Curie.Bio Secures $380M in Series A Funding to Advance Biotech Startups to Clinical Stage

Curie.Bio  incubator has successfully secured $380 million for its latest fund, aimed at supporting startup companies as they progress toward clinical trials. Announced on Wednesday, this Series A fund raises Curie.Bio’s total funds to almost $1 billion.

Founded in early 2023 with $520 million by Alexis Borisy, Zach Weinberg, and Christoph Lengauer, Curie.Bio’s mission is to “free the founders” by aiding early-stage startups from inception through Series A funding. The recent fundraising is specifically allocated for Series A investments in companies within its accelerator, which are moving towards clinical proof-of-concept studies.

Curie.Bio strives to strike a balance between offering support to new companies and maintaining their independence. Its 50-member team, which includes drug developers and biotech professionals, provides expertise to small companies that may not have the resources to hire such talent. The accelerator typically provides biotechs with seed funds ranging from $7 million to $12 million. The initial fundraising in February 2023 saw investments from GV, ARCH Venture Partners, and Leaps by Bayer.

Currently, Curie.Bio has 20 early-stage companies in its portfolio, all of which possess assets or platforms with the potential to achieve blockbuster status, surpassing the billion-dollar sales mark. These companies work with various modalities such as small molecules, antibodies, peptides, degraders, antibody-drug conjugates, and gene therapies across a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas.

Unmatched Team Services Curie.Bio

Curie.Bio Biotech offer comprehensive functions akin to those of a large biotech company, sparing you the need to establish them independently. Our dedicated team of 50 seasoned drug hunters and biotech professionals, often out of reach for smaller biotech firms, has joined us full-time to bolster our early-stage portfolio. They seamlessly integrate into your team, working daily to ensure you have all the necessary resources and expertise to achieve the milestones required for securing your next round of funding at a higher valuation. Curie.Bio Biotech deliver genuine, hands-on support.

Co-Piloting Expertise Curie.Bio

Curie.Bio Biotech co-pilots assist you in defining and executing an optimal seed work plan. With significant contributions to over 150 clinical-stage drugs and 30 registered products, our team possesses deep knowledge in drug discovery. Curie.Bio Biotech guide you in selecting the most promising therapeutic targets and creating precise target product profiles (TPPs) to ensure efficacy in the best indications. Curie.Bio Biotech help you set impactful milestones informed by future investor feedback and design experimental plans to achieve these goals. Curie.Bio Biotech review each data readout with you, advising on necessary adjustments to the initial plan, and keep you updated on competitor developments to maintain a best-in-class trajectory.

 Founder Support Services Curie.Bio

Curie.Bio Biotech provide comprehensive support for all aspects of building your company, allowing you to execute your plans more efficiently. Curie.Bio Biotech interview and select effective drug discovery vendors, identify and secure the expertise required for your key programs, and assist in sourcing, recruiting, interviewing, and hiring top talent. Additionally, we support your fundraising efforts to maximize interest from later-stage investors and partners.

Forward Therapeutics, the first company in Curie.Bio’s portfolio, progressed from startup to clinic-ready in under 18 months. In November 2023, the biopharma successfully raised $50 million in a Series A round to support the clinical development of its small molecule therapies aimed at treating chronic immunological and inflammatory disorders.

Achieving Operational Excellence: Curie.Bio Biotech enlist top global talent to advance impactful medical innovations, ensuring our investments drive substantial progress.

Strategic R&D Partnerships: Through our extensive network of over 200 CRO collaborations, Curie.Bio Biotech transform the global vendor landscape into a responsive R&D service for our portfolio firms. This approach guarantees access to optimal teams and resources, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of each research endeavor. Our scale enables advantageous pricing, superior quality, and accelerated timelines, benefits typically beyond the reach of small, early-stage enterprises.

Expert Support in Drug Discovery: Curie.Bio Biotech offer fractional staffing services to bridge operational and scientific gaps within your team. Our seasoned CXOs and Drug Makers in Residence possess deep expertise in drug development, facilitating the successful execution of experimental plans.

Investment Focus: Our portfolio comprises 20 early-stage therapeutic companies characterized by diverse founder backgrounds, therapeutic areas, drug modalities, and global reach. Curie.Bio Biotech invest in both platform-driven and asset-centric enterprises, prioritizing programs with the potential to achieve blockbuster status (>$1B peak sales).

Support for Founders: Our model is designed to empower founders by rapidly advancing clinic-ready therapies with blockbuster potential. For instance, our initial portfolio company, Forward Therapeutics, achieved this milestone within 18 months with just $8M in funding. This success enabled the founders to secure a $50M Series A funding round, valuing the company at five times its initial valuation and allowing them to retain significant equity.

Vision for Innovation: Curie.Bio Biotech foresee the next wave of biotech innovation driven by empowering visionary founders with the resources and support needed to build thriving companies from groundbreaking therapeutic concepts.

STAT News recently highlighted Curie.Bio’s ambitious plans for the future. The founders aim to expand their portfolio by adding 15 to 20 new companies each year. Additionally, they are preparing to raise a new investment fund within the next year to further support their growing roster of innovative biotech firms.

Curie.Bio’s strategy involves identifying and nurturing companies with high potential, providing them with the necessary resources and guidance to accelerate their development. By focusing on a diverse array of therapeutic modalities, Curie.Bio ensures a broad impact across the biotechnology landscape, ultimately aiming to bring groundbreaking treatments to market and improve patient outcomes.