California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
Neil Littman
Business Development OfficerCavidi
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.
Bob Barrett
Global Head, Business DevelopmentChiesi Ventures
Art Pappas
PartnerCorrelation Ventures
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.
David Coats
Managing DirectorCureDuchenne
Debra Miller co-founded CureDuchenne in 2003 with her husband, Paul, after their only son was diagnosed with Duchenne. Miller relies on her extensive background in sales and marketing to lead CureDuchenne.
Her role includes overseeing all operations, research and financial resources as well as serving as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors. She is the decision maker, leader and manager in carrying out the mission of the organization. She also works closely with the Scientific Board of Advisors in designing and implementing the medical research strategic plan.
Miller is a member of the Department of Defense Duchenne Research review board and also a member of the TREAT-NMD international review board, TACT. Miller has led CureDuchenne’s successful venture philanthropy programs and is the architect of CureDuchenne Ventures LLC, a new, for profit entity created to attract significant research funding to Duchenne research.
Prior to CureDuchenne, Miller had a career in publishing with positions at IDG Communications, Cahners Publishing, Ziff-Davis Publishing and Scholastic Publishing. She also worked in management at PC Magazine and was an independent stock trader.
Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of California – Los Angeles.
Mrs Debra Miller
Founder and CEOCydan
Chris Adams
CEODavosPharma
DavosPharma’s corporate offering covers all the activities required to get a drug from conception to commercialization. DavosPharma has been filling this need since 1972, serving the pharmaceutical and life science market by providing discovery chemistry & biology, pre-clinical development, and all required CMC activities including custom synthesis of organic molecules, custom dosage formulation, and custom manufacturing of cGMP intermediates, APIs, and drug product.
Gifford Marzoni
Vice-President Global Pharmaceutical DevelopmentMike Shore
Director, Global Supply Chain & Technical OperationsDeep Knowledge Ventures
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.
Delivering Scientific Innovation for Autism LLC
DELSIA is a "venture philanthropy" investment affilate of the research and advocacy foundation Autism Speaks. Our purpose is to transform lives by catalyzing the development and availability of innovative products.
DELSIA is a non-dilutive funding vehicle with the goal of improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DELSIA aims to do this by enabling the translation of scientific breakthroughs and technological advances into products that improve health and quality of life for individuals with ASD and their families.
Who and what do we invest in? DELSIA partners with for-profit companies to fund development activities necessary for delivering products that address the diverse unmet medical, behavioral health and quality of life needs of the autism community.
DELSIA accepts funding proposals from for-profit entities that include, but are not limited to:
• Entrepreneurs, start-up and small companies
• Life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
• Software, computer and electronic technology companies
Diamond BioFund
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.