Private equity firm invests in Cambridge biotech

A private equity firm, Calculus Capital, has invested £2.5 million in the Cambridge-based biotech company, Axol Bioscience.

Axol provides pharma companies, biotechs and research institutions with stem cells that are produced from reprogrammed human blood and tissue cells. This unique approach, of harnessing advances in stem cell biology to generate self-renewing cell-lines, ensures consistency within the cell-line batches, which is important for the development of novel therapeutics.

Once developed, new cell lines are added to Axol’s ‘off-the-shelf’ products, available on the company’s website. The reprogrammed stem cells offer a research tool in the development of new treatments for serious illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s.

“Axol Bioscience is doing very important work; its products and services – stem cells and the culture systems required to maintain them – are essential to gene-based medical research,” said Alexandra Lindsay of Calculus Capital. “Our investment will enable Axol to grow and develop more product lines that are able to make a real and effective contribution to medical research efforts to combat killer diseases.”

“The market for our products is growing rapidly from all around the world,” said Dr Yichen Shi, CEO of Axol. “The funding from Calculus will help us make the most of that opportunity through new product development and increasing our sales and marketing capabilities.”