CHENGDU, China, Sept. 9, 2025 — iRegene Therapeutics (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. (“iRegene” or the “Company”), a biotechnology company pioneering chemically induced allogeneic cell therapy, announced on September 4th the successful completion of its Series B+ financing round, co-led by Northern Light Venture Capital, Chuangjing Capital, and OneHealth Haihe Capital, along with participation from other investors. In August 2025, NouvNeu001 received Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the U.S. FDA, making it the world’s first allogeneic iPSC-derived cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease to achieve this milestone.

This round builds on a series of sizable financings completed in recent months, bringing iRegene’s total funding to over RMB 300 million (~USD 40M). It makes the largest single financing in China’s iPSC sector in recent years, highlighting the strong confidence of investor in iRegene’s leadership position and long-term strategic vision.

The proceeds will be used to accelerate iRegene’s global clinical development of NouvNeu001 for Parkinson’s disease (PD), and NouvSight001 for retinal degenerative diseases, while also strengthening early-stage R&D, expanding clinical and operational teams, and advancing iRegene’s manufacturing capabilities.

About NouvNeu001

iRegene’s flagship product, NouvNeu001, is the world’s first clinical-stage, iPSC-derived, allogeneic dopaminergic progenitor cell therapy for PD. NouvNeu001 received the China NMPA’s IND clearance to initiate Phase I/II in China in Aug 2023, and received the FDA IND clearance to initiate Phase I in USA in June 2024. In April 2025, iRegene launched a multicenter Phase II clinical trial in China (NCT06167681).

Phase I results demonstrated:

• Excellent safety and tolerability observed up to 15 months post-transplantation, notably without the use of immunosuppressants after the 6th months.
• PET imaging confirmed long-term engraftment and survival of transplanted cells.
• Significant clinical efficacy, including marked improvement in MDS-UPDRS Part III motor scores and extended “on-time” duration, underscoring the strong competitiveness.

On August 15, 2025, NouvNeu001 was granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the U.S. FDA, becoming the first allogeneic iPSC-derived PD cell therapy worldwide to earn this recognition. This milestone follows the FDA’s Special Exemption (SE) granted in March 2024, further validating iRegene’s clinical data integrity, product quality system, and innovative therapeutic approach.

Key Development Timeline for NouvNeu001

CEO Statement

“We are deeply grateful for the trust and continued support of our investors, as well as the dedication of the iRegene team,” said Dr. Jun Wei, Founder and CEO of iRegene Therapeutics. “Our mission is to pioneer transformative therapies that truly reverse disease progression for patients worldwide. This financing will accelerate our global clinical programs, expand iRegene manufacturing capabilities, and advance our international footprint expansion, bringing us closer to delivering these life-changing therapies to the patients.”

About iRegene Therapeutics

Founded in 2017 by a team of international professionals, iRegene Therapeutics is the earliest biotech in the world to apply “Chemical induction” to precisely reprogram cell fate and optimize cellular functions. Leveraging this breakthrough platform, iRegene Therapeutics has built a robust pipeline targeting currently “incurable” diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and blindness. As a leader in chemical induction, iRegene’s proprietary system enables the efficient easy generation of human specific cell types with high purity, and enhanced functionality, pioneering the next generation of chemically derived cell therapies.

SOURCE iRegene therapeutics

QuEra accelerates journey to fault-tolerant neutral-atom computers with injection of capital building on earlier funding from Google and others

BOSTON, Sept. 9, 2025 — QuEra Computing, developer of advanced neutral-atom quantum computers, today announced an investment from NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm) that expands its $230 million Series B round first announced in February.

Andy Ory, CEO, QuEra Computing
“We already work with NVIDIA, pairing our scalable neutral‑atom architecture with its accelerated‑computing stack to speed the arrival of useful, fault‑tolerant quantum machines. But the decision to invest in us deepens our collaboration and underscores our shared belief that hybrid quantum-classical systems will unlock meaningful value for customers sooner than many expect.”

