Pear is an early-stage venture fund founded by Pejman Nozad and Mar Hershenson. Their co-founding managers have historically seeded very early stage tech start-ups such as Doordash, Guardant Health, Gusto, Viz.ai, Dropbox, Lending Club, Vanta, Zoosk, Addepar, Path and many others. Their motto is simple: they invest in exceptional founders who are building amazing companies. They utilize every resource they have to assist their founders and entrepreneurs shape the future.

Pear VC

Sadik Ventures is a Venture Capital and Growth Equity investments.

Sadık Ventures

Civilization Ventures invests in visionary founders that are leading the future of health tech and biology-driven innovation. We aim to be the first check and lead investor in highly disruptive companies across digital health, synthetic biology, diagnostics, 3D (bio) printing, and AI/ software-enabled health tech. Our team comprises serial entrepreneurs and industry thought leaders who work tirelessly to help each of our portfolio companies succeed.

Civilization Ventures

BlueBird Ventures is a venture capital fund that is managed by Sutter Hill Ventures.

Bluebird Ventures

Foresite Capital is a healthcare and life sciences investment firm. They take a data-driven approach to invest in startups that employ biology and big data to improve healthcare, such as 10x Genomics, Relay Therapeutics, Element Biosciences, and Inscripta.

Foresite Capital

Stanford University is a teaching and research university that focuses on graduate programs in law, medicine, education, and business. Few colleges can match the breadth, excellence, and prestige of Stanford’s academics, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.   The university is organized into seven schools: Business, Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Sciences, Law, and Medicine Student life at Stanford is quite active, due in part to the 11,000+ students living on campus. Art is a strong presence at Stanford, fostered by Stanford Lively Arts, the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, and numerous student clubs and organizations. Stanford also features extensive athletic programs, including more than 35 varsity sports and about 20 clubs sports. In order to maintain its high standards, Stanford University has extremely selective admissions. The university admits undergraduates based on a combination of academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and personal experience. Graduate admissions criteria and application procedures vary based on the program of study. Undergraduates at Stanford have access to a variety of financial aid opportunities, including institutional scholarships, grants from the government, and student employment. Graduate students can receive financial aid through fellowships and grants, but funding is typically not available for master’s students.

Stanford University

Agent Capital

The CU Healthcare Innovation Fund is located on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. The fund invests in companies that have developed meaningful partnerships with the institutions on the campus. The $50 million fund invests across digital health, therapeutics and devices.

The CU Healthcare Innovation Fund

Foresight Diagnostics

Foresight Diagnostics develops a novel liquid biopsy test for the measurement of minimal residual disease to aid in patient management. They garnered significant partnering interest from multiple pharmaceutical companies in oncology.

Foresight Diagnostics is a cancer diagnostics company and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-registered laboratory specializing in developing ultra-sensitive minimal residual disease (MRD) detection technology. The company's flagship product is the Foresight CLARITY platform, which uses its proprietary PhasED-Seq technology to detect circulating tumor DNA at levels below one part per million for ultrasensitive MRD detection. It lowers the error profile of mutation detection in sequencing data by requiring the concordant detection of two separate non-reference events in an individual DNA molecule.&nbsp;

Foresight Diagnostics Patent Issued for Minimal Residual Disease Detection Technology

Foresight Diagnostics announces $58.75 Million Series B financing led by Foresite Capital to commercialize ultrasensitive liquid biopsy MRD testing platform

Foresight Diagnostics Closes $58.8M Series B Round

Foresight Diagnostics & leading cancer center to present solid tumor MRD data at AACR conference

