Emergings in Brief (5/02)
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Start-Up showcases the following recently launched companies: Phenomix Corp., SyncPhase Labs LLC, TransnetYX and Zapaq Inc.
Showcasing very recently launched companies
Phenomix Corp.
11099 North Torrey Pines Road
Suite 160A
LaJolla, CA 92037
Phone: (858) 731-5200
Fax: (858) 731-5225
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.phenomixcorp.com
Management: Laura K. Shawver, PhD, President and CEO; Steve A. Kay, PhD, SVP, CTO; Richard Glynne, PhD, Sr. Dir., Genomics; Chris Goodnow, PhD, CSO; Keats Nelms, PhD, Dir., Australian Operations;
Company Founded: November 2001
Financing to Date: $12 million
Investors: Sofinnova Ventures; Alta Partners; Bay City Capital; CM Capital Investments; CMEA Ventures; Novartis Bioventure Fund; Rothschild Bioscience Managers; Versant Ventures
Employees: 25
Partners/Alliances: Genicon Sciences Corp.
Industry Segment: Biotechnology
Business: Uses "forward genetics" to discover new drug targets, starting with animal models to identify and then validate disease-associated genes. Founded by the Genomics Inst. of the Novartis Research Foundation, Medical Genome Center of the John Curtin School of Medical Research and Baylor College of Medicine
SyncPhase Labs LLC
5219 McMurray Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: (970) 491-8673
E-Mail: [email protected]
Management: Joan Burleigh, PhD, Sue James, PhD and Michael Thompson, PhD, Co-founders
Company Founded: October 2001
Financing to Date: $60,000
Investors: Colorado Commission on Higher Education
Employees: 3
Partners/Alliances: Colorado State University Center for Central Auditory Research
Industry Segment: Therapeutic Equipment & Devices; Diagnostic Devices & Equipment
Business: Developing diagnostic tests, DSP-based electronic devices and acoustic filters for individuals with central auditory processing disorders that make it difficult to focus and process information in the presence of background noise.
TransnetYX
119 South Main Street
Number 500
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 494-3239
Fax: (901) 507-0480
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.transnetyx.com
Management: Tim Hodge, President; Robert Bean, SVP
Company Founded: October 2000
Financing to Date: $5.5 million
Investors: Calim Private Equity Group
Employees: 5
Partners/Alliances: DotLogix; Dynamic Devices
Industry Segment: Biotechnology
Business: Outsourced genotyping services; high-speed, low-cost automated genetic screening of tissue biopsies for academic and industry researchers. Validation trials underway at Yale University, Duke University, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.
Zapaq Inc.
1050 Winter Street
Suite 1000
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (781) 839-7237
Fax: (781) 522-7430
E-Mail: [email protected]
Management: James C. Jenson, PhD, CEO; Jordan Tang, PhD, Scientific Founder; Arun Ghoshk, PhD, Scientific Co-founder
Company Founded: January 2002
Financing to Date: $1,150,000
Investors: Institute for the Study of Aging; Oklahoma Life Sciences Fund
Employees: 5
Partners/Alliances: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; University of Illinois
Industry Segment: Biotechnology
Business: Developing novel, orally available pharmaceuticals that inhibit a family of enzymes known as aspartic proteases for the treatment of a variety of diseases. The lead compound is designed to block the formation of beta-amyloid, the major component of senile plaque in Alzheimer's disease.