NC-XILIS
8.7.2021 14:02:05 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Xilis, Inc., a pioneering company using its MicroOrganoSphere (MOS) technology to guide precision therapy for cancer patients and accelerate drug discovery and development, today announced the close of a $70 million Series A financing. The round was led by Mubadala Capital, joined by new investors including GV (formerly Google Ventures), LSP (one of Europe’s largest healthcare investment firms), Catalio Capital Management, and Duke Angel Network. Current investors Felicis Ventures, Two Sigma Ventures, Pear VC, KdT Ventures, and Alix Ventures also participated.
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Xiling Shen, Dr. David Hsu, and Dr. Hans Clevers, Xilis is based on decades of biomedical, oncology, and stem cell research by its three co-founders. Dr. Clevers, a Breakthrough Prize winner, is the inventor and pioneer of the organoid technology. Dr. Shen and Dr. Hsu are accomplished engineering and medical professors at Duke University and experts in precision medicine. They have developed the scalable MOS technology to analyze patients’ own tumors in their native microenvironment – a breakthrough achievement.
“Our vision is to transform cancer care in diagnostics and reshape drug development by providing a technology for rapid therapeutic profiling,” said Xiling Shen, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xilis. “The support provided by these world-class investors is an important milestone for our journey to transform cancer care and dramatically improve patient survival by enabling personalized precision oncology and bringing transformative medicines to patients faster and with higher success rates,” added Dr. Shen.
Hans Clevers, MD, PhD, Scientific Co-Founder, venture partner at LSP and Principal Investigator at the Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands, stated, “Since my lab invented organoids a dozen years ago, we provided proof-of-concept for many applications, yet the technology remained slow, complex, and expensive. Together with LSP, I have been looking for enabling technology to unlock the full potential, and Dr. Shen and Dr. Hsu’s invention of the MOS technology has torn down those hurdles and will accelerate its use both in the clinic and for drug discovery and development.”
Xilis’ MOS has been proven to have broad applications:
- Leveraging MOS and AI-driven algorithms, Xilis is developing its Precision Oncology Platform to accurately predict therapeutic responses to help clinicians prioritize cancer treatment strategies for each patient. The entire process from patient biopsy to results takes less than two weeks, enabling extensive clinical application.
- The MOS technology enables high-fidelity pharmaceutical drug discovery and development. Drug developers can use this versatile platform at multiple stages of R&D, including early discovery, preclinical toxicity and efficacy, bioanalytical testing, and clinical trials.
- MOS is a revolutionary technology for immunotherapy development, which requires the patient’s immune microenvironment.
Proceeds from the Series A funding will further advance Xilis’ proprietary MOS technology, expand its AI-driven capabilities, fund clinical studies for diagnostic development, and validate the use of MOS technology with biopharma partners.
“There is a critical need for technologies that can help clinicians determine the most optimal therapy for their individual patients,” Mubadala Capital’s Ayman AlAbdallah added. “Patients will benefit greatly from Xilis’ precision medicine assays by avoiding time spent on treatment cycles that are ineffective, and instead, receive therapies with the greatest potential of success quickly and efficiently. The Xilis Precision Oncology Platform is a cost-effective, outcomes-driven advancement that will help reduce the global burden of oncology costs.”
“Genetic approaches to cancer diagnostics continue to be impactful, and Xilis is creating meaningful pathways for its Precision Oncology Platform to improve cancer care for a broader set of patients,” said GV Managing Partner Krishna Yeshwant, MD, MBA. “Xilis brings together experts in the fields of organoid development and precision medicine, and I’m excited to work with this impressive team as they continue to develop a breakthrough approach.”
About Xilis
Based in Durham, North Carolina, Xilis, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing a precision oncology platform that guides treatment decisions for oncologists to improve cancer care outcomes for patients and supports drug discovery and development for pharmaceutical companies. Xilis’ proprietary MicroOrganoSphere™ (MOS) technology consists of miniature patient tumors that capture the full microenvironment and heterogeneity and provides an automated and scalable solution. Using MOS and AI-driven algorithms, Xilis is developing a Xilis Response Score™ for the clinic, enabling oncologists to make informed and timely treatment decisions. Additionally, the MOS technology is speeding up development and clinical trials of cancer drugs by enabling analysis of authentic tumor microenvironments, high-throughput preclinical modeling, and clinical patient selection capabilities.
