KelSie Biotech Secures $5M Series A Funding to Advance Dry Powder Formulations Using Proprietary CAN-BD Technology

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that biotechnology company KelSie Biotech recently announced the completion of a $5 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Salveo Capital, with participation from Arcadian Capital and other investors. Reportedly, this marks KelSie Biotech’s first-ever funding round, and the proceeds will be used to intensify product research and development efforts and expand market presence.

KelSie Biotech is a biotechnology company headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA. The company specializes in developing dry powder formulations that incorporate active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into drug products. Leveraging its patented Carbon dioxide-Assisted Nebulization with Bubble Drying (CAN-BD) technology, KelSie Biotech processes APIs into dry powder inhalers and sublingual tablets, thereby addressing challenges such as low bioavailability, inconsistent dose delivery, and storage-related degradation.

It is understood that KelSie Biotech was established through a collaboration between Colorado Can and Sievers Biotech. Sievers Biotech has granted KelSie Biotech the commercial development rights and related patent rights for its foam drying process, sublingual tablets, and dry powder inhalable products. The products developed by KelSie Biotech are based on proprietary technology involving novel particle morphology. Currently, the company’s dry powder inhaler has completed Phase I clinical trials as a measles vaccine aimed at blocking the transmission of the measles virus.

Dr. Robert Sievers is the founder and chief scientist of Sievers Biotech, holding more than 30 invention patents. Sievers Biotech has entered into a global licensing agreement with KelSie Biotech for the commercial development of the company’s CAN-BD technology and intellectual property.

Dr. Robert Sievers received a $20 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an inhalable, needle-free, dry-powder measles vaccine. The product enables precise drug delivery, can be administered by healthcare workers with limited experience, and requires no refrigerated electricity, with a shelf life of up to four years.

It is reported that oral administration has long been the most common method and route for drug delivery among patients. A significant portion of an orally administered dose is metabolized by the liver before entering the systemic circulation. Although injectable administration via needles maximizes drug absorption, it carries a risk of potential complications. Studies have shown that dry powder inhalers can deliver drugs directly to the lungs, achieving drug absorption levels comparable to those of needle injections, while virtually eliminating the risk of complications.

Salveo Capital, established in 2015, is a private investment firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The firm is dedicated to partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams to build industry-leading companies within the legal cannabis ecosystem. Its primary focus areas include software and data, financial payments and services, agriculture and yield-enhancement technologies, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Arcadian Capital is an investment institution dedicated to providing financial services to its clients.

(Compiled by Jiao Yanli)