license technologies from industry or non-CDRD affiliated research institutions. The firm considers both small molecule and biologic innovative technologies in virtually any therapeutic area.

Ms Natalie Dakers
President & CEO 
Mr Michael Lincoln
Chief Financial and Business Officer 

Chempetitive Group

Chempetitive Group is an integrated marketing communications agency focused exclusively on the life sciences. We work with biotech, medical device, pharmaceutical, chemical and tools/instrumentation companies of all sizes that around the globe. We develop winning strategies and campaigns that build brands and generate revenues. We love science. We understand science. And, we know how to effectively reach the scientific, clinical, medical and business communities that matter. 

Long live science. 

Visit us in San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston or Cambridge UK. 

Find out about us at http://www.chempetitive.com 

Erik Clausen
Erik Clausen
LinkedIn logo Managing Partner 
BIO

Erik Clausen is a managing partner at Chempetitive Group (http://www.chempetitive.com), a marketing communications firm that develops and implements strategies and drives results for life science and healthcare companies. Erik brings two decades of international experience helping life science, medical technology and healthcare organizations to reach and engage the right audiences.

Chiesi Ventures

Chiesi Ventures is a Venture Capital firm formed by a partnership between the Italian Pharmaceutical company Chiesi and US based VC firm Pappas Ventures. The firm is currently looking to make seed and venture stage investments into companies ranging anywhere from $2K to $5 million initially and up to $8 million over the life of the investment. The firm is actively seeking investment opportunities throughout the United States and Europe and could make as many as 2-4 new investments over the next year.
Art Pappas
Partner 

CitareTx Investment Partners

CitareTx founded in 2008 is a venture development and investment firm based in Houston Texas. The firm provides investment and incubation services to start-up and early-stage medical device companies. The firm provides seed capital (equity) ranging from $5K to $2M with follow-on capital of up to $5M. The firm also considers investment opportunities with smaller than typically accepted venture capital market size thresholds. The firm is geographically agnostic but prefers companies to be based in Texas. The firm is actively seeking new opportunities.

Jeffery Sheldon
General Partner & Managing Director 

Correlation Ventures United States

Correlation Ventures is a venture capital firm that founded in 2010 and is based in San Diego, California with an additional office in Palo Alto, California. The firm currently has approximately $165 million in total assets under management. The firm typically makes investments ranging from $0.25 million to $5 million over the life of the company, and the first investment will be not larger than $2.5 million. The firm’s preferred capital structure is convertible preferred equity or convertible loan. Correlation Ventures will consider invest in any industry segment at any stage, but there must be at least one other venture capital firm making their first investment in the company in this round. The firm only invests in US-based companies. 

Correlation is extremely opportunistic when it comes to investments in the life sciences space; with that being said the firm's specified sectors and sub sectors of interest may or may not be an area in which Correlation Ventures is currently looking to allocate capital to. The firm has made a number of investments in companies in the life sciences space, and has mainly invested in companies in the biotech therapeutics and diagnostics space. The firm's current portfolio includes biotech therapeutics and diagnostics firms developing products targeting endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional diseases, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, neoplasms, cancer, and oncology, genitourinary system, and infectious and parasitic diseases.

Year Founded
2010
Investor Type
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
David Coats
Managing Director 

Crestone Inc. United States

Crestone, Inc. is an early stage drug discovery and development company focused on developing novel treatments for serious bacterial infections.  The company currently has two main programs that address areas of significant and growing unmet medical need, both with novel mechanism of action agents.

1.         Novel treatment for Clostridium difficile infections.  CRS3123 is currently in clinical development for the treatment of C. difficile infection (CDI), and is nearing completion of Phase 1.  CDI occurs when toxin-producing bacteria colonize the gastrointestinal tract.  The infection spreads rapidly via spores which contaminate hospitals and nursing homes, and recurrence is a major clinical issue.  Due to the emergence of hyper-virulent drug resistant strains, mortality from CDI has increased over 700% since 1999.  In preclinical studies, CRS3123 shows much lower recurrence compared to vancomycin, a key attribute for improved therapy of CDI.  We seek funding for Phase 2 clinical studies to demonstrate clinical proof-of-concept.

