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
Lyft App Launches in Europe30.9.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
North American riders can use their Lyft app when traveling in Europe Key takeaways: North American Lyft riders can now use one app in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. No need to download anything new. New technology allows the Lyft app to integrate any third-party marketplace, laying the groundwork for future international growth. Lyft has transformed from an everyday rideshare company into a global, multi-mobility platform. Starting today, Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) riders can use their Lyft app in cities across Europe. Early access to the Lyft app rolls out in Barcelona and Hamburg first; throughout October, the Lyft app will become available for riders to use in some of Europe’s largest cities including London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Athens, and Warsaw. By the end of October riders visiting Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, France, and Germany will have one go-to app when they cross the Atlantic, building on the foundations from this past summer beta testing th
A Workplace Worth Toasting: Bacardi Continues its Rise on Forbes World’s Best Employers List30.9.2026 13:45:00 CEST | Press release
Bacardi Takes Top Spot Among Spirits Companies with Jump to #69 Bacardi Limited is proving that a workplace worth toasting keeps getting better. The family-owned business has once again been named to the Forbes World's Best Employers list, taking the top spot among spirits companies. Climbing 17 places since last year, in 2026 Bacardi comes in at #69 globally. The jump in ranking reflects a commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired to grow while helping shape the future of the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260930327935/en/ Bacardi Limited Leads Spirits Companies Forbes World's Best Employers 2026 Ranking. “At Bacardi, great moments start with great people. That's why we listen carefully to what they're telling us, learn from that feedback, and keep evolving. We want people to feel clear on how they can grow, confident they can make their mark, and suppor
Forrester’s 2027 European Predictions: Despite A Strong Desire To Regain Its Digital Sovereignty, Europe Will Selectively Reset, Not Sever, Key Technology Relationships30.9.2026 13:33:00 CEST | Press release
New AI sovereignty and platform governance rules will signal strategic intent but deliver limited near-term impact According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2027 European predictions, unveiled today at Forrester’s Technology & Innovation Forum EMEA, Europe will enter 2027 determined to recover its digital autonomy, but the gap between its ambition and control will widen. More than half of European companies embracing AI will reduce their dependence on US hyperscalers due to sovereignty concerns, moving their critical data and applications to European providers. A lack of end-to-end sovereign alternatives, however, will require consumers, companies, and policymakers to pursue selective digital autonomy, which consequently will reshape consumer behaviours, cloud choices, mobility, resilience, and trade strategy with China. Forrester’s Predictions reports offer forward-looking insights into trends to help executives and their teams anticipate change, reduce uncertainty, and make confident d
Vasion® Named a Leader in the 2026 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Print Management Solutions as Enterprise Print Becomes AI Ready30.9.2026 13:30:00 CEST | Press release
Vasion, the intelligent print automation company, today announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Print Management Solutions 2026 Vendor Assessment (doc # US54124826, September 2026). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260930788016/en/ According to the IDC MarketScape, "Organizations in sectors such as education, healthcare, government, manufacturing, financial services, and retail should consider Vasion when seeking support for business process automation revolving around print, output, and agentic or rules-based workflows. Vasion customers may derive considerable value from the vendor's solutions in support of unifying their organizations' digital transformation efforts, particularly where a single portal with functionality extending beyond print management is sought, and especially where FedRAMP® High Authorization, a SOC 2 Type II report, or ISO 27001/42001 certification is req
Pantheon Expands Middle East Presence With New Abu Dhabi Office and Senior Regional Appointment30.9.2026 12:56:00 CEST | Press release
Abu Dhabi office, based in ADGM, continues Pantheon’s global expansion to serve growing client demand in key markets such as the Middle EastFiras Mallah joins as Managing Director and Head of Middle East to lead capital formation with sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and financial institutions across the region Pantheon, a leading global private markets firm with approximately $84bn in assets under management, today announced the expansion of its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first office in ADGM, the international financial center based in Abu Dhabi, alongside the appointment of Firas Mallah as Managing Director and Head of Middle East. Demand for access to private equity, infrastructure, and private credit strategies continues to build among sophisticated investors across the Middle East, who recognize Pantheon for its 40-year track record of innovation and expertise across primaries, secondaries and co-investment opportunities. Secondaries – pioneered by
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