Notch, which develops renewable, stem cell-derived immunotherapies for cancer, closed the Series A financing, led by an unnamed health-care-focused investment fund, as well as new and existing investors, including Allogene Therapeutics, Lumira Ventures and others. (The Logic)
Talking point: The company plans to use the funds to expand its team to support its growth, including expanding operations to Seattle; it currently operates in Vancouver and Toronto. The company plans to go public after reaching certain milestones to scale up its capital-intensive R&D, CEO David Main told The Globe and Mail. Venture capital and retail investors have been keen on the biotech sector amid the pandemic. Late last year, Vancouver’s AbCellera closed what was the largest initial public offering for a Canadian biotech at the time, with gross proceeds of about US$555.5 million.