Market Momentum
The funding from NVentures follows Google’s participation in QuEra’s successful financing announced in February 2025 and also complements QuEra’s longstanding collaborations with Amazon Web Services. Together, these collaborations give QuEra access to the world’s most advanced AI and cloud infrastructure as it advances toward large‑scale, error‑corrected quantum computing.    

QuEra will continue to collaborate with NVIDIA on go-to-market initiatives aimed at high-performance-computing centers worldwide, integrating QuEra’s neutral-atom systems with NVIDIA accelerated computing infrastructure and software stack.

Building on Existing Programs
The investment builds on ongoing collaboration thrusts, including:

• Hybrid quantum-classical supercomputing at AIST. A Gemini-class QuEra computer is installed next to the 2,000+ NVIDIA H100 GPUs in Japan’s ABCI‑Q system. The systems are integrated by the NVIDIA CUDA‑Q software platform, creating a national test‑bed for fault‑tolerant algorithms and quantum workflows leveraging AI.
• Founding collaboration at the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Center (NVAQC). QuEra will collaborate with NVIDIA on projects at the NVAQC in Boston, coupling QuEra hardware to NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 GPU clusters for large‑scale simulation and decoder research.
• AI‑powered quantum error decoding. Using transformer models trained on NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform, a QuEra/NVIDIA team built decoders that outperform traditional maximum‑likelihood approaches and improve scalability—an essential step toward practical fault‑tolerant quantum computing.

Market Initiatives    

• Hybrid moves from theory to roadmap: Today’s news validates QuEra’s neutral-atom hardware as a promising partner for GPU-coupled quantum supercomputers.
• Ecosystem signal: With investment from Google and a longstanding partnership with AWS, QuEra sits at the strategic intersection of cloud, AI, and quantum     .
• Path to early utility: Joint R&D and deeper software integration tightens the feedback loop between algorithm design, AI-assisted error decoding, and hardware iterations, accelerating the timeline for fault-tolerant benchmarks.
• GTM synergy: QuEra’s coordinated push into HPC centers to lower procurement friction for hybrid quantum deployments, widens QuEra’s addressable market beyond early-adopter labs.

About QuEra Computing
QuEra Computing is the leader in developing and productizing quantum computers using neutral atoms, widely recognized as a highly promising quantum computing modality. Based in Boston and built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, QuEra operates the world’s largest publicly accessible quantum computer, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery. QuEra is developing useful, scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers to tackle classically intractable problems, becoming the partner of choice in the quantum field. For more information, please visit quera.com and follow QuEra on X or LinkedIn. 

Media Contacts
[email protected]

SOURCE QuEra Computing

The company’s AI-native platform automates how life & health policies are sold, placed, and retained

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9, 2025 — Pathwork, an autonomous distribution platform modernizing the $160 billion life and health insurance market, has raised a $3.5 million seed round led by Costanoa, with participation from Logos Fund, American Family Ventures, Meridian Ventures, and prominent industry angels. The funding will help accelerate adoption among brokers and carriers nationwide.

Life and health insurance touches millions of Americans, but the way policies are sold hasn’t meaningfully changed in decades. Distribution remains fragmented, manual, and error-prone, leaving brokers bogged down by outdated software systems and left to chase paperwork and decipher underwriting rules. In the U.S. alone, life and health premiums exceed $1.1 trillion annually, an enormous market where speed, accuracy and service make the difference.

Pathwork turns these complex, manual workflows into intelligent systems that help brokers and carriers move faster, quote more accurately, reduce costly back-and-forth, and deliver a better customer experience.

“The last 20 years of digitization made insurance distribution more complex, not less,” said Ian Levinsky, CEO and co-founder of Pathwork. “AI will reimagine everything from how the work gets done to the tools professionals rely on. Pathwork is shaping this future so the people behind every policy can focus back on creating impact and building trust.”

