NYBC Launches $50 Million Fund to Accelerate Innovations in Blood and Cellular Therapies

New York Blood Center (NYBC) Inc. recently announced an inaugural $50 million investment in NYBC Ventures, a new early-stage life sciences fund that aims to accelerate innovation in blood and cellular therapies. It is the first venture fund solely dedicated to advancing innovation in blood and cell-based therapies and technologies.

NYBC Ventures will focus on addressing the most pressing challenges in benign hematology, transfusion medicine and infectious disease. The fund also aims to improve patients’ lives by advancing therapeutics, enabling platforms and technologies and driving collaborations to further NYBC’s impact.

An experienced deal team helmed by Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, general partner; Jay Mohr, general partner; and Meg Wood, MPH, managing director, will lead NYBC Ventures. The fund will employ a model of patient capital and take a flexible approach to financing vehicles and structures. In addition, NYBC Ventures has streamlined scientific and due diligence teams to evaluate investment opportunities.

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