NAVAN Technologies, Inc. (NAVAN), a privately-held biotechnology company enabling the development of next generation cell and gene therapies through its novel, non-viral NanoStraw platform, announced it had closed a seed investment round led by Amgen Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Hemi Ventures, and other institutional and private investors. Based on technology exclusively licensed from Stanford University, NAVAN is also supported by a National Science Foundation STTR Phase II award and is a resident company at JLABS @ SSF located at Oyster Point in South San Francisco, CA. The investment proceeds will be used to further NanoStraw platform development, scale-up production capabilities, and facilitate strategic collaborations and partnerships to accelerate the development of therapeutics programs.
Michael J. Nowak, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of NAVAN, stated, “Our NanoStraw technology provides direct intracellular access into hard-to-transfect human primary cells for the efficient delivery of any cargo into any cell. By using a physical, non-perturbative delivery mechanism (Nano-injection) for cell transformation, we remove many of the challenges presented by viral-based cell manufacturing while preserving cell function and viability.”
Dr. Lena Krzyzak, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF, added: “We are excited about NAVAN’s vision to facilitate cell and gene therapies. With the ability to accelerate new therapy development and the promise of scalable yet local cell engineering and manufacturing, NanoStraws will greatly decrease costs, making cell and gene therapies much more affordable and accessible.”
“Without cargo size limitations and the ability to deliver multiple different cargos into any cell, NAVAN is providing a universal solution for intracellular access while maintaining high cell quality, functionality and viability – critical for the efficacy and durability of these new therapies,” said Dr. Nowak. “Our mission is to enable high-quality, affordable and accessible point-of-care cell therapies for all patients.”
About NAVAN Technologies
NAVAN Technologies, Inc., (NAVAN) is an early-stage private biotechnology company developing a novel, proprietary NanoStraw platform to enable the next generation of cell and gene therapies. A non-viral physical delivery technology, NanoStraws provide direct access to the cytosol of a cell and hence enable the delivery of Any Cargo into Any Cell in a gentle, non-perturbative manner. High cell viability, the ability to have multiple deliveries of different cargos into a cell, and no cargo size limitations are hallmarks of the platform. Cell transformation via NanoStraws will drastically reduce the complexity, cost and technical challenges involved in cell therapy manufacturing, allowing NAVAN to actively pursue the development of innovative therapies in a broad range of indications with its strategic collaborators and partners.
For more information on NAVAN, please visit www.navan-tech.com