Pathwork combines predictive and generative AI to create a seamless experience for brokers placing policies to carriers making the call. Its product suite includes:

Case Underwriter: Automates the underwriting process by analyzing unstructured data, synthesizing applicant details, and surfacing the best-fit carrier options. It guides brokers from intake to placement in minutes.

Knowledge Assistant: Acts as an on-demand expert, instantly answering questions about underwriting rules, product guidelines, and carrier nuances, all trained on insurance-specific data.

Pre-App Manager: Helps insurance carriers evaluate incoming cases more efficiently by analyzing data to determine eligibility, requirements, and risk class.

“Pathwork is exactly the kind of company we love to back,” said Mark Selcow, Partner at Costanoa. “Its founders bring a rare combination of industry expertise and technical execution—having scaled a 300-agent digital insurance agency at EverQuote and led AI innovation in regulated markets at Litlingo. They’ve built a solution that applies AI in a way that will change how the industry operates from now on.”

Since launching in 2024, Pathwork has analyzed over 10,000 cases and helped retain millions in commission payments. The company supports more than 65 brokerages and carriers, including Highland Capital Brokerage, AIMCOR, Hilb, LifeQuotes (a division of Keystone Agency Group), NFP, and Merit Insurance (a division of Integrity Marketing).

“Highland chose Pathwork for their deep understanding of our challenges and the usability of their products,” said Adnan Raja, SVP of Digital Transformation at Highland Capital Brokerage. “They’re running the most modern tech stack we’ve seen in this space while meeting the security and compliance demands of our regulated industry”.

To learn more or request a demo, visit www.pathwork.com

About Pathwork
Pathwork is an AI-native platform purpose-built to modernize life and health insurance distribution. By combining structured insurance data with predictive and generative AI, Pathwork transforms complex, manual workflows into intelligent systems—empowering brokers and carriers to underwrite, place, and retain policies faster and more accurately. Since launching in 2024, Pathwork has supported over 65 brokerages and analyzed more than 10,000 client cases.

About Costanoa 
Costanoa exists to elevate founders building companies of consequence. We lead investments from formation through Series A in Applied AI, AI Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, National Security, and Fintech. With $2.3B AUM, we’re boutique by design—making fewer investments to deliver deeper expertise and operational support when it matters most: the early, defining stages of growth. For more information, please visit www.costanoa.vc.

SOURCE Pathwork

DENVER, Sept. 9, 2025 — Altira Group LLC (“Altira”), a leading venture capital firm investing in breakthrough industrial technology and software solutions, today congratulates its portfolio company Seeq Corporation (“Seeq”) on the appointment of Anton Chilton to its Board of Directors.

Chilton brings more than three decades of global technology leadership, including his tenure as CEO of QAD Inc., where he guided the company’s transition to SaaS, led strategic acquisitions, and oversaw its landmark take-private transaction with Thoma Bravo in 2021. His expertise in SaaS, manufacturing, and enterprise operations strengthens Seeq’s board at a pivotal stage of growth.

“Anton has a proven track record of helping companies scale through periods of growth and transformation, and his insights will be invaluable as Seeq continues to expand globally and lead the adoption of AI-driven industrial analytics,” said J.P. Bauman, Partner at Altira and Seeq Board Member. “His experience aligning technology innovation with customer needs is exactly what Seeq requires as it enters its next phase of growth.”

Chilton replaces Ashley Kramer, who resigned in July 2025 to join OpenAI as its Chief Revenue Leader. Altira extends its gratitude to Kramer for her dedicated service and contributions to Seeq’s growth.

Seeq is a global leader in advanced analytics and AI for industrial process and manufacturing companies that delivers a self-service, enterprise SaaS platform to accelerate critical insights resulting in optimized operations across efficiency, reliability, quality, and cost dimensions. Its customers span oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, power and utilities, and other process industries. Investors include Altira Group, Insight Partners, Sixth Street Growth, Second Avenue Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Aramco Ventures.

