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August 29, 2007
Helixis, Inc. Announces Corporate Launch
Company will focus on development of accurate, fast and
low-cost molecular diagnostics products
Carlsbad, Calif., August 29, 2007 -
Helixis, Inc., an early-stage diagnostics company focused on the
development of low-cost, fast and accurate molecular diagnostic
products, today announced the formal launch of the company's
operations. Helixis' $10M Series A funding has been led by venture
capitalists Jim Blair of Domain Associates and Sharon Stevenson of
Okapi Venture Capital.
Helixis was founded in 2007, based on a
mission to make advanced molecular diagnostic products more
accessible for critical medical and scientific applications in both
the developed and developing worlds. The company's technology is the
result of many years of cross-disciplinary research and development
led by some of the world's most respected molecular biologists and
engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Helixis' technology will enlarge the
market for existing molecular diagnostics (MD) applications such as
biomedical research and clinical sample analysis, as well as enable
newer applications such as pandemic tracking and air, food and water
safety.
"While molecular diagnostics is an area
of extraordinary promise, the current generation of instruments
share characteristics - such as high cost, speed and power
requirements - that greatly limit their use," said Alex Dickinson,
president, chief executive officer and co-founder, Helixis. "We've
developed a new generation of molecular diagnostic technology that
radically reduces cost, size and power requirements without
compromising efficacy, so that the full power of MD can be applied
to major health issues of today, such as personalized medicine,
pandemic screening and biosecurity."
Helixis' technology has completed
extensive testing in clinical settings, during which tests on a wide
range of viral pathogens demonstrated performance in excess of the
current clinical gold standards. Helixis' intellectual property
portfolio, exclusively licensed from Caltech, comprises more than 40
patents and patent filings.
Helixis is led by President,
CEO and Co-Founder Alex Dickinson, formerly CEO of Luxtera,
Inc., the world's leading developer of CMOS photonics
products. The company's other founders include Professor
David Baltimore, PhD, president emeritus and Robert Andrews
Millikan professor of biology at Caltech, and recipient of
the 1975 Nobel Prize in Medicine; and Professor Axel
Scherer, PhD., professor of electrical engineering, applied
physics and physics at Caltech.
"So often we see great
technology being driven by mediocre leadership, or stellar
leaders who don't have a real technology to sell," said Jim
Blair, Domain Associates. "Helixis has both the leadership
and the technology to be a success."
About Helixis, Inc.
Helixis, Inc. is an early-stage diagnostics company focused on
the development of low-cost, fast and accurate molecular diagnostic
products. Founded in 2007 by several of the world's most respected
molecular biologists and engineers, the company has a mission to
make advanced molecular diagnostic products more accessible for
critical medical and scientific applications in both the developed
and developing worlds. Helixis is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA. For
more information, visit
www.helixis.com.
About Domain Associates, LLC
Founded in 1985, Domain Associates, L.L.C. is a venture capital
firm with an exclusive focus on life sciences. With $2.1 billion of
capital under management, Domain Associates is headquartered in
Princeton, NJ with a second office in San Diego, CA. Domain
Associate's three major investment segments are pharmaceuticals,
specialty pharmaceuticals and medical devices, while additional
areas of interest include biomaterials, bioinstrumentation and
diagnostics. For more information, visit
www.domainvc.com.
About Advanced Technology Ventures
Founded in 1985, Domain Associates, L.L.C. is a venture capital
firm with an exclusive focus on life sciences. With $2.1 billion of
capital under management, Domain Associates is headquartered in
Princeton, NJ with a second office in San Diego, CA. Domain
Associate's three major investment segments are pharmaceuticals,
specialty pharmaceuticals and medical devices, while additional
areas of interest include biomaterials, bioinstrumentation and
diagnostics. For more information, please visit our Web site at
www.atvcapital.com.
About Okapi Venture Capital, LLC
Founded in 2006, Okapi Venture Capital is a seed and early stage
venture capital fund headquartered in Laguna Beach, California.
Okapi, with approximately $30 million under management in its
current fund, Okapi Ventures I, is focused on seed and early stage
life sciences and information technology opportunities in Southern
California. For more information about Okapi, visit
www.okapivc.com.
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