SCI Ventures

"Recently, I learnt about an exciting development. After many false dawns, it’s reignited real hope in me for advances in spinal medicine. For the first time some deeply committed, serious people, with deep pockets, are bringing the power of global venture capitalism to bear on the problem – a model which is already bearing fruit for other medical conditions. (...) The goal is to revolutionise spinal injury research through a huge potential market - the estimated 15.4m people worldwide with damaged spines, plus neurological conditions with common ground, strokes , MND, MS and Parkinson’s. (...) It rewards start-ups and gets promising ideas into a clinical setting. The same venture philanthropy model has already brought significant advances in cystic fibrosis and juvenile diabetes (...) It’s a profoundly human story about mending tragedy by harnessing the might of business – and it brings me enormous hope." Thank you @Melanie Reid @The Times for this powerful piece on SCI Ventures's mission and the people behind it - we all want to see more innovation in our field! cc Willie Watt @Ian Curtis https://lnkd.in/eTksxu_W

It was a pleasure to take part in the Crick Innovation Challenge at the The Francis Crick Institute in London last week. Roman Rothaermel from our investment team served as a judge - congrats to the winning team, always exciting to see world-class scientists turning to entrepreneurship, especially in neuroscience!

"Raising money is difficult for companies in the uncertain world of medical research and development. But when foundations with strong scientific bona fides invest in an outfit, it’s an imprimatur that goes a long way toward giving other backers in philanthropy and the private investment sector the confidence and direction they need to pull the trigger when it comes to their own money." Thank you Inside Philanthropy for the great coverage on SCI Ventures'mission and approach as a catalyst for the field ! https://lnkd.in/efv_rmGx

It was a pleasure to attend the second SCI Investor Symposium in San Diego last week. In just one year, the event has grown from a few companies on stage to two full days with exciting companies lined up, both at the pre-clinical and clinical stage. Brain-computer interfaces, Cell & gene therapies, small molecule drugs, electrical stimulation... Our field is becoming more mature with significant commercial opportunities and treatments getting closer to market for our community. 👋 3 portfolio companies on stage Axonis Therapeutics Sania Therapeutics ONWARD Medical, alongside other exciting companies such as Neuralink Lineage Cell Therapeutics Inteligex NervGen Pharma Corp. ... Our Founding Managing Director Adrien Cohen introduced the pre-clinical session and gave an interview to BiotechTV - check it out!

It was a pleasure to connect with fellow VCs and social impact investors last week at the #SuperVenture conference in Berlin.   Our Founding Managing Director Adrien Cohen spoke on the panel “Profit and Purpose: How impact can drive commercial success” about how SCI Ventures’ portfolio companies are supporting life-changing innovations in the field of paralysis while driving financial returns.   Thank you to fellow panelists Douglas Sloan, Jon Coker, Alex Domin and Emma Steele for the interesting conversation!   To learn more about SCI Ventures and our mission to catalyze an investment market aimed at reversing paralysis, visit us here: https://lnkd.in/e3jGYDKp

We are incredibly proud to have launched our first fund dedicated to catalyzing new treatments for spinal cord injury (SCI) with the backing of our co-founders: Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Shepherd Center, Spinal Research, Wings for Life - Spinal Cord Research Foundation and Promobilia Foundation.   SCI Ventures invests in early-stage companies developing the next generation of treatments, with an emphasis on technology to restore function while also backing the ultimate goal of a cure. This includes a range of technologies, from medical devices to neurostimulation to gene & cell therapies.   This is the first time that five leading foundations addressing spinal cord injury in the US, U.K. and EU have come together to support a novel investment vehicle. With their combined network and scientific expertise, we are uniquely positioned to activate the market and spark more innovation in the field. And since spinal cord injury is a natural starting point for many other neurological conditions, the technologies we back will yield impact beyond the SCI community.   If you are working on exciting tech in neuro-regeneration, investing in neuroscience, or feel passionate about making a difference in the space - reach out!

“We are more confident than ever that people who are injured today will be the first generation that does not have to live with paralysis for the rest of their lives.”   Recent scientific and technological advancements have made recovery from paralysis a real possibility, but today there is no vehicle to bridge the gap between the lab and the real world. Our team at SCI Ventures has recognized this clear need in the spinal cord injury (SCI) community and our fund will serve as a catalyst to bringing promising breakthroughs to clinical settings.   Thank you to the Financial Times for the conversation on our recent launch and the exciting companies in our portfolio. We look forward to driving real impact in the SCI community and other adjacent conditions.   Click below to read the full article and learn more about SCI Ventures at our website.