About Mubadala Capital
Mubadala Capital is the asset management arm of Mubadala Investment Company, a leading global sovereign investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi. In addition to managing its own balance sheet investments, Mubadala Capital manages third-party capital on behalf of institutional investors in four of its businesses, including three private equity funds, two early stage venture funds, a public fund and a fund in Brazil focused on special situations. The various businesses invest across the capital structure in both public and private securities.
To learn more about Xilis, visit our website at www.Xilis.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210708005283/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Vertex Announces US FDA Approval for Label Extensions of ALYFTREK® and TRIKAFTA®, Expanding Availability of These Medicines to ~95% of All People With CF in the United States1.4.2026 13:30:00 CEST | Press release
-With this expansion, any variant that results in production of CFTR protein is now included in the indication for ALYFTREK and TRIKAFTA, reinforcing the impact these medicines have, regardless of the location of the variant in the CFTR protein--Approximately 800 more people with CF in the US are now eligible for a CFTR modulator for the first time- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved expanded use of ALYFTREK® (vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) for the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older with a variant in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that is either responsive based on clinical and/or in vitro data or results in production of CFTR protein. Additionally, the U.S. FDA has also expanded the indication statement for TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) in patients ages 2 and older. This label expansion was supported b
Agenus Announces First Patient Enrolled in Global Phase 3 BATTMAN Trial of BOT+BAL Immunotherapy Combination in MSS or pMMR Metastatic Colorectal Cancer1.4.2026 13:30:00 CEST | Press release
A Landmark Registrational Study Aiming to Redefine Outcomes in MSS mCRC Which Represents Approximately 95% of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer CasesColorectal Cancer Has Become the Leading Cause of Cancer-related Death in Adults Under Age 50 Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the landmark global phase 3 BATTMAN (CO.33) trial (NCT07152821). This study is evaluating Agenus’ immunotherapy combination of botensilimab (BOT) plus balstilimab (BAL) versus best supportive care in patients with refractory, unresectable microsatellite stable (MSS)/mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), a population long considered resistant to immunotherapy. This study is being conducted as a cooperative group trial led by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) from Canada and run across Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand. More than 100 sites will participate across the academic cooper
Klarna Agrees to $1.7 Billion Transaction Supporting up to $40B+ of Lending1.4.2026 13:19:00 CEST | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, has entered into a new capital efficiency transaction in the form of a Significant Risk Transfer (SRT), covering $1.7 billion-worth of Euro denominated loans and freeing up capital to support continued growth. Klarna has entered into a three-year agreement with a consortium led by Värde Partners. This is Klarna's sixth SRT transaction and improves how effectively Klarna deploys its capital on a global basis. "Our banking license is one of our biggest competitive advantages," said Niclas Neglén, Klarna's Chief Financial Officer. "This is our largest and most efficient SRT transaction to date. These transactions allow us to maximize every unit of capital to support our continued momentum." The transaction follows Klarna’s recently announced $2 billion facility supporting $17B of US Financing expansion. About Klarna Klarna is a global digital bank and flexible payments provider. With over 118 million global active Klarna user
Americhem Launches nDryve™: PFAS-Free In-Melt Technology Platform for Functional Fibers1.4.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release
Americhem, Inc., a global polymer solutions provider, today announced the launch of nDryve™, a PFAS-free, in-melt surface-modifying technology platform designed to deliver durable multi-fluid repellency against alcohol and other low-surface-energy fluids in fiber systems. As global regulations accelerate the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufacturers are under increasing pressure to maintain barrier performance without fluorinated chemistries. nDryve™ was developed to address this shift, offering a PFAS-free, in-melt alternative to conventional surface applied treatments. Engineered for Performance Without PFAS Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have come under heightened regulatory scrutiny due to their persistence and potential environmental and health impacts. nDryve™ integrates directly into the polymer during melt processing, embedding surface-modifying functionality within the fiber matrix rather than relying on removable finishes. By engin
Biocytogen and Sihuan Pharmaceutical Announce Strategic Partnership in Weight Loss and Beyond1.4.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release
Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (Biocytogen, SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315), a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies, today announced a strategic partnership with Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd. (Sihuan Pharmaceutical; HKEX: 00460). Under the agreement, both parties will combine Biocytogen’s leading fully human antibody discovery platform with Sihuan Pharmaceutical’s extensive capabilities in drug development, manufacturing, and commercialization. The collaboration will focus on advancing innovative therapies across multiple disease areas, including weight loss, leveraging complementary strengths to drive synergies and establish a long-term strategic partnership. Sihuan Pharmaceutical highly values the strength of Biocytogen’s technology platforms. In this collaboration, Biocytogen will leverage its integrated platforms, including proprietary target-humanized mouse models and
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom