INNOVATION Kyoto 2016 LLP Completes Strategic Investment in Drawbridge Health
Kyoto, Japan, October 2, 2018 – INNOVATION Kyoto 2016 Limited Liability Partnership (“KYOTO-iCAP 1st Fund”), and Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (the general partner. Headquarters: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City; CEO: Koji Murota; “KYOTO-iCAP”), today announced it has concluded a multi-million dollar investment in Drawbridge Health Inc. (Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA, US; CEO: Lee McCracken; “Drawbridge Health”), accelerating the global expansion of Drawbridge Health’s breakthrough blood sampling technology.
“We are enthusiastic about the significant market potential of the Drawbridge Health blood sampling technology and its ability to enhance patient care through frequent health monitoring. We look forward to working closely with the Drawbridge Health team as they collaborate with Kyoto University researchers to continue development of the technology for Japan and beyond” said Koji Murota, CEO of KYOTO-iCAP.
“We are truly honored to establish the strategic relationship with KYOTO-iCAP and Kyoto University, both a distinguished research institute in Japan and one of the top research institutions in Asia” said Lee McCracken, CEO of Drawbridge Health. “As Japan is one of the largest healthcare markets in the world, Drawbridge Health appreciates the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Japanese patients and consumers.”
Concurrent with the investment, Drawbridge Health has initiated a research collaboration with Kyoto University Professor Nobuya Inagaki, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, and Assistant Professor Kaori Ikeda, M.D., Ph.D. will lead the research collaboration for Kyoto University
About Drawbridge Health
Drawbridge Health is a privately-held healthcare technology company launched by GE Ventures and GE Healthcare. Drawbridge Health is focused on enabling personal diagnostic testing – anytime, anywhere. By integrating engineering and proprietary chemistries, Drawbridge is developing a people-friendly system for collecting and stabilizing blood samples, opening new doors to enable access to important health information. At Drawbridge Health, we’re innovating new ways to put health in your hands. For more information, please visit www.drawbridgehealth.com.
About Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (“Kyoto iCAP”)
Kyoto iCAP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyoto University established in December 2014. Its purpose is to provide investment and support to companies founded by researchers belonging to Kyoto University (including spin-offs from joint research companies) for commercializing knowledge (including research results, technology, etc.). The KYOTO-iCAP 1st Fund was created from a 16- billion-yen capital contribution from Kyoto University and private financial institutions, in January 2016. KYOTO-iCAP is a general partner of the Fund. The fund management period is 15 years, that enables KYOTO-iCAP to support Kyoto University-originated ventures with long-term and to provide equity from the seed stage to practical application. The university is one of the top research institutions in Asia.
[Contact Information]
Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317 Japan
Kyoto University International Science Innovation Building, East Building, 4th Floor
Head of Media Relations: Osami Kono
Tel: +81-(0)75-753-5303, Fax: +81-(0)75-753-7592
Email: info@kyoto-unicap.co.jp
Drawbridge Health Inc. ,
2882 Sand Hill Road, Suite 240
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Head of Marketing: Greg Nagy
Tel: 650-279-3434
Email: gnagy@dbhealth.com