With $1.3 billion of capital raised in 2021, B.C.’s life sciences sector has never been more robust. In fact, B.C. is Canada’s fastest-growing life sciences sector, employing roughly 20,000 people at over 2,000 companies. And according to BioTalent Canada’s 2021 National Report, the sector will likely require 65,000 additional workers by 2029. To help fill […]
Chinook Therapeutics
Venture Capital Deal Activity Robust In B.C. During Q3 2020
Hockeystick has released their BC Tech Report for Q3 2020 that summarizes venture capital deal activity in Q3. COVID-19 has not slowed down deal activity in the region, but its impact can be seen in the types of companies raising funds, exemplified by Thinkific’s $22 million raise to address remote learning demand attributed to COVID-19 changes […]
LifeSciences BC Recognizes Annual Award Winners
LifeSciences BC has announced the the recipients of the 22nd Annual LifeSciences BC Awards. The annual awards recognize talented individuals and organizations that represent the life sciences ecosystem in B.C. which includes academia, health institutions, research & development, SMEs, government, and industry. This year’s award winners represent the full spectrum from discovery to commercialization, underscoring […]
Chinook Therapeutics Raises USD $106 Million In Advance of Merger
Vancouver’s Chinook Therapeutics has raised a USD $106 million in a private placement financing that included top-tier healthcare investors. As part of the financing, Chinook’s existing investors, Versant Ventures, Apple Tree Partners and Samsara BioCapital, will purchase $25 million in Chinook common stock on the same terms as the new investors in lieu of their prior […]
Chinook Therapeutics Merges With Nasdaq-Traded Aduro Biotech
Vancouver’s Chinook Therapeutics announced today that they are merging with Nasdaq-traded Aduro Biotech. Chinook is a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases. Last year Chinook raised a $65 million Series A round led by founding investor Versant Ventures. Under the merger agreement, Seattle-based […]
Eleven Vancouver Companies Included on Narwhal List
The Narwhal Project identifies a set of young Canadian companies that have the potential to become successful on the world stage. The Narwhal List sheds light on the ability of firms to scale up and reach world-class status. 2019 was a remarkable year for Vancouver’s technology sector as there are eleven companies that made the cut. […]
Chinook Therapeutics Raises $65 Million to Bring Precision Medicine to the Kidney
Vancouver’s Chinook Therapeutics has raised a $65 million Series A financing round to discover and develop precision medicines for kidney diseases. Founding investor Versant Ventures led the round with participation by fellow founding investor Apple Tree Partners and new investor Samsara BioCapital. The Series A proceeds will fund the advancement of several kidney disease programs […]