CDH Investments is an international alternative asset fund manager with over $27 billion of assets under management. CDH Investments was established in 2002 by the former private equity group of China International Capital Corporation and is managed by an experienced team of senior private equity professionals who have worked together for many years focusing all their professional time on investing in China. CDH has consistently delivered superior returns relative to industry peers and is well positioned to continue to generate superior returns due to the team's proven investment experience and expertise investing in China.

CDH Investments

HongShan is a VC firm focused on seed-stage, mid-stage, late-stage, and growth investments in the fintech sector. HongShan has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shenzhen. Over the past nine years, Sequoia Capital China has an impressive and diverse portfolio comprising about 300 dynamic companies that deliver high returns on investment using differentiated technologies and innovative business models, including Alibaba, VIPshop.com, Sina.com, Didi, JD.com, Ourpalm, Qihoo 360, Jumei, Momo, SINNET, Dianping.com, Meituan, Meilishuo, Toutiao, AutoNavi, Ganji.com, DJI, VanceInfo, Noah Private Wealth Management, Wanda Cinemas, Alibaba Pictures, Plateno Hotels Group, Deppon Logistics, ZTO Express, Beta Pharma, Snibe Diagnostic, BGI, WEGO, and Yuwell Medical.

HongShan

Maverick Ventures is the venture arm of multi-billion dollar investment firm Maverick Capital. Combining the resources of a global firm with the benefits of an agile, focused team, Maverick Ventures supports entrepreneurs from seed through maturity. With over 30 years of early-stage investment experience, the Maverick Ventures team has funded more than 100 companies in the healthcare, software and deep technology sectors. The highly-experienced team of operating executives and investors at Maverick Ventures generally lead rounds, take board seats and work with management to build successful enterprises.

Maverick Ventures

Shanghai Chung Hua Investment Management Co., Ltd. is specialized in Yongjin Group's equity investment management platform. Total investment scale Chung Hua invest over 6 billion yuan, it has invested in more than 80 outstanding enterprises, of which more than 40 enterprises have been successfully listed. Currently Chung Hua investment team covering the major cities Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, etc., and in many industries new energy, environmental protection, consumer goods, TMT, agriculture and other in-depth research team.

Yonghua Capital

Bio-Techne empowers researchers in life science and clinical diagnostics by providing high-quality reagent instruments, custom manufacturing, and testing services. The company's family of brands creates a unique portfolio of products and services. It drives us to collaborate, develop, and manufacture award-winning tools that help researchers achieve reproducible and consistent results. Whether the clients are at the cutting edge of academic research, translating basic discoveries to therapeutic leads, or at a facility that requires the highest level of diagnostic testing, our innovative products and services provide the solutions you need to achieve success.

Bio-Techne

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

Spear Bio

Spear Bio is a biotech company that focuses on the detection of ultrasensitive protein. The company was founded in 2021 and is based in Weston, Massachusetts, United States.

Spear Bio is a biotechnology company developing ultrasensitive immunoassays for protein biomarker detection. Its core technology, Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR), enables the detection of protein biomarkers at attomolar levels from sub-microliter sample volumes, claiming to offer two to three orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than current digital immunoassay platforms without requiring wash steps or expensive proprietary readers.

Wyss’s Spear Bio Detects Proteins in Small Volumes, Like Blood Spots

Spear Bio Inc

Spear Bio, developer of the next-generation ultrasensitive immunodiagnostics and proteomics platform, completes raise of tens of millions of US dollars with oversubscribed Seed Prime

SPEAR: Ultrasensitive Protein Detection in Small Samples

Immunoassay Technology Developer Spear Bio Presents Its NAB-SureTM SARS-CoV2 Neutralizing Antibody Test Kit at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry's Annual Event

Startup licenses Harvard tech to develop ultra-sensitive COVID antibody assay

News & Events

Wyss Institute at Harvard University launches SPEAR Bio to empower disease research, patient care, and drug development with its small-sample, ultrasensitive, protein-detection technology

SPEAR Immunoassays

Spear Bio Closes Seed Funding of Tens of Millions of US Dollars

New Spear Bio Ultrasensitive Immunoassay Neutralizing Antibodies Test Kits for Covid Variants

