It was pure coincidence, but months before the pandemic spread throughout the world, IndieBio – a startup accelerator dedicated to new companies that use biology to solve big problems – expanded his tenure, adding a New York branch to the operations he was already running out of San Francisco. Of course, it's because of what the world endured that more attention is being paid to life sciences startups than ever, which is why we thought readers might want a sneak peek at the new batch of startups IndieBio NY is cooking up to present to investors. barely one month.
If you're a founder, venture capitalist, or just an interested industry observer looking for information on what's emerging in a variety of related areas, including agriculture, diagnostics, carbon and methane recycling, and cancer therapies, Check out what the nine teams have been up to. working in.
Some of IndieBio's previous startups include cultured meat company Upside Foods (raised $400 million last year led by two sovereign wealth funds with a valuation of more than $1 billion) and MycoWorks, a company that makes leather from mushrooms and which closed a Series C round of $125 million last year with a valuation of no revealed. Another company in IndieBio's portfolio that is gaining traction is NotCo, a company now also backed by Jeff Bezos and Kraft Heinz that licenses its technology to food and beverage makers who want to “veganize”some of their products.
Here is a brief snapshot of each:
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FREZENT biological solutions
FREZENT says it is developing a new class of bispecific antibodies to attack dormant cancer cells that have survived chemotherapy and can cause recurrence. Its approach is to block the metabolism of latent cancer cells to prevent their reactivation and survival. The team is currently focused on monoclonal antibody discovery and proof-of-concept studies. More here.
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Xias Bio Limited
According Xia Biography, the three most important proteins in skin and hair care products (collagen, keratin, and elastin) generally come from bovine hides, chicken feathers, and meat processing byproducts (blech). Given growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and deforestation, a new generation of cosmetics consumers wants the industry to replace those animal proteins with sustainable alternatives and Xias Bio is catering to them. Specifically, it has developed a molecular platform for the creation of multifunctional proteins free of animals for licensing. L'Oreal is already buying what it sells; Going forward, the startup's founders say, the idea is to go beyond cosmetics and replace animal proteins in many other sectors, including pharmaceuticals and the food industry.
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serious farming
Earnest Agriculture says it has designed a microbial consortium that protects crops against diseases, pests and drought while improving soil health. Applied as a seed coating, these patented microbes can increase yields by up to 7 times, reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and make crops more resilient to climate change, the team says. More here.
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biometallic
BioMetallica passed is that tens of millions of tons of electronics are thrown away every year, many of them incinerated, with billions of dollars in recoverable materials vanishing in the process, not to mention the release of toxic fumes. The startup's green solution to recovering some of these rare metals (palladium, platinum and rhodium) is through genetically modified bacteria that produce biogenic chemicals that separate palladium group metals (PMG) from e-waste, including worn catalytic converters.
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Afynia
Afynia has created and patented a blood test to diagnose early endometriosis that returns a result in days and, the startup says, will be offered through clinics and at-home collection kits starting next year. As with many women's health startups, the team's endometriosis trial is just the beginning, if all goes according to plan. The idea is to build a digital platform that provides diagnosis, virtual care and prescription delivery for endometriosis and other conditions. More here (note that the startup was originally called AIMA and has not yet updated its site).
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carbon bridge
To meet EU emissions standards, cargo operators are already ordering methanol-powered ships, but green methanol cannot compete with oil on price, meaning its adoption is slow. carbon bridgeHis solution to the challenge is what he describes as a low-temperature, low-pressure microbial process that recycles carbon dioxide and methane into liquid methanol using a bioreactor. Plus, he says, you can get low-cost gases from more than 16,000 wastewater treatment facilities in the US that typically burn it.
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Equal
Aequor says it has discovered marine microbes that produce molecules that eliminate bacterial slime in minutes and that, applied in water treatment facilities, its liquid concentrate can reduce the use of conventional chemicals by 90%, reduce energy use by up to 15% and prevent slime from forming. clogging the filters and causing stoppages. The biggest ambition is to reduce the costs and environmental impact of water treatment while enabling greater access to safe and affordable drinking water. More here.
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University
Farmers spend almost $230 billion every year on herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers designed to increase crop yields, but the unintended consequences are well documented and, well, not good. University He says he has a better alternative. According to the company, it has developed a natural microparticle that can enhance biological crop protectants, allowing them to penetrate plants more efficiently and reduce the amount of conventional chemicals needed by up to 80%.
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Terra Bioindustries
Wasted food represents 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions, as the founders of Terra Bioindustries will tell you; That's why the company developed a platform to recycle the brewery's spent grain, a beer byproduct that's apparently often difficult to sell. It works through a low-energy enzymatic process that separates grain into edible sugars and proteins that are then sold to food manufacturers and precision fermentation companies. By using commercial equipment found in most food processing facilities, adoption can also be economical, the team says. More here.