About Altira
Altira Group is a Denver-based venture capital firm that has invested in advanced technology solutions across the energy and industrial value chain for over 28 years. In partnership with its oil & gas company strategic limited partners, Altira enables the next generation of industrial technologies—driving innovation across digital, automation, and core operations. Beyond capital, Altira actively partners with entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, while also providing direct customer access, real-world validation, and collaborative go-to-market support through its strategic industry relationships. This differentiated model compresses adoption cycles, enhances company resilience, and delivers stronger investment outcomes.

For more information, visit www.altiragroup.com.

Media Contact:
Purcell Parker
(303) 592-5500
[email protected] 

SOURCE Altira Group LLC

New investment accelerates Palm Tree Crew’s global expansion while leveraging WME Group’s sports, entertainment, and licensing network for future growth

MIAMI, Sept. 9, 2025 — Palm Tree Crew, the global entertainment, hospitality, and investment holding company founded by Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (“Kygo”) and his manager Myles Shear, today announced a strategic partnership with WME Group, a global leader in sports and entertainment representing the world’s most influential storytellers, brands, live events, and cultural experiences. WME Group led Palm Tree Crew’s $20 million Series B funding round, valuing the company at $215 million and fueling its next stage of growth across entertainment, hospitality, and lifestyle. 

“As music, hospitality, lifestyle, and live experiences converge, Palm Tree Crew has quickly established itself as a cultural force at the center of it all,” said Mark Shapiro, President & Chief Operating Officer of WME Group. “Our investment reflects both our confidence in Palm Tree Crew’s vision and the natural alignment between our companies in creating world-class experiences that captivate audiences around the globe.”

In addition to WME Group, the Series B round includes participation from a combination of existing and new investors that invested in the round.

“From day one, our goal has been to build more than a company – we set out to create a lifestyle brand that celebrates connection, culture, and the carefree spirit of the tropics,” said Myles Shear, Co-Founder of Palm Tree Crew. “With WME Group and our world-class investors behind us, Palm Tree Crew will continue to scale bigger, go bolder, and push into new territory across music, hospitality, and beyond.”

Since January 2024, Palm Tree Crew’s global scale has grown dramatically, underscoring its rise as a cultural powerhouse. In 2025, the company accelerated its hospitality expansion, opening four properties in under a year, including Palm Tree Beach Club in Las Vegas, Palm Tree Club & Hotel in Miami, Palm Tree Club Kansas City, and Palm Tree Club Orlando. Palm Tree Crew has also expanded its festival footprint with immersive new U.S. destinations in Montecito and Napa, alongside its European debut in Saint-Tropez and Sardinia. These events unite entertainment, fashion, music, and lifestyle under one unified brand.

“This past year proved the power of Palm Tree Crew as both a global festival platform and a growing hospitality company, from expanding to new markets to forging cultural partnerships with world-class brands,” said Michael Diaz, CEO of Palm Tree Crew. “Our new funding and partnership with WME Group will accelerate growth across live events and hospitality while enabling diversification into synergistic verticals. This new round of funding positions us to scale that momentum and deliver unforgettable experiences for fans around the world.”

Fresh off a sold-out European debut in Saint-Tropez, headlined by A$AP Rocky and Swedish House Mafia and attended by Rita Ora, Kyle Kuzma, and Winnie Harlow, Palm Tree Crew has proven it is more than a music collective. With partners like Amazon, DraftKings, Tequila Don Julio, and Revolve, and a celebrity-favorite merch line worn by Travis Kelce and Morgan Wallen, Palm Tree Crew has cemented itself as a year-round cultural platform.

Palm Tree Crew’s influence extends beyond entertainment. At its first Aspen festival, hotel rates surged 37%, restaurants saw record-breaking revenue, and secondary ticket prices soared to 250% above face value – generating $88.3 million for the local economy. Today, Palm Tree Crew hosts nearly 10 flagship festivals annually across the globe, featuring artists such as Calvin Harris, A$AP Rocky, Swedish House Mafia, John Mayer, The Chainsmokers, and Kygo.