Allogene cuts 22% of workforce amid blood cancer therapy pivot

Personalis Sues Foresight Diagnostics Again Alleging Patent Infringement

Foresight Diagnostics – Foresite Capital

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

Foresight Diagnostics to Present at 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Foresight Diagnostics is a privately held cancer diagnostics company and CLIA-registered laboratory based in Aurora, Colorado. It has developed a novel liquid biopsy testing platform called PhasED-Seq (Phased variant Enrichment and Detection by Sequencing) for the measurement of minimal residual disease (MRD). PhasED-Seq enhances MRD sensitivity by targeting "phased variants," where two or more SNPs are located on the same DNA fragment, enabling detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at levels below one part-per-million (<0.0001%).
The Foresight Solid Tumor Recurrence Test, based on the PhasED-Seq technology, is a clinical diagnostic tool for MRD monitoring. It is custom-designed for each patient to track phased variants identified from tumor tissue samples using whole-genome sequencing. The test offers unprecedented sensitivity for MRD detection, with a limit of detection below one part per million. In April 2023, the company presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting, showing that PhasED-Seq achieved a high confidence limit of detection (LOD95) of one part-per-million or below in the majority of blood samples from patients with solid tumors.
In September 2022, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted Foresight Diagnostics a patent (No. 11,447,833) covering the detection of MRD using its personalized phased variant detection platform. The company has secured exclusive rights to the PhasED-Seq technology through this patent.
Key customers and partnerships
In January 2024, Foresight Diagnostics partnered with Allogene Therapeutics to develop a minimal residual disease (MRD) test for Allogene's upcoming ALPHA3 trial investigating an 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy as a first-line consolidation therapy in large B-cell lymphoma patients. Foresight's investigational PhasED-Seq ctDNA-MRD platform will be used to identify patients with MRD after first-line consolidation treatment.
In April 2023, the company presented data at AACR from a study conducted in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), demonstrating the clinical applicability of PhasED-Seq-based MRD monitoring in solid tumors, specifically in patients with lung cancer.

Foresight Diagnostics is a cancer diagnostics company and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-registered laboratory specializing in developing ultra-sensitive minimal residual disease (MRD) detection technology. The company's flagship product is the Foresight CLARITY platform, which uses its proprietary PhasED-Seq technology to detect circulating tumor DNA at levels below one part per million for ultrasensitive MRD detection. It lowers the error profile of mutation detection in sequencing data by requiring the concordant detection of two separate non-reference events in an individual DNA molecule.&nbsp;&nbsp;Foresight's technology has applications in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In May 2024, the company presented data showcasing improved sensitivity and superior clinical performance of MRD detection by Foresight CLARITY in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within the post-operative adjuvant setting. The study demonstrated over 2x improved detection and clinical sensitivity compared to conventional single nucleotide variant (SNV)-based methods.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsIn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/04/2804345/0/en/Allogene-Therapeutics-and-Foresight-Diagnostics-Announce-Partnership-to-Develop-MRD-based-In-Vitro-Diagnostic-for-Use-in-ALPHA3-the-First-Pivotal-Trial-for-Frontline-Consolidation-.html">January 2024</a>, Foresight Diagnostics announced a strategic partnership with Allogene Therapeutics to develop an MRD-based in-vitro diagnostic for use in ALPHA3, the first pivotal trial for frontline consolidation in large B-cell lymphoma. The partnership used Foresight's ultra-sensitive MRD technology to identify patients for enrollment in Allogene's trial.

<div>
 
 Praxis Precision Medicines is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops precision medicine for central nervous system disorders based on neuronal imbalance caused by genetic mutations.
 
 
 The company has four clinical-stage product candidates in its pipeline for treating disorders such as depression, epilepsy, movement disorders, and pain syndromes. The company&rsquo;s drug candidates include 1) PRAX-944, which is an inhibitor for essential tremor disorder linked to Parkinson&rsquo;s disease and is set to begin Phase 3 in mid-2023, 2) PRAX-222 in Phase 2 of clinical trials targets the SCN2A gene most commonly associated with early-onset epilepsy, 3) PRAX-562 was designed to block persistent sodium for patients suffering from rare diseases such as headache disorders and severe seizures and completed Phase 1 of clinical trials, and 4) PRAX-628 in Phase 2 clinical trials for treating focal epilepsy that originates in one side or area of the brain and affects one side of the body. Additionally, the firm has six pre-clinical drug candidates.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 The company went public in October 2020, trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol &ldquo;PRAX&rdquo;. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19453">
 In June 2023 
 </a>
 , the company announced an underwritten public offering of its common shares and pre-funded warrants, to raise approximately USD 59.1 million. The capital raised was used to support the company&rsquo;s ongoing operations and strategic initiatives, furthering the development of its pipeline and potential future endeavors.
 
 
 For the year 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16211">
 2022
 </a>
 , net losses increased by 28% YoY to USD 214 million arising from a significant increase in R&amp;D expense (up by 29% YoY). For the six months ended June 2023, the company is yet to generate revenue from drugs, however received collaboration revenue of USD 1.5 million. Further, it reported a decline in net loss by 43.0% YoY to USD 34.3 million. Its cash and cash equivalent as of June 2023 was at USD 124.3 million, compared to USD 61.6 million in December 2022, which the company believes will be adequate to fund operations till Q1 2025. 
 
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Praxis Precision Medicines

<div>
 
 Mirati Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biotechnology company developing oncology-targeted therapies to address KRAS mutations present in 25% of tumors, including lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Mirati&rsquo;s lead product KRAZATI (adagrasib/ MRTX849) is an oral&nbsp; KRASG12C inhibitor approved in 2022 for certain non-small cell lung cancers.The company also has sitravatinib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, in Phase 3 trials for non-small cell lung cancer in combination with a Bristol-Myers Squibb checkpoint inhibitor.
 
