无忧短视频

无忧短视频 Raises $30 Million Led by M&G Investments to Focus on Tools for the Research, Drug Discovery and Cell Therapy Markets.

Jonathan Milner Appointed Interim CEO; Mark Kotter Assumes Vice Chairman Role as Company Expands Board with Distinguished Biotech Leaders.

Cambridge, UK, 06:00, 16 December 2024 鈥� 无忧短视频, the global leader in cell programming technology, today announced the successful closing of a $30 million financing round led by M&G Investments, a leading international savings and investment company. Existing investors, including ARCH Venture Partners, BlueYard Capital, Milky Way, Puhua Capital, and Tencent, participated in the round.

M&G鈥檚 investment is through M&G鈥檚 Crossover strategy, a global initiative led by M&G鈥檚 public equity investment division to provide growth equity to high-quality, fast-growing private companies, enabling their transition from the private market to the public world. The continued backing of all of 无忧短视频鈥檚 previous lead investors underscores strong confidence in the company鈥檚 potential and strategic direction. This funding will accelerate 无忧短视频鈥檚 transformation into the leading provider of human cells for research and drug discovery, furthering its mission to revolutionise tools for biomedical innovation.

As part of this renewed focus, 无忧短视频 also strengthens its executive leadership team. Starting on 6 January 2025, Dr Jonathan Milner will take on the role of Interim CEO and join the Board of Directors. Dr Milner is a prominent entrepreneur and a key player in the UK life sciences and biotechnology sector. He established Abcam, a leading provider of protein research tools, and scaled it into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, which was acquired in 2023 for nearly $6 billion. He also initiated the Milner Therapeutics Institute, designed to connect academia with industry, accelerating drug discovery and promoting partnerships between researchers and biopharmaceutical companies.

Dr Mark Kotter, 无忧短视频 founder and inventor of the revolutionary opti-ox鈩� cell programming technology, will take on the role of Vice Chairman of the Board, continuing to help shape the company鈥檚 strategic vision.

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome M&G, our first UK investor and a titan in life science investment, to join us in our mission to revolutionise drug discovery tools and transform human health. Since founding 无忧短视频 in 2016, it has been a privilege to lead the company through remarkable growth. Jonathan was not only the first investor in 无忧短视频 but also my first business mentor. As part of our next phase of growth, I will work closely with Jonathan and the team to help shape 无忧短视频鈥檚 future and establish 无忧短视频 as the leading provider of human cells for research, drug discovery and the preferred partner for iPSC-derived cell therapies.鈥�

Dr Mark KotterFounder, 无忧短视频

"I鈥檓 honoured to join 无忧短视频鈥檚 Board of Directors and lead the company through this transformative phase. Mark has built an incredible foundation for growth, and I am committed to building on this success. Over the coming months, Mark and I will collaborate to inspire 无忧短视频鈥檚 exceptional team, advance its groundbreaking technology, and drive its mission forward.鈥�

Dr Jonathan MilnerIncoming Interim CEO, 无忧短视频

In addition to Dr Milner joining the Board of Directors, 无忧短视频 also announced the appointment of two distinguished biotechnology leaders to its Board, further strengthening the company鈥檚 leadership team:

• Cornel Chiriac is an investment director with M&G Crossover Fund, focusing on late-stage investments in technology and science globally. He founded and invested for 10 years with 2050 Capital specialising in biotech and deep technology ventures. Mr Chiriac also leads the Chicago Booth Angels Network in London and has extensive experience in strategy consulting at LEK Consulting.
• Dr Richard D. Klausner is the founder and chief scientist at Altos Labs and a visionary leader in biotechnology. He has co-founded several leading biotechnology companies, including GRAIL, Juno Therapeutics, and Lyell Immunopharma, and has held senior executive positions at Illumina and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As former director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dr Klausner was instrumental in advancing CAR-T therapy and shaping the nation鈥檚 cancer research agenda.

鈥溛抻嵌淌悠� is one of the rising stars in the European biotechnology sector, with the potential to make a profound global impact on human health. We at M&G are thrilled to play our part in advancing Great Britain鈥檚 scientific innovation and to support 无忧短视频鈥檚 journey to become the world鈥檚 leading provider of human cells.鈥�

Cornel ChiriacBoard Member, 无忧短视频 and Investment Director, M&G Crossover Fund

鈥淎 consistent and scalable source of human cells is critical to overcoming long-standing challenges in translating scientific discoveries into effective treatments and making cell therapies widely available. I look forward to contributing to this important mission alongside such an exceptional team.鈥� 

Dr Richard KlausnerBoard Member, 无忧短视频 and Founder and Chief Scientist, Altos Labs

"These new board appointments bring unparalleled expertise across biotechnology, investment, research tools, and therapeutic innovation. We are delighted to welcome M&G to the 无忧短视频 family. The continued support from our existing investors reaffirms their confidence in our team, technology, and mission."

Dr Hermann HauserChairman of the Board, 无忧短视频 and Co-Founder, Arm and Amadeus Capital Partners

About M&G Investments

M&G Investments is part of M&G plc, a savings and investment business which was formed in 2017 through the merger of Prudential plc鈥檚 UK and Europe savings and insurance operation and M&G, its wholly owned international investment manager. M&G plc listed as an independent company on the London Stock Exchange in October 2019 and has 拢346.1 billion of assets under management (as at 30 June 2024). M&G plc has customers in the UK, Europe, the Americas and Asia, including individual savers and investors, life insurance policy holders and pension scheme members.

For nearly nine decades M&G Investments has been helping its customers to prosper by putting investments to work, which in turn creates jobs, homes and vital infrastructure in the real economy. Its investment solutions span equities, fixed income, multi asset, cash, private debt, infrastructure and real estate.

M&G recognises the importance of responsible investing and is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) and is a member of the Climate Bonds Initiative Partners Programme.

M&G plc has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions on its total book of assets under management and administration by 2050 and committed to reduce operational carbon emissions as a corporate entity to net zero by 2030.

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