Tech vs. cancer

Life sciences startups unlock record levels of VC funding with advances in treatment and detection [AngelList Logo]( [View Online]( [Life sciences startups unlock record levels of VC funding with advances in treatment and detection]( DNA Genotyping and Sequencing A box containing used sequencing chips at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory. Photo by [National Cancer Institute]( [Record levels of venture investment]( in biotech are fueling an impressive array of new approaches to beating the world's [no.1 killer]( cancer. Global venture funding in life sciences startups [increased 37%]( last year, as scientific breakthroughs and a record number of IPOs lifted investor confidence. Flush with cash, startups are leveraging AI to detect cancer earlier and develop new categories of medicine that are more precise and less invasive than traditional options. Precision treatment According to a Stanford University [report]( drug design received the most private AI investment of any category last year—nearly tripling that of autonomous vehicles. T-cell therapy, which triggers the body's natural immune responses, is attracting considerable VC investment: - Seattle-based [Umoja Biopharma]( (the name means "unity" in Swahili) raised [$263M]( since launching in 2019 to commercialize therapies developed at Seattle Children's Research Institute. - San Francisco-based [Senti Biosciences]( (they're hiring) raised [$105M]( to develop a new category of T-cell therapies. - [Soteria Biotherapeutics]( raised [$42M]( to advance T-cell treatments using a University of California-San Francisco patent. - [Inceptor]( raised [$26M]( to commercialize technology developed at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. - Melbourne-based [Currus Biologics]( a spin-off from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, raised [$10M]( to develop precision therapies for breast and pancreatic cancers. Small-molecule therapies, which are designed to target cancer cells while leaving other cells unharmed, represent another emerging area that's exciting investors: - New York-based [HiberCell]( raised and borrowed [$97M]( to develop treatments that "reprogram" that immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. - Massachusetts-based [Flare Therapeutics]( raised [$82M]( to discover new treatments by researching "switch sites" that regulate gene expression. Other startups are pioneering new categories of treatment: - Israel-based [KAHR Medical]( which raised [nearly $47M]( to begin clinical trials on "dual-signaling" treatments that simultaneously weaken cancer cells' defenses and activate an immune response. - Switzerland-based [FoRx Therapeutics]( raised nearly [$12M]( to develop a new class of treatments that block replication of cancer cells and could help prevent colorectal, skin, and ovarian cancers. - Chicago-based [Onchilles Pharma]( raised [$7M]( to develop a [cancer-fighting pill]( based on research at the University of Chicago. - [Avenda Health]( (they're hiring), which got its start in a UCLA lab, developed an AI-assisted medical device that could [transform prostate cancer treatment]( from a surgery to a less invasive office procedure. To help doctors and patients make sense of the flood of new treatment options, two professors from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are developing AI-powered "rapid therapeutic profiling" software. Their company, [Xilis]( raised [$75M]( from Google Ventures and others. Cancer surveillance Cancer surveillance and detection is another fast-growing sector that's exploiting tech advances. Israel-based Ibex Medical Analytics raised [$52M]( since launching in 2016 to help doctors detect cancer cells in skin biopsies using [AI-based algorithms](. Meanwhile, a host of startups—many [based in California]( working to reduce the need for invasive skin biopsies with simple blood tests (also called "liquid biopsies"). New York-based [C2i Genomics]( raised [$112M]( since launching in 2019 for its AI-powered cancer surveillance software that allows [any lab with a sequencing machine]( to monitor early signs of cancer (the founder is a [cancer survivor](. Similarly, [Freenome]( (they're hiring) raised an eye-popping [$256M]( since 2014 to develop non-invasive blood tests for early cancer detection. In Singapore, MiRXES Pte raised $120M to advance RNA-based testing, an area that's [showing early promise](. Startups are also leveraging advancements in gene research to modernize an ancient healing method: They're producing [precision pot](. [View Story]( Hot startups hiring now 🔥 [Trim]( - Trim automates saving you money. [Explore 4 jobs](. [RedRoute]( - Conversational AI for Customer Service. [Explore 6 jobs](. [Parse.ly]( - Beautifully-designed real-time & historical analytics trusted by 1000s of content teams. [Explore 3 jobs](. [Trunk]( -Land code faster. [Explore 3 jobs](. Funding and acquisitions UpsideHōM, a fully managed, [tech-enabled living space for older adults]( in the United States raised a $2.25 million seed round led by Triple Impact Capital and Freestyle Capital, with participation from Techstars. Part of UpsideHōM’s focus is in creating personalized solutions. Elders are diverse in age, needs and financial circumstances — which means the turnkey solution needs to be easily adaptable to service needs when they pop up. Singapore-based Next Gen Foods will bring its [plant-based chicken alternative]( called TiNDLE, to the United States after raising a $20 million led by GGV Capital. The company uses a proprietary blend of plant-based fats to replicate chicken meat's texture, including sunflower oils and natural flavors, which allow TiNDLE products to replicate the aroma and browning of chicken when it cooks. London-based YuLife has raised $70 million in the round led by Target Global. The startup has built a new kind of life insurance concept: it incentivizes and [rewards users for focusing on their physical and mental health]( through a gamified interface. Acelerate, a software company that [helps restaurants manage online storefronts]( connecting restaurateurs with new, delivery-only brands to operate, announced the close of a $14 million round led by Sequoia Capital. The startup’s new capital will be used toward further growth of the team and product. AngelList Weekly 90 Gold St San Francisco, CA 94133 [Unsubscribe]( | [Update preferences](