 
 
 
 Additionally, Mirati is advancing multiple early-stage programs including KRAS G12D inhibitor MRTX1133 for pancreatic and colorectal cancers, which entered Phase 1 in 2023, as well as a synthetic lethal inhibitor MRTX1719. In December 2022, the company submitted an IND application for MRTX1133, a potent and selective KRAS G12D inhibitor, which was cleared by the FDA in January 2023. 
 
 
 Key partnerships and customers
 
 
 
 
 Mirati has multiple partnerships with leading biopharma companies to advance its pipeline, including discovery collaborations with Pfizer and clinical collaborations with Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14345">
 Incyte
 </a>
 . The company also has licensing agreements with BeiGene for sitravatinib and Zai Lab for MRTX849 in certain Asian markets.
 
 
 
 
 
 Funding and Financials
 
 
 
 
 The company went public in June 2013 to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol &ldquo;MRTX&rdquo;. In August 2023, the company closed an 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20988">
 underwritten public offering
 </a>
 at USD 345 million. The new funds were used towards drug development and leadership expansion.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16725">
 For the year 2022 
 </a>
 , the firm's net losses increased to USD 740.9 million from USD 581.8 million. Net product revenue for the full year amounted to USD 0.7 million arising from the sale of KRAZATI, which received FDA approval for its commercial launch in December 2022. 
 
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Mirati Therapeutics

<div>
 
 Tvardi Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicine for different cancers, chronic inflammatory diseases, and fibrotic diseases. The company&rsquo;s pipeline focuses on the development of small-molecule inhibitors of STAT3, a regulatory protein that allows cancer cells to evade the immune system and survive.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s orally administered monotherapy and lead product, TTI-101, is in Phase 1 clinical trials for patients with advanced solid tumors who have failed all other lines of therapy. Additionally, the drug is in preclinical trials for treating fibrosis and inflammation. The company is also developing TTI-102, a next-generation STAT3 inhibitor that is structurally similar but chemically different from TTI-101.&nbsp;
 
 
 Founded in 2017, the Texas-based company closed a Series B funding round in June 2021, which brought total funding to USD 81 million and the proceeds will be used to advance Tvardi&rsquo;s drug candidates through its clinical data readouts in mid-stage trials for cancer and fibrosis.
 
</div>

Tvardi Therapeutics

<div>
 
 Tango Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company developing precision oncology therapies targeting synthetic lethality in cancer which leads to cell death. Its discovery platform identifies novel targets to develop drugs focused on: 1) countering tumor suppressor gene loss to help the immune system recognize and kill cancer cells, and 2) reversing cancer cell evasion of the immune system.
 
 
 
 
 Tango has five pipeline programs, including lead candidate TNG908, an inhibitor for multiple cancer indicators. The FDA approved TNG908's IND in January 2022 and granted it Orphan Drug Designation. TNG908 is in Phase I/II trials, with preliminary efficacy data expected in H1 2023. Tango also plans to file INDs for TNG260 (STK11 mutant cancers) and TNG348 (BRCA1/2-mutant cancers). In 
 <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/01/25/2595034/0/en/Tango-Therapeutics-Announces-FDA-Clearance-of-Investigational-New-Drug-Application-for-TNG462-Provides-Additional-Business-Updates.html">
 January 2023
 </a>
 , the FDA cleared the IND for TNG462, a next-gen PRMT5 inhibitor for cancers with MTAP deletion.
 
 
 
 
 Key partnerships and customers
 
 
 
 
 
 Outside its pipeline, the company also entered into a collaborative partnership with big pharma Gilead Sciences Inc., in October 2018 which was later expanded for two years in August 2020 to identify new immune evasion targets.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 
 Tango went public in August 2021 via a SPAC deal, trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol &ldquo;TNGX&rdquo;, and the company received gross proceeds of USD 353 million. In August 2023, the company raised USD 80 million via a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20955">
 private placement
 </a>
 , which was led by Nextech. The new funds were used toward expanding its TNG908 and TNG462 PRMT5 programs to various other indications.
 
 
 
 
 Tango has not yet generated any drug sales and does not expect to do so for several years. However, for the full-year the company reported collaboration revenue of USD 24.9 million (down 4.42% YoY) and a net loss of USD 108.2 million (up 85.9% YoY).
 