Beyond events, Palm Tree Holdings invests in early-stage consumer and technology companies, offering founders access to its global marketing platform, talent network, and business development resources. Recent investments include Ryl Tea, Cove Sodas, and SipMARGS, where Palm Tree Crew brought on Alix Earle as both a lead investor and brand ambassador.

About Palm Tree Crew
Palm Tree Crew, founded by Kygo (Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll) and Myles Shear, is a diversified holding company spanning a consumer brand, global live events and hospitality, and a multi-product investment platform. Known for its global, world-class Palm Tree Music Festivals, as well as lifestyle and fashion collaborations, Palm Tree Crew continues to innovate across industries. Its expanding hospitality portfolio currently includes Palm Tree Club Miami, Palm Tree Club Orlando, Palm Tree Beach Club in Las Vegas, and Palm Tree Club Kansas City. These ventures reflect Palm Tree Crew’s mission to blend live music, lifestyle, and hospitality into unforgettable experiences. For more, visit ptc-holdings.com.

Media Contact:
SHADOW
[email protected]

SOURCE Palm Tree Crew

Three-in-one parental leave platform utilizes insurance model to bring enterprise-level program to companies with as few as 10 employees

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2025 — Parento, the only provider of comprehensive paid parental leave (PPL) insurance with employee support services, today announced an oversubscribed Seed II funding round led by ResilienceVC. The round included participation from Kapor Capital, Bread & Butter Ventures, Operator Stack, Coyote Ventures, ffVC, Human Ventures, Springbank, Precursor, Cross Impact, K Street, Evidenced, and Avesta, and brings Parento’s total amount raised to $10.3M.

The funding comes as demand for paid parental leave surges among employees and employers alike, yet small and mid-sized businesses face significant financial and administrative barriers to offering parental leave. Traditional approaches expose companies to volatile cash flows when multiple employees take leave simultaneously, while alternatives like short-term disability only cover limited demographics and income replacement, leaving nearly 3 in 4 private sector employees and more than half of all employees without access to PPL.

“Parenthood is not gendered, and paid parental leave is not just for Silicon Valley or STEM, but for every workplace interested in employee wellness, talent acquisition, and retention,” said Dirk Doebler, Founder and CEO of Parento. “As demand grows and the definition of family evolves to match reality, there’s a systemic need for a true solution. Parento makes paid parental leave affordable and attainable for every company, regardless of size or budget.”

Parento’s three-in-one approach combines customizable paid parental leave insurance with parental leave management services and personalized, human-based parent coaching. This comprehensive model delivers measurable results: 95% of Parento’s parents return to work after leave, compared to just 60-65% for self-funded programs. Parento achieves 10% average engagement rates amongst all full-time employees with its one-on-one coaching services, significantly higher than typical Employee Assistance Programs which see at best 1% utilization. Furthermore, while just 5% of working men take more than two weeks off after the birth of their youngest child despite demonstrated relational and workplace benefits, 46% of claims were filed for males taking leave, with up to 33% of men utilizing 1-on-1 parent coaching services.

Unlike competitors that primarily offer consulting services on parental leave policy creation, Parento provides an actual insurance product with up to 100% financial coverage. This distinction has enabled the company to serve diverse industries often overlooked as desiring family-friendly policies—25% of Parento’s clients operate in nonprofit or manufacturing/warehousing sectors that run on tight budgets with little to no HR personnel.

“Parento aligns exceptionally well with our thesis of investing in innovative companies that close gaps of access, opportunity, and outcomes for underserved communities by tackling a critical shortfall in the U.S. benefits system, especially for businesses that traditionally lack the resources to offer paid family leave,” said Brandon Boros, Venture Partner with Kapor Capital. “Their model turns an unpredictable business expense into manageable monthly costs while delivering comprehensive support that helps companies attract and retain talented parents.”

Parento will use the new capital to expand across product development, sales, and marketing teams while launching additional insurance offerings and new products. The funding announcement coincides with several key growth milestones, including a partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), one of the 20 largest unions in the nation, marking Parento’s expansion into serving blue-collar workforces in non-paid family leave states. Parento’s parents-first approach has also enabled it to expand internationally for the first time through its IUOE partnership, serving union members in Canada.