2.         Novel oral agents for Gram-positive infections.  We are developing a novel class of DNA replication inhibitors, currently in advanced preclinical research.  These compounds selectively inhibit an essential component of the replicative DNA polymerase complex and are potent, orally available, and effective against all clinically-relevant Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax).  We anticipate development of a drug similar to Zyvox in spectrum, but with key advantages such as rapid bacterial killing and improved safety.  This grant-supported program is expected to produce a clinical candidate in 2015.   

Crestone will develop these programs through key value inflection points in early clinical development, and then share the risk and expense of late-stage trials with a partner.  We have a talented core team in place, and have a plan for strategic hiring to ensure that we can accomplish critical milestones.  We have identified potential candidates to fill a number of key positions, while outsourcing activities that benefit from economies of scale/expertise, including large-scale chemical synthesis, animal testing, clinical trial execution and regulatory affairs.  We have demonstrated the ability to leverage non-dilutive financing to meet critical early milestones, maintaining a semi-virtual structure and low burn rate. 

Year Founded
2009
Biotech Phase of Development
Current Financing Needs
Series A
Current Investors
self-financed by Founders
IP Status
issued patents
Recent Milestones
Completion of Phase I Single Ascending Dose clinical trial for CRS3123
Dr Thale Jarvis
Founder 

Cydan

Cydan is an orphan drug accelerator that was founded in 213 and is based in Cambridge MA. The firm has raised $26 million dollar to derisk therapeutic assets targeting orphan indications (excluding oncology). The firm looks to option/in-license assets and form subsidiary companies around them. Cydan then derisks the assets conducting all the necessary IND enabling activities. Cydan?s investment syndicate including NEA Pfizer Ventures Lundbeck Venturefonds Bay City Alexandria then has the option to fund the NEWCo Series A round to human proof of principle Cydan is also performing due diligence on companies that are interested in receiving investment from the company's syndicate. Cydan is currently considering pre-clinical and clinical assets worldwide.
Chris Adams
CEO 

Deep Knowledge Ventures Hong Kong SAR China

We are a Hong Kong-based venture fund management company focusing on mid- to long-term advanced technology investments at early stage. Through our partnership with the top analytical companies utilizing machine learning and large panel of experts, we can construct complex decision trees showing risk and return at every stage of company evolution. We routinely invest in both private and public companies specializing in biotechnology, drug discovery, personalized medicine, Big Data analysis, industrial expert systems and artificial intelligence. 

Mr Charles Groome
Mr Charles Groome
LinkedIn logo Venture Partner 
Mr Dmitry Kaminskiy
Mr Dmitry Kaminskiy
LinkedIn logo Senior Partner 

Diamond BioFund Taiwan

Diamond BioFund is an evergreen fund that was established in 2013 and is based in Taipei City, Taiwan. The fund is operating from a committed capital of USD 300 million. The fund makes equity investments in early- to late-stage private businesses. Typical allocations range from USD 1.5 million to north of USD 10 million. The fund likes to lead investments in Taiwan-based businesses and co-invest in businesses overseas. The fund is currently seeking new opportunities in Taiwan, Greater China, Southeast Asia, US, Canada, and EU.

Diamond BioFund takes a generalist approach when considering life science opportunities, including therapeutics (small molecule and biologics), medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare services, and nutraceuticals. The fund is seeking cutting edge, innovative, and platform technology. In therapeutics, the fund considers all stages from preclinical through pre-IPO. In medical devices, the fund prefers later stage projects with proof of concept. The fund is open to all disease indications.

Investor Type
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Winston Town
Vice President 
Haolin Sung
LinkedIn logo Director