Ventus Therapeutics Secures $60 Million Series A Financing to Advance Structural Immunology Platform

On May 9, 2020, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned that Ventus Therapeutics announced the completion of a $60 million Series A financing round, led by Versant Ventures with participation from GV. The proceeds will be used to advance three R&D programs and expand the company’s structural immunology platform to address drug targets that have historically been difficult to tackle.

Ventus Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel small-molecule drugs targeting the innate immune system for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and cancer. Its internal team is collaborating with scientists who have made significant contributions to the fields of structural biology and immunology. Currently, Ventus has established an emerging pipeline of multiple drug programs aimed at addressing key targets within the innate immune system.

“Ventus’ proprietary technology creates opportunities for the development of selective small-molecule drugs targeting innate immunity. With the support of Versant and GV, we can now translate our research advancements into innovative therapeutics for autoimmune diseases and oncology,” said Dr. Marcelo Bigal, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ventus Therapeutics.

“While assembling Ventus, we saw opportunities to address inflammatory and nucleic acid-sensing targets in novel ways,” said Dr. Jerel Davis, Managing Director at Versant Ventures. “Our academic leaders contributed unique expertise in structural biology and immunology, which laid the foundation for the company’s platform and research approach.”

The inflammasomes and nucleic acid-sensing pathways of the innate immune system comprise numerous proteins, such as NOD-like receptors involved in DNA and RNA sensing, gastrin, and enzymes. Although these targets hold significant therapeutic promise, drug development continues to face obstacles related to molecular structure, direct assay methods, and a lack of suitable chemical compounds.

Ventus Therapeutics’ structural immunology platform leverages protein engineering capabilities and essential proprietary expertise to generate and express stable monomers of known targets, including inflammasomes and nucleic acid-sensing targets, thereby overcoming current obstacles. This also enables the elucidation of protein structures, facilitating the development of direct biochemical and biophysical assays that were previously unavailable.

Versant Ventures, founded in 1999, is a healthcare investment firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build the next generation of companies. The firm primarily invests across all stages in the healthcare sector, with a focus on the discovery and development of novel therapies. Versant manages CAD 2.3 billion and maintains offices in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Versant has assembled a team with deep expertise in investment, operations, and science, enabling a hands-on approach to company building. Since its inception in 1999, more than 65 Versant-backed companies have successfully completed acquisitions or initial public offerings (IPOs).

GV, established in March 2008, is the venture capital arm of Google. Leveraging its unique strengths, GV supports innovative and promising technology startups. The firm focuses on early-stage investments across multiple sectors, including consumer internet, software, clean technology, biotechnology, healthcare, and other emerging fields. To date, GV has invested in more than 300 companies.

GV has assembled a team comprising engineers, designers, physicians, scientists, marketers, and investors. Together, they support startups by facilitating collaborations with Google, thereby providing access to world-class technology and talent.