The company has also launched partnerships with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), including one of the largest in the country serving more than half a million clients. These partnerships enable Parento to reach small businesses through established distribution channels, furthering its mission to democratize parental leave access.

The round brings ResilienceVC to Parento’s board, joining an all-female selection aside from Doebler. This composition reflects the company’s focus on addressing workplace challenges that disproportionately impact women, while maintaining its gender-neutral and inclusive approach to parental leave that covers birth, adoption, and foster placement equally.

“We’re thrilled to join Parento’s board and support a company that’s tackling one of the most critical workplace equity issues of our time,” said Tahira Dosani, co-founder and managing partner at ResilienceVC. “Parento’s inclusive approach to parental leave, combined with their proven ability to make these benefits accessible to businesses of all sizes, aligns perfectly with our mission to build financial resilience for all Americans. We’re excited to support Parento to democratize parental leave access across industries and enable employees to maintain income stability.”

Founded in 2019, Parento raised $10.3 million total and serves companies across professional services, healthcare, law firms, nonprofits, and municipal organizations.

About Parento: 
Parento helps every company support working parents through the only comprehensive paid parental leave insurance combined with expert leave management and personalized parent coaching. By converting unpredictable leave costs into predictable premiums, Parento makes parental leave benefits accessible to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide. For more information, visit https://www.parentoleave.com/.

SOURCE Parento

MIAMI, Sept. 9, 2025 — Waterpoint Lane (“WPL”), a premier venture capital and growth equity firm with a proven track record of backing transformative innovation opportunities, proudly announces its lead investor role in Heritable Agriculture Inc. (“Heritable”), a pioneering company delivering breakthrough solutions to revolutionize agriculture.

Waterpoint Lane’s leadership is deeply rooted in innovation. Brad Zamft, CEO of Heritable and former project lead at X, the Moonshot Factory—Google’s elite innovation arm famed for developing “moonshot” technologies—brings expertise in identifying and scaling technologies that have the potential to  reshape entire industries. At X, Brad led high-impact projects focused on audacious goals with massive market potential, equipping him to drive Heritable’s next phase of growth in the agtech sector.

Heritable, an emerging leader in genetic and computational technologies, has developed proprietary tools that significantly accelerate the timelines and lower the cost of crop improvement, unlocking applications to enhance crop resilience, reduce environmental footprints, and improve yield efficiency, positioning the company to transform global agriculture supply chains.

“At X, I witnessed firsthand how bold ideas, combined with visionary investment, can create game-changing outcomes,” said Brad Zamft. “Heritable channels this ethos, marrying cutting-edge science with scalable impact potential. Partnering with Waterpoint Lane accelerates our mission to deliver solutions addressing urgent global challenges while creating meaningful value for stakeholders.”

Waterpoint Lane’s Fund I, successfully closed at the end of 2024, has already secured stakes in multiple high-potential companies poised at the forefront of food and agriculture innovation. The firm’s approach integrates rigorous financial discipline with a deep passion for scalable impact, demonstrating that sustainable innovation and thoughtful investment can coexist.

Meifan Shi, Co-Managing Partner and CSO at Waterpoint Lane, emphasized the firm’s strategic focus:
“Our strategy centers on identifying visionary founders and breakthrough platforms with the capacity to scale and lead entire sectors. We seek companies with differentiated technology, strong leadership, and a fundamental ability to drive systemic change in all aspects of the food systems. Heritable fits our approach, and we are excited to actively support its growth journey within our broader portfolio.”

Ben Gibbons, Co-Managing Partner and CIO at Waterpoint Lane, shared insight on the firm’s investment philosophy:

“Our financial discipline is grounded in thorough due diligence and portfolio construction that balances innovation and risk. We look for companies with compelling economics, scalable business models, and capital efficiency. Heritable’s unique positioning and growth potential align closely with our philosophy of supporting entrepreneurs who can deliver disciplined, sustainable growth.”

