VCCT, a Kobe, Japan-based seed/growth-stage biotechnology company, raised approximately $4M in funding.
Backers included Sysmex Corporation, DAI-DAN CO., LTD. and YASKAWA Electric Corporation. With the completion of this fundraising round, the total amount of funds raised by VCCT now amounts to 1.7 Billion yen ($11.3M USD).
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the development of retinal regenerative medicine.
Led by CEO Masayo Takahashi, VCCT is a seed/growth-stage biotechnology company developing a portfolio of ex vivo and in vivo cell therapy solutions for ocular diseases. It is a member of the Kobe Eye Center Initiative, a consortium of organizations that unifies research, clinical practice, and patient care, for the benefit of patients suffering from ocular diseases.
Masayo Takahashi led the world’s first clinical study of retinal cell transplantation derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) in 2014 when she was with RIKEN BDR, and VCCT has since conducted numerous clinical studies of retinal regenerative medicine in collaboration with the clinical team at Kobe City Hospital. As a front runner in regenerative medicine research, VCCT has accumulated a wealth of clinical expertise in this field.
Furthermore, in July 2023, a consortium including VCCT was selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for the second supplementary budget of FY2022 for the “Infrastructure development Project for Implementation of Regeneration, Cell Therapy, and Gene Therapy”. VCCT will play a central role in this project with its joint research partner Kobe City Eye Hospital to develop processes for automated cell production, quality information management system, and the system for suitable patient selection. The goal is to establish an end-to-end supply chain and viable business model for regenerative medicine.
FinSMEs
16/11/2023