 
 
</div>

Tango Therapeutics

<div>
 
 IDEAYA Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotech developing precision cancer therapies based on synthetic lethality - when specific gene mutations pair to cause cell death. The company also studies combining synthetic lethality with immunotherapies and DNA damage to enhance treatment efficacy. While current drugs target limited mutations like BRCA1/2, IDEAYA aims to treat broader genetic subpopulations.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Its pipeline includes synthetic lethality-driven precision medicines across four potential first-in-class clinical-stage product candidates. Of these, the company owns/controls commercial rights of the three most-advanced of these product candidates: darovasertib, IDE397, and IDE161. As of May 2024, the company was also advancing Werner Helicase program for which a development candidate has been selected in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, and, subject to investigational new drug-, or IND-, enabling studies, are targeting an IND in 2024. In addition. the company also works on multiple earlier-stage preclinical programs. 
 
 
 By targeting specific genetic drivers, IDEAYA advances precision oncology using synthetic lethality approaches. The company is focused on developing novel targeted therapies for patient populations with high unmet need and limited treatment options.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 In December 2023, IDEAYA Biosciences teamed up with Gilead Sciences to test the combination of IDE397 and Trodelvy in a Phase I clinical trial for MTAP-deletion bladder cancer.
 
 
 
 
 Key partnerships and customers
 
 
 
 
 The company collaborates with pharmaceutical partners to advance its pipeline, including a strategic partnership with GSK in June 2020. The collaboration with GSK covers co-development and commercialization of two synthetic lethality programs. IDEAYA received USD 100 million upfront and USD 20 million in a direct private placement through the GSK deal. In June 2022, IDEAYA announced it would co-develop its Pol Theta candidate with GSK, with a Phase 1 trial starting in the first half of 2023.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 IDEAYA also holds an exclusive license from Novartis for LXS196 (IDE196), a PKC inhibitor for metastatic uveal melanoma. Additionally, the company is exploring IDE196 combinations with Pfizer and its potential in other rare skin diseases. In July 2022, IDEAYA signed an agreement with Amgen to evaluate IDE397 with Amgen's AMG 193 in solid tumors. Strategic pharma partnerships help advance and expand IDEAYA's pipeline of synthetic lethality precision oncology programs.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 
 
 The company was listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol &ldquo;IDYA&rdquo; in May 2019, raising USD 50 million via an initial public offering. In September 2022, the company raised USD 92 million.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 For 2022, the company reported a net loss of USD 58.7 million (up 17.9% YoY) while collaboration revenue was USD 50.9 million (up 82.3% YoY). 
 
 
 On October 24, 2023, IDEAYA Biosciences priced an underwritten public offering of 5 million shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase 319,150 shares of common stock. The common stock offered was priced at USD 23.50 per share, while the exercise price of a pre-funded warrant was USD 0.0001. The offering was expected to bring in approximately USD 125 million in gross proceeds.
 
 
 
</div>

IDEAYA Biosciences

Companies providing genetic tests to identify individuals with high risk or at-risk of having hereditary disease, aid physicians with a diagnosis, and support clinical decision making.

Secure cloud-based platforms and data sharing networks that collect, index, store, and analyze large amounts of health data and patient population data sets from sources including genomic, clinical, wearables, imaging, and population data.

Biopharma and biotechnology companies that develop precision medicine drugs based on novel disease biomarkers present in multi-omic patient population data and genetic insights.

Companies that study intergenomic variations in genes associated with drug response and metabolism to match patients with the appropriate drug and dosage.

Companies that develop an in-vitro medical device or imaging tools and tests that identify genetic mutations for both diagnostic (nature of the disease) and prognostic (likely course of the disease) purposes, allowing providers to match a patient to a specific drug or therapy.

Software analytics platforms that integrate multiple omics datasets (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to gain insights and support target discovery, drug development, clinical trials, and diagnostics.

Some companies leverage AI/ML to develop tailored medication

Considers individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person

Genomics is used across all the segments of precision medicine from diagnostic solutions to treatments

AI/ML analyzes genomic data to find drug targets, predict disease progression, and treatment response

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 Foresight Diagnostics has initiated the SHORTEN-ctDNA clinical trial at Columbia University. The purpose of the trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of Foresight CLARITY's MRD detection in improving treatment for patients suffering from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
 The trial is designed to investigate whether early elimination of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can lead to a reduction in the number of chemotherapy cycles while keeping long-term survival outcomes intact. Patients demonstrating early indications of disease reduction may have the option to switch from a combined treatment of rituximab and chemotherapy to rituximab alone for the remaining cycles. The company suggests that this approach may pave the way for personalized treatment plans with lower toxicity risks for lymphoma patients.
 
</div>

Foresight Diagnostics

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