12 May 2023 - - US-based life sciences investment fund NYBC Ventures has launched its inaugural fund with a USD 50m investment from New York Blood Center, Inc. to accelerate innovation in blood-related fields, and cellular therapies and enabling technologies, the firm said.

NYBC Ventures is an early-stage life sciences investment fund that will focus on investment in therapeutics, devices, and innovative technologies addressing the most pressing challenges in benign hematology, transfusion medicine, and infectious disease.

The Fund's mission is also to improve patients' lives by advancing therapeutics, enabling platforms and technologies as well as drive strategic collaborations to further NYBC's impact.

Founded more than 60 years ago, New York Blood Center provides lifesaving blood products, pharmaceuticals, high-quality clinical and laboratory services, and transfusion expertise to leading medical institutions in the US New York Blood Center's Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI) is one of the world's preeminent blood research organizations and has paved the way for new blood-related products, services, and therapies.

NYBC Ventures employs a model of patient capital and takes a flexible approach to financing vehicles and structures. The fund has developed streamlined scientific and due diligence teams to evaluate investment opportunities.

NYBC Ventures is managed by an experienced deal team led by Christopher D. Hillyer, M.D, General Partner, Jay Mohr, General Partner, and Meg Wood, MPH, managing director, who collectively bring deep expertise in basic and clinical research, capital-raising, business and corporate development, and operations, from startups to complex organizations.

The team works collaboratively with New York Blood Center's deep roster of researchers, manufacturing teams, and operations colleagues.

The fund's current portfolio includes Catena Biosciences, HealthQuest Capital, KaloCyte, Thymmune Therapeutics, StealthCo, and STRM Bio.

NYBC Ventures is an early-stage life sciences investment fund dedicated to accelerating innovations in blood and cellular therapies, and related technologies.

The fund will invest in therapeutics, devices and innovative technologies addressing the most pressing challenges in our areas of focus.

The fund's mission is to improve patients' lives by advancing therapeutics, enabling platforms and technologies as well as driving collaborations to further NYBC's impact.

Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world.

NYBC, along with its operating divisions Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri, Innovative Blood Resources, Blood Bank of Delmarva, and Rhode Island Blood Center, collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 75m people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD, VA), Missouri and Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England.

NYBC and its operating divisions also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services to over 500 hospitals nationally, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which -- among other milestones -- developed a practical screening method for hepatitis B as well as a safe, effective and affordable vaccine, and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.