DCVC Bio, a leading venture capital firm at the intersection of life sciences and deep technology, announced the successful close of its third main fund, raising $400 million oversubscribed. This new fund will enable DCVC Bio to continue its mission of backing visionary scientific teams developing revolutionary solutions for curing diseases, extending healthy lifespans, producing sustainable food, and addressing climate challenges.

Launched in 2018, DCVC Bio has pioneered the use of AI-driven platforms to discover new medicines and spark a range of biological breakthroughs. Unlike traditional biotechnology funds, DCVC Bio doesn’t focus on individual drug candidates but on computation-enhanced platforms capable of generating entire new categories of treatments and products.

Portfolio Successes Highlight DCVC Bio’s Approach

DCVC Bio’s portfolio companies have made groundbreaking advancements. One of its early investments, AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL), developed the first COVID-19 antibody treatment within 90 days of the initial U.S. outbreak. The company uses single-cell analysis and advanced computational tools to create a search engine for therapeutic antibodies.

In the clinical pipeline, Avicenna Biosciences is preparing to seek FDA approval for Phase I trials of its Rho kinase inhibitors, designed to treat Parkinson’s disease and ALS. These molecules were discovered through Avicenna’s machine-learning-driven medicinal chemistry platform. Additionally, Umoja Biopharma is on track to begin treating cancer patients with the world’s first in vivo CAR-T therapy by the end of the year. This innovative treatment teaches the body’s immune cells to fight tumors without the complications of traditional CAR-T therapies.

Other portfolio companies like Creyon Bio and Empirico are also making strides in therapeutic development. Creyon used its predictive ASO design platform to engineer a treatment in just five months, while Empirico’s computational target discovery engine has successfully initiated its first siRNA clinical trials.

DCVC Bio’s impact extends beyond healthcare. Sabanto is revolutionizing agriculture with its autonomous farming technologies, while BioPhero (acquired by FMC) is field-testing bio-designed pheromones to reduce crop pests. MycoWorks is creating a sustainable leather alternative from mycelium, and Elo Life is producing zero-calorie sweeteners from watermelons and sugar beets, bypassing the need for monk fruit, which is only found in China and northern Thailand.

Looking Ahead with DCVC Bio III

With DCVC Bio III, the firm will continue to back companies pushing the boundaries of life sciences. Current investments include Radionetics Oncology, which is developing more precise radiotherapy treatments, and Nilo Therapeutics, which is working on drugs to manage autoimmune diseases by studying the brain’s neural circuits and inflammatory pathways.