This partnership further cements Waterpoint Lane’s role as a top-tier investor at the forefront of innovation, combining integrity, financial rigor, and a vision for transformative global impact across the agrifood ecosystem.

About Waterpoint Lane

Waterpoint Lane is a venture capital firm investing in the technologies shaping the future of food, health, and wellness.  We partner with entrepreneurs building transformative solutions, from next-generation food platforms to health and wellness innovations, that redefine how people eat, live, and thrive.

Our approach combines disciplined investing with a forward-looking vision: targeting high-growth opportunities at the intersection of science, technology, and consumer demand. Waterpoint Lane is dedicated to delivering lasting value for our investors, empowering our portfolio companies, and strengthening the communities we serve.

Media Contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE Waterpoint Lane

DALLAS, Sept. 9, 2025 — MCatalysis, Inc., a pioneering deep tech company poised to disrupt the sustainable fuels and chemicals sector, today announced the successful closing of its seed funding round led by HL Energy Ventures (HLEV). The investment will accelerate the development and scale-up of its innovative microwave catalysis technology, for which MCatalysis has secured an exclusive worldwide license agreement from Oxford University Innovation (OUI), the technology transfer arm of the University of Oxford.

MCatalysis is on a mission to produce low-cost, clean synthetic fuels and chemicals by upcycling waste carbon resources, such as agricultural residues, plastic waste, and waste gas streams. The technology, born out of world-class research from the University of Oxford, utilizes high-efficiency industrial microwave processes combined with unique catalysts. This novel approach promises to significantly enhance processing times and product selectivity, yielding more cost-effective and energy-efficient production for a wide range of sustainable fuels and chemicals.

“This seed funding from HLEV and exclusive licensing agreement with OUI mark a pivotal moment for MCatalysis,” said Michael Irwin, CEO of MCatalysis, Inc. “We are now positioned to rapidly advance our vision of a circular economy, where waste carbon is upcycled, or transformed into new, valuable products, democratizing the petrochemical supply chain. The investment from HLEV provides not only the necessary capital but also invaluable expertise in scaling deep tech ventures.”

“MCatalysis represents the very best of what HLEV looks for in an investment: creative and brilliant co-founders with a game-changing technology that has the potential for both substantial commercial success and profound positive impact on our planet,” stated Victor Liu, CEO of HLEV.

The exclusive licensing agreement with OUI grants MCatalysis the global rights to the foundational intellectual property in microwave catalysis developed at the University of Oxford. OUI has over 30 years of experience commercializing the University’s ground-breaking knowledge and research.

“At OUI, our mission is to enable impact – for the economy, for people, and for the planet – by licensing Oxford’s world-leading knowledge and research to ambitious and capable partners,” said an OUI spokesperson. “The exclusive agreement with MCatalysis exemplifies how existing companies can be powerful engines of innovation when paired with Oxford IP. We are proud to support the journey of this ground-breaking technology from lab to market, where it can contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future.”

About MCatalysis, Inc. MCatalysis, Inc. is a Dallas-based deep tech company founded in 2025. The company develops novel, high-efficiency industrial microwave processes and catalysts to produce low-cost, clean synthetic fuels and chemicals from waste carbon resources. By commercializing these breakthrough technologies, MCatalysis aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable, circular economies. https://www.mcatalysis.com/

About HL Energy Ventures HLEV is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in mission-driven founders building inspiring and valuable companies. With a focus on deep tech and impactful solutions, HLEV partners with entrepreneurs from inception to exit, providing not just capital but also hands-on support to navigate the challenges of scaling a business. https://www.hlenergyventures.com/

About Oxford University Innovation OUI is the research commercialisation office of the University of Oxford, recognised worldwide for its ability to engage academic prowess through licensing, catalyse innovative solutions through consulting services, and support the creation of spinouts, start-ups, and social ventures. OUI is dedicated to showcasing these transformative technologies on the global stage, bridging the realms of academia and the commercial world, thereby weaving a future where knowledge, innovation and partnership drive forward solutions to global challenges. https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/

