We are excited to announce our latest investment in Think Bioscience. Think falls squarely in the middle of AV8’s life science investment thesis to invest in novel platforms that combine computational approaches with a strong understanding of biology.

Think Bioscience is a platform biotech company that is using synthetic biology to program microbial systems to identify and develop small molecule therapeutics against elusive targets. Think’s platform uses engineered microorganisms to guide the discovery, evolution, and assembly of targeted therapeutics. The use of a desired therapeutic activity as a genetically encoded constraint to guide the assembly of bioactive molecules in microbial hosts enables Think to greatly expand the universe of natural compounds they can screen since they are not restricted by known libraries. The following comment from an esteemed academic researcher and professor who has spent his career in the natural products chemistry space really sealed the deal for us:
“This is the first time I have seen a platform that is using an all in one system to go after hard to drug targets. They have a clever approach of using synthetic biology to manipulate the microbial systems.”

Of course, good science is nothing without the right team behind it. From the very first meeting, Jerome Fox had us hooked with his scientific depth, startup awareness, and intellectual honesty. He has built a well-rounded team, which comprises strong translational research capabilities in the biopharma industry in Matthew Traylor (CTO), business and deal making skills in Philip Jeng (CBO), and industry experience and knowledge in his advisory board.

We are extremely thrilled to embark on this journey to build targeted therapeutic against hard to treat diseases with Jerome, Matthew, Phillip, and the rest of Think’s team and advisors, in addition to experienced investors like Xora Innovation and Innovation Endeavors. You can follow our progress here.