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

Spear Bio Inks $45M in Oversubscribed Series A

Spear Bio, founded in March 2021 as a spin-off from Harvard University's Wyss Institute, develops scalable solutions for ultrasensitive detection of protein biomarkers. The company's core technology, SPEAR (Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction), enables detection of minute protein quantities in small sample volumes, as little as one microliter. SPEAR utilizes target-binding probes that bind to proximal sites on a protein, triggering a DNA synthesis reaction that can be amplified and quantified using standard qPCR instruments. This approach offers extreme sensitivity, a wash-free workflow, and functionality over a wide range of target protein levels.
Spear Bio's first commercial product, NAB-Sure, is a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (NAb) test kit. Launched in 2022, NAB-Sure can quantify NAbs from challenging samples such as finger-stick dried blood spots and nasal swabs. The assay has been validated and adopted in major labs for tracking immunity, vaccine response, and Covid-19 sero-surveillance. As of July 2023, Spear Bio expanded its NAB-Sure product line to include test kits for Omicron variants XBB.1.5 and BQ.1.1, in addition to previously released kits for the original Wild Type strain and Omicron BA.4/5 variants.
The company's technology offers advantages over traditional immunoassay methods, including higher sensitivity, the ability to work with small sample volumes, and compatibility with common laboratory equipment like qPCR machines. This makes SPEAR particularly suitable for applications in research, non-invasive sample collection, and laboratory diagnostics. As of 2023, Spear Bio was focusing on bringing ultrasensitive immunoassays to market for areas such as neurology, immunology, and oncology.

Spear Bio is a biotechnology company developing ultrasensitive immunoassays for protein biomarker detection. Its core technology, Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR), enables the detection of protein biomarkers at attomolar levels from sub-microliter sample volumes, claiming to offer two to three orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than current digital immunoassay platforms without requiring wash steps or expensive proprietary readers.The SPEAR technology uses target-binding probes that bind to proximal sites in a protein's structure, allowing a unique "shake hands" mechanism that synthesizes a DNA sequence amplifiable by standard qPCR instruments. This approach provides extreme sensitivity and specificity, capable of detecting single-digit counts of protein molecules in sample volumes as small as 0.1 microliters. Spear Bio's assays are compatible with common qPCR devices, making them easily implementable and scalable in most laboratories.In&nbsp;<a href="https://spear.bio/immunoassay-technology-developer-spear-bio-presents-its-nab-sure-sars-cov2-neutralizing-antibody-test-kit-at-the-american-association-of-clinical-chemistrys-annual-event/">September 2022,&nbsp;</a>Spear Bio launched its first commercial product, NAB-Sure, for ultrasensitive quantification of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from challenging samples such as finger-stick dried blood spots and nasal swabs. The company has expanded its NAB-Sure test kit offerings to include various Covid-19 variants, including Wild Type, Omicron BA.4/5, XBB.1.5, and BQ.1.1. These kits provide researchers with a highly sensitive, accurate, and precise cell-free alternative to traditional neutralizing antibody testing methods.As of July 2024, Spear Bio was focused on developing ultrasensitive immunoassays for areas such as neurology, immunology, and oncology. The company aimed to leverage its technology's unprecedented sensitivity to transform protein research and early disease diagnosis, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsIn July 2024, Spear Bio announced a strategic partnership with<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bio-techne-announces-strategic-investment-in-spear-bio-302208036.html"> Bio-Techne Corporation</a>, a global life sciences company. The collaboration aimed to advance research and diagnostics in challenging areas such as early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

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 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

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 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

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 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.
 
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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).
 
 
 
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Tango Therapeutics

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 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.
 
 
 
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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

<div>
 
 Spear Bio, a biotech company, has secured $45 million in a Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Foresite Capital and Bio-Techne Corporation, and also had contributions from existing investors such as Maverick Ventures, Yonjin Capital, and CDH Investments. Following the funding, Foresite Capital's managing director has now joined Spear Bio's board of directors.
 
 The funds are intended to be used by Spear Bio to increase the speed of their assay menu expansion and commercial offerings. This is aimed at solving problems in the areas of protein research and early disease diagnostics.
 
 Spear Bio was originally established as a spinoff from Harvard University's Wyss Institute and focuses on immunoassays and proteomics platforms for protein biomarker detection. The company's fundamental technology is the Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR), a process that allows for the detection of minute biomolecules in small sample volumes. This technology has proven useful in diagnosing various diseases, spanning across neurology, infectious diseases, and immunology​.
 
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Spear Bio

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