Media Contact: Michael Irwin, [email protected]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2766878/MCatalysis_Logo.jpg

–  Follows successful completion of pre-clinical activities by Alchemab as part of earlier licensing deal with Eli Lilly and Company for ATLX-1282 
–  Financing included participation from Eli Lilly and Company and Ono Venture Investment alongside significant support from world-class existing investors  

CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 9, 2025 — Alchemab Therapeutics (Alchemab), a biopharmaceutical company which identifies and develops naturally occurring therapeutic antibodies from resilient individuals, today announced initiation of a Phase 1 first-in-human study of ATLX-1282. ATLX-1282 was licensed to Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) in May 2025 as part of an exclusive global licensing agreement, which included a milestone payment to Alchemab following the initiation of the Phase 1 first-in-human study. Alchemab will conduct the first-in-human study for ATLX-1282 and Lilly will lead further development and commercialisation of the therapy. The Company also announced a $32 million Series A extension financing, bringing the Company’s total Series A investment to date to $114 million. The round included participation from Ono Venture Investment (OVI) alongside a blue-chip syndicate of existing specialist investors which includes RA Capital, SV Health Investors, DCVC Bio and Lightstone Ventures and strategic investment by Lilly. 

Alchemab’s proprietary, AI-enabled platform is transforming drug discovery by identifying protective auto-antibodies and novel targets from individuals that are naturally resilient to various diseases. The platform operates like a search engine for the immune system, leveraging advanced machine learning models and proprietary data to interrogate the largest database of patient-derived antibodies, known as the DataCube, comprising over 6,000 highly curated patient samples from more than 30 global collaborators across metabolic, immune and neurological conditions.

The additional capital will enable Alchemab to advance ATLX-2847, a wholly-owned program for muscle atrophy derived from the platform, into clinical development. ATLX-2847 is a first-in-class program targeting the prostaglandin pathway. The financing will also support Alchemab to advance highly novel earlier programs for immune and neurological conditions towards clinic, and further expand its AI-enabled, disease resilience-led platform.  

This financing follows a separate research collaboration with Lilly announced in January 2025 for the discovery, development and commercialisation of up to five novel therapeutic candidates for neurodegenerative disease.   

“As a founding investor in Alchemab, we are thrilled to close this financing and initiate clinical development, which together mark a very successful year for Alchemab and the Company’s novel platform to identify protective auto-antibodies,” said Kate Bingham, Alchemab Chair and SV Health Investors Managing Partner. “We’re extremely pleased to welcome new investors who share our commitment to novel drug discovery and development approaches and are proud to support Alchemab’s continued progress.”   

Jane Osbourn, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alchemab, commented: “Reaching the key milestone of our first drug candidate into the clinic is great validation of Alchemab and our AI enabled next generation antibody platform. Through our collaboration with Lilly, we hope to get this, our first clinical candidate and a potentially transformative therapy, to as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Mike Hutton, Senior Vice President, Genetic Medicines and Neurodegeneration at Lilly, commented: “I am excited about the rapid progress we have made with this candidate as part of a joint team effort with Alchemab and look forward to seeing its performance in the clinic.”

About Alchemab

Alchemab studies the natural antibody responses of individuals who are highly resilient to disease and identifies antibodies uniquely shared in the resilient groups and not seen in disease progressors. The targets to these antibodies are then identified and the antibodies developed into therapies for hard-to-treat diseases which do not have disease modifying approaches. Alchemab’s platform integrates data mining and machine learning models of patient-derived immune responses with in vitro and in vivo drug discovery approaches to understand what keeps people well. The goal is to unlock nature’s immunological response to disease and harness our highly evolved human immune system to find breakthrough drugs.  Alchemab was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in London, UK with labs in Cambridge, UK.   

For more information, visit www.alchemab.com.

SOURCE Alchemab Therapeutics