Kicker Ventures Joins Kanvas Biosciences' $48 Million Series A Round to Advance Microbiome Medicine
Kicker Ventures, a US-based venture capital firm, has announced its participation in a $48 million Series A funding round for Kanvas Biosciences, a Princeton, NJ-based biotechnology company. This investment will support Kanvas Biosciences' development of microbiome-based therapies for conditions such as cancer immunotherapy, colitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and malnutrition-related gut dysfunction.
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Kicker Ventures (Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, USA; Representative: Masashi Kiyomine) is pleased to announce its participation in a $48 million Series A funding round for Kanvas Biosciences, a biotechnology company based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
The round was co-led by existing investors DCVC and Lions Capital, with participation from Kicker Ventures and several other investors, including the Gates Foundation. Kanvas Biosciences plans to utilize the newly raised capital to advance its microbiome therapeutic programs targeting cancer immunotherapy, colitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and malnutrition-related gut dysfunction.
Kanvas Biosciences is a company dedicated to developing defined microbial consortium therapies by leveraging its proprietary spatial microbiome analysis technology and manufacturing platform. While microbiome medicine has shown associations with many diseases, it has historically faced challenges in clinical reproducibility, manufacturing, and scalability. By developing consortia composed of multiple microbial strains as more reproducible therapeutic interventions, the company addresses the variability and manufacturing constraints traditionally associated with donor-derived FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation).
One of the company's programs, KAN-001, is a microbiome therapeutic candidate aimed at improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Kanvas focuses on microbiomes from patients who have shown a favorable response to cancer immunotherapy and is developing therapeutic drugs based on multiple microbial strains identified from these microbiomes.
Additionally, the company is advancing the clinical development of KAN-004 for colitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. KAN-004 is an oral microbial consortium formulation designed to restore microbiome, gut barrier, and immune balance. Kanvas is collaborating with researchers at the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) and the CHUM Microbiome Centre to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with immune-related colitis.
Furthermore, through its collaboration with the Gates Foundation, Kanvas Biosciences is also working on a microbiome therapeutic program targeting malnutrition-related gut dysfunction. Conditions where nutrient absorption is hindered by gut inflammation and dysfunction represent a significant medical challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The company is exploring the potential for new interventions using the microbiome.
Kicker Ventures participated in this round, believing that Kanvas Biosciences is undertaking a crucial challenge to evolve microbiome medicine from 'research potential' to 'reproducible and manufacturable therapeutics.'
Masashi Kiyomine, Founder & Managing Partner of Kicker Ventures, stated:
"While microbiome medicine has long been discussed for its great potential, it has faced difficult challenges in clinical reproducibility, manufacturing, and scalability. Kanvas Biosciences is combining its unique analytical technology and manufacturing platform to develop microbial consortia as more defined and reproducible therapeutics. The validation of their approach in multiple areas such as cancer immunotherapy, immune-related colitis, malnutrition, and animal health is extremely important for considering the next phase of microbiome medicine. Kicker Ventures will continue to support the company's long-term growth."
Kicker Ventures will continue to support entrepreneurs building new infrastructure for the future of medicine and health, primarily focusing on healthcare, life sciences, AI, and software.
About Kanvas Biosciences:
Kanvas Biosciences, established in 2020, is a biotechnology company based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The company is developing defined consortium formulations composed of multiple microbial strains, leveraging its proprietary spatial microbiome analysis technology and manufacturing platform. It is committed to developing new therapeutic interventions using the microbiome for conditions such as cancer immunotherapy, immune-related colitis, and malnutrition-related gut dysfunction.
Official Website: https://www.kanvasbio.com/
About Kicker Ventures:
Kicker Ventures is a US-based venture capital firm.
The round was co-led by existing investors DCVC and Lions Capital, with participation from Kicker Ventures and several other investors, including the Gates Foundation. Kanvas Biosciences plans to utilize the newly raised capital to advance its microbiome therapeutic programs targeting cancer immunotherapy, colitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and malnutrition-related gut dysfunction.
Kanvas Biosciences is a company dedicated to developing defined microbial consortium therapies by leveraging its proprietary spatial microbiome analysis technology and manufacturing platform. While microbiome medicine has shown associations with many diseases, it has historically faced challenges in clinical reproducibility, manufacturing, and scalability. By developing consortia composed of multiple microbial strains as more reproducible therapeutic interventions, the company addresses the variability and manufacturing constraints traditionally associated with donor-derived FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation).
One of the company's programs, KAN-001, is a microbiome therapeutic candidate aimed at improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Kanvas focuses on microbiomes from patients who have shown a favorable response to cancer immunotherapy and is developing therapeutic drugs based on multiple microbial strains identified from these microbiomes.
Additionally, the company is advancing the clinical development of KAN-004 for colitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. KAN-004 is an oral microbial consortium formulation designed to restore microbiome, gut barrier, and immune balance. Kanvas is collaborating with researchers at the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) and the CHUM Microbiome Centre to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with immune-related colitis.
Furthermore, through its collaboration with the Gates Foundation, Kanvas Biosciences is also working on a microbiome therapeutic program targeting malnutrition-related gut dysfunction. Conditions where nutrient absorption is hindered by gut inflammation and dysfunction represent a significant medical challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The company is exploring the potential for new interventions using the microbiome.
Kicker Ventures participated in this round, believing that Kanvas Biosciences is undertaking a crucial challenge to evolve microbiome medicine from 'research potential' to 'reproducible and manufacturable therapeutics.'
Masashi Kiyomine, Founder & Managing Partner of Kicker Ventures, stated:
"While microbiome medicine has long been discussed for its great potential, it has faced difficult challenges in clinical reproducibility, manufacturing, and scalability. Kanvas Biosciences is combining its unique analytical technology and manufacturing platform to develop microbial consortia as more defined and reproducible therapeutics. The validation of their approach in multiple areas such as cancer immunotherapy, immune-related colitis, malnutrition, and animal health is extremely important for considering the next phase of microbiome medicine. Kicker Ventures will continue to support the company's long-term growth."
Kicker Ventures will continue to support entrepreneurs building new infrastructure for the future of medicine and health, primarily focusing on healthcare, life sciences, AI, and software.
About Kanvas Biosciences:
Kanvas Biosciences, established in 2020, is a biotechnology company based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The company is developing defined consortium formulations composed of multiple microbial strains, leveraging its proprietary spatial microbiome analysis technology and manufacturing platform. It is committed to developing new therapeutic interventions using the microbiome for conditions such as cancer immunotherapy, immune-related colitis, and malnutrition-related gut dysfunction.
Official Website: https://www.kanvasbio.com/
About Kicker Ventures:
Kicker Ventures is a US-based venture capital firm.