What is Lycera?
Lycera operates within the biopharmaceutical industry, specializing in the development of proprietary small molecules designed to modulate immune responses for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company leverages its expertise in immune metabolism, cell signaling, and immune cell differentiation to advance its pipeline. Lycera's lead product candidate, targeting inflammatory bowel disease, was slated for clinical testing in early 2015. Furthermore, the company has established strategic collaborations with Merck, focusing on the discovery and commercialization of small molecule therapies for autoimmune disorders. The leadership team possesses extensive experience across drug discovery, development, and commercialization, supported by strong relationships with global clinical researchers.
How much funding has Lycera raised?
Lycera has raised a total of $96.2M across 6 funding rounds:
Series A
$36M
Private Equity
$21M
Debt
$5M
Debt
$4M
Series B
$29.9M
Debt
$350K
Series A (2009): $36M with participation from Clarus Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, EDF Ventures, and InterWest Partners
Private Equity (2012): $21M, investors not publicly disclosed
Debt (2013): $5M supported by ARCH Venture Partners and InterWest Partners
Debt (2014): $4M featuring InterWest Partners, Clarus Ventures, and ARCH Venture Partners
Series B (2015): $29.9M backed by InterWest Partners, Clarus Ventures, and ARCH Venture Partners
Debt (2020): $350K with participation from PPP
Key Investors in Lycera
Clarus Ventures
Blackstone Life Sciences focuses on bringing vital medicines and technologies to market, aiming to improve patient outcomes through collaboration with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical technology companies. The firm addresses the funding gap in the life sciences sector by investing in late-stage development of innovative products.
ARCH Venture Partners
ARCH Venture Partners is a leading earlystage venture capital firm that creates and invests in life sciences and advanced technology companies, often cofounding startups with scientists and entrepreneurs to commercialize innovations from universities, corporate R&D groups, and national laboratories.
EDF Ventures
EDF Ventures is a leading venture capital firm investing in early-stage healthcare companies. We focus on young companies that are developing breakthrough technologies to address large, well recognized problems or transform existing markets.
What's next for Lycera?
The recent major strategic investment signifies a critical juncture for Lycera, likely enabling the acceleration of its clinical development programs and the expansion of its research initiatives. This capital infusion is expected to support the progression of its lead candidates through rigorous testing phases and potentially broaden its therapeutic focus. Lycera's ongoing collaborations and its established expertise in immune-related diseases suggest a strategic direction aimed at addressing significant unmet medical needs, with future growth contingent on successful clinical outcomes and market penetration.
